Unit Test — Cumulative exam Answers

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101
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Read the excerpt from Amy Tan’s essay “Mother Tongue.”I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect.Which phrase from the excerpt uses informal English?

A
“limited my perception”
B
“her English reflected the quality”
C
“she expressed them imperfectly”
D
“when I was growing up”
102
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In the story “Ambush,” what is revealed to the reader through the frame-story structure?

A
The narrator is never able to discuss the event with his fellow troops.
B
The narrator feels deep regret that he did not tell his daughter the truth.
C
The narrator continues to feel haunted by the events in Vietnam.
D
The narrator has been able to forgive himself for what happened.
103

How are the views of the narrators similar in “Facing It” and “Not a Dove, But No Longer a Hawk”?

A
Both narrators discuss the negative impact of war on the innocent civilians.
B
Both narrators oppose American involvement in the Vietnam War.
C
Both narrators are critical of the treatment of veterans after the Vietnam War.
D
Both narrators are saddened by the harsh realities of the Vietnam War.
104

What is the speaker in "The Weary Blues" attempting to convey in his description of the scene?

A
a criticism of the nightclub atmosphere
B
a concern for overworked performers
C
a knowledge of new musical genres
D
a celebration of personal expression
105

Read this excerpt from "Not a Dove, But No Longer a Hawk." I wonder, when I look at the bombed out peasant hamlets, the orphans begging and stealing on the streets of Saigon and the women and children with napalm burns lying on the hospital cots, whether the United States or any nation has the right to inflict this suffering and degradation on another people for its own ends.How do the allusions in this excerpt reinforce the meaning of the passage?

A
The allusions clarify the geographic locations visited by the author.
B
The allusions recall specific locations and horrors of the Vietnam conflict.
C
The allusions question the Vietnamese for allowing such a violent war.
D
The allusions criticize the political philosophies that encourage suffering.
106

Read the excerpt from Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Death by Black Hole.”But there is more bad news.All parts of your body are moving toward the same spot—the black hole’s center. So while you’re getting ripped apart head to toe, you will also extrude through the fabric of space and time, like toothpaste squeezed through a tube.To all the words in the English language that describe ways to die (e.g., homicide, suicide, electrocution, suffocation, starvation) we add the term “spaghettification.”In this excerpt, Tyson conveys his complex ideas by

A
introducing complicated terminology.
B
providing relevant statistics and figures.
C
relating the information to something familiar.
D
describing a personal experience.
107

Which sentence best uses academic vocabulary?

A
In the last stanza of the poem, the elderly woman expresses anxiety about her family members who live far away.
B
In the last stanza of the poem, the old woman seems upset about her family, who live in a faraway land.
C
In the last stanza of the poem, the elderly woman worries about her family members who live pretty far away.
D
In the last stanza of the poem, the old woman seems to care about her family who don’t live nearby.
108

Read the excerpt from the song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”They used to tell me I was building a dream, And so I followed the mob—When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear I was always there—right on the job. They used to tell me I was building a dream With peace and glory ahead— Based on this excerpt and your knowledge of American history, why did the stock market crash make Americans lose confidence in business?

A
Following the mob without asking questions can potentially lead to financial or emotional devastation.
B
People worked diligently to participate in the building of the American dream with the understanding they would profit.
C
The promise of peace and glory compelled many people to work for the wealthy and make them richer.
D
Instead of plowing the fields and going to war, American should have gone to college.
110

Read the excerpt from “Speaking Arabic.”At a neighborhood fair in Texas, somewhere between the German Oom-pah Sausage Stand and the Mexican Gorditas booth, I overheard a young man say to his friend, “I wish I had a heritage. Sometimes I feel—so lonely for one.” And the tall American trees were dangling their thick branches right down over his head.Which best explains how Nye’s word choice helps establish her voice in the excerpt?

A
Nye uses short, forceful words to support her opinion that an American heritage is limited and mechanical.
B
Nye describes a neighborhood fair to support her opinion that the idea of an American heritage does not exist.
C
Nye creates a powerful image of trees to support her opinion that living among a variety of cultures is an American heritage.
D
Nye directly quotes something she heard in order to express her distress over a lack of American heritage.
112

Read the paragraph from a student’s critical analysis essay.In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson talks about independence through his use of big words and fancy argument skills. First, Jefferson states his thesis, which makes it seem important that the colonists get independence. Next, Jefferson gives evidence against the king of England and how he mistreats the American colonies. Finally, Jefferson suggests that colonists should stop paying taxes and fight, which is the obvious answer to the colonists’ problems.What is the best way for the student to revise the essay?

A
The student should replace familiar language with more accessible language.
B
The student should replace scholarly language with informal language.
C
The student should replace formal language with more familiar language.
D
The student should replace informal language with formal language.
113

Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”The Negro has many pent up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. How does King conclude this claim?

A
by stating the inevitability of violent protests
B
by urging White leaders to release him from jail
C
by encouraging White leaders to allow nonviolent protests
D
by persuading his followers to break laws and create unrest
114

Read the excerpt from the song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”Once I built a tower, up to the sun, Brick, and rivet, and lime,Once I built a tower, Now it's done— Which reality of the Great Depression does the excerpt convey?

A
stock market crash
B
decreased demand for products
C
increased unemployment
D
lower agricultural production
115

Review the image and excerpt from " As Debris Piles Up, Americans Are Skeptical Enough Will Be Done to Limit Space Junk.”Private companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are becoming increasingly important players in space exploration. Many Americans are confident these companies will be profitable, but they’re more skeptical they will keep space clean of debris, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

Question illustration
A
It will include data and facts about space junk and how Americans feel about it.
B
It will tell stories of Americans encountering problems that relate to space junk.
C
It will give instructions on how to limit space junk when preparing for missions.
D
It will state the author’s opinion about private companies cleaning space junk.
116

Read the excerpt from Flannery O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.”Mr. Shiftlet was so shocked that for about a hundred feet he drove along slowly with the door stiff open. A cloud, the exact color of the boy’s hat and shaped like a turnip, had descended over the sun, and another, worse looking, crouched behind the car. Mr. Shiftlet felt that the rottenness of the world was about to engulf him. He raised his arm and let it fall again to his breast. “Oh Lord!” he prayed. “Break forth and wash the slime from this earth!”The turnip continued slowly to descend. After a few minutes there was a guffawing peal of thunder from behind and fantastic raindrops, like tin-can tops, crashed over the rear of Mr. Shiftlet’s car.Which is a metaphor?

A
The turnip continued slowly to descend.
B
...raindrops, like tin-can drops, crashed over the rear of Mr. Shiflet’s car.
C
Mr. Shiftlet felt that the rottenness of the world was about to engulf him.
D
He raised his arm and let it fall again to his breast.
118

Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”The Negro has many pent up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. How does King conclude this claim?

A
by stating the inevitability of violent protests
B
by urging White leaders to release him from jail
C
by encouraging White leaders to allow nonviolent protests
D
by persuading his followers to break laws and create unrest
119

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."Lately, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” or “fractured” English. But I wince when I say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than “broken,” as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. How does Tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt?

A
Tan discusses her thoughts about language to build the idea that the English language does not have words to match some Chinese terms.
B
Tan discusses her relationship with her mother to build the idea that mothers and daughters in all cultures often have misunderstandings.
C
Tan discusses her mother’s use of English to build the idea that a form of language can be purposeful and meaningful even if it is nonstandard.
D
Tan discusses the English language to build the idea that there is a lack of appropriate synonyms for the word “broken.”

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