AnswersCommon Core ELA 10 - ELA3010 A-CRAnalyzing an Autobiographical Essay

"By the Waters of Babylon," Part 1: Analyzing Setting Answers

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Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon.”It is not true what some of the tales say, that the ground there burns forever, for I have been there. Here and there were the marks and stains of the Great Burning, on the ruins, that is true. But they were old marks and old stains. It is not true either, what some of our priests say, that it is an island covered with fogs and enchantments. It is not. It is a great Dead Place—greater than any Dead Place we know. Everywhere in it there are god-roads, though most are cracked and broken. Everywhere there are the ruins of the high towers of the gods.

A
He discovers that it is unwise to have an inquiring mind.
B
He learns that there is nothing supernatural to fear in the destroyed city.
C
He renounces everything he learned from the priests and his father.
D
He understands that the past has nothing of interest for people of the present.
2
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Which details in the passage describe an atmosphere of desolation? Select two options.

A
“How shall I tell what I saw?"
B
"but the towers themselves look blind"
C
"a fishhawk, catching fish in the river"
D
"a little dance of white butterflies"
E
"shattered image of a man or a god"
3

Which details from the text best support the idea that the narrator is cautious in this new setting? Select two options.

A
“They are falling apart into great blocks of stone, and the forest is safer going.”
B
“There was the great river below, like a giant in the sun. It is very long, very wide.”
C
“It could eat all the streams we know and still be thirsty. Its name is Ou-dis-sun, the Sacred, the Long.”
D
“Toward the setting of the eighth sun, I came to the banks of the great river.”
E
“No man of my tribe had seen it, not even my father, the priest. It was magic and I prayed.”
4

The way a story’s narrator and characters are presented and developed is called

A
perception.
B
social impact.
C
characterization.
D
physical setting.
5

Which statement from "By the Waters of Babylon” provides the best example of how the physical environment shapes the character’s actions?

A
“These are the rules and the laws; they are well made.”
B
“It was a dead man’s house, a spirit house.”
C
“Sometimes signs are sent by bad spirits.”
D
“I tried to guide my raft with the pole but it spun around.”
6

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon.”All the same, when I came to the Place of the Gods, I was afraid, afraid. The current of the great river is very strong—it gripped my raft with its hands. That was magic, for the river itself is wide and calm. I could feel evil spirits about me, I was swept down the stream. Never have I been so much alone—I tried to think of my knowledge, but it was a squirrel's heap of winter nuts. There was no strength in my knowledge any more and I felt small and naked as a new-hatched bird—alone upon the great river, the servant of the gods.

A
The setting makes him lose hope.
B
The setting makes him envious.
C
The setting makes him feel angry.
D
The setting makes him gain confidence.
7

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon.”Nevertheless, as I made the raft, the tears ran out of my eyes. The Forest People could have killed me without fight, if they had come upon me then, but they did not come.When the raft was made, I said the sayings for the dead and painted myself for death. My heart was cold as a frog and my knees like water, but the burning in my mind would not let me have peace. As I pushed the raft from the shore, I began my death song—I had the right. It was a fine song.

A
“The Forest People could have killed me without fight.”
B
“the tears ran out of my eyes”
C
“but they did not come”
D
“My heart was cold as a frog”
8

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon.”After a time, I myself was allowed to go into the dead houses and search for metal. So I learned the ways of those houses—and if I saw bones, I was no longer afraid. The bones are light and old—sometimes they will fall into dust if you touch them. But that is a great sin.

A
He is pessimistic due to his experiences.
B
He gains knowledge through experience.
C
He always does what he is told.
D
He will always remain extremely timid.
9

Which term is a synonym for atmosphere?

A
tone
B
mood
C
action
D
conflict
10

Which details does the author include to describe the setting? Select two options.

A
“fasting, taking no food”
B
“signs sent by bad spirits”
C
“waited again on the flat rock”
D
“did not mind me or see me”
E
“the sun was beginning to sink”

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