Cumulative Exam — Cumulative exam Answers

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21
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In “Ambush,” which sentence best reflects the idea that O’Brien is more concerned with emotional truth than factual truth?

A
I want to tell her exactly what happened, or what I remember happening.
B
He was a short, slender young man of about twenty.
C
Shortly after midnight we moved into the ambush site outside My Khe.
D
He wore black clothing and rubber sandals and a gray ammunition belt.
22
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Read the excerpt from Fast Food Nation. Instead of relying upon a small, stable, well-paid, and well-trained workforce, the fast food industry seeks out part-time, unskilled workers who are willing to accept low pay. Teenagers have been the perfect candidates for these jobs, not only because they are less expensive to hire than adults, but also because their youthful inexperience makes them easier to control.Which of the following choices best presents a counterclaim to the argument presented in this excerpt?

A
Teenagers have not yet developed skills that make them valuable employees in the workforce.
B
Fast food restaurants are able to employ people who otherwise might not be able to find a job because of the low skill level required to perform the tasks.
C
The McDonald brothers designed the Speedee Service System based on the assembly line systems of American factories in the early twentieth century.
D
By law, fast food restaurants must offer equal employment opportunities to those seeking work.
23

Read the excerpt from “First Generation” of Dreaming in Cuban, by Cristina Garcia.She considers the vagaries of sports, the happenstance of El Líder, a star pitcher in his youth, narrowly missing a baseball career in America. His wicked curveball attracted the major league scouts, and the Washington Senators were interested in signing him but changed their minds. Frustrated, El Líder went home, rested his pitching arm, and started a revolution in the mountains.Which best explains how Garcia’s word choice helps establish her voice in the excerpt?

A
Garcia uses short, forceful words to assert a pessimistic opinion on fate.
B
Garcia uses formal, academic language and location words to suggest a theory about fate.
C
Garcia uses American baseball terminology to suggest fate’s defeat.
D
Garcia uses words with positive connotations to suggest an optimistic outlook on fate.
24

In general, what conveys meaning in a poem?

A
the attitude a poet has about a subject
B
the punctuation used in a poem
C
the words a poet chooses about a subject
D
the ideas expressed in a poem.
25

In Art Spiegelman’s Maus, the events of the Holocaust are relayed from the perspective of

A
Spiegelman.
B
an unknown narrator.
C
the Nazi soldiers.
D
Spiegelman’s father.
26

Read the excerpt from Notes of a Native Son.It had something to do with his blackness, I think—he was very black—with his blackness and his beauty, and with the fact that he knew that he was black but did not know that he was beautiful. He claimed to be proud of his blackness but it had also been the cause of much humiliation and it had fixed bleak boundaries to his life.Which best describes the effect that racial prejudice had on Baldwin’s father in early 20th-century America?

A
Baldwin’s father viewed himself in terms of limitations as opposed to possibilities.
B
Baldwin’s father viewed himself in terms of possibilities as opposed to limitations.
C
Baldwin’s father viewed himself in terms of pride as opposed to humiliation.
D
Baldwin’s father viewed himself in terms of humiliation as opposed to pride.
27

Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation.Why does the author include these sentences?

A
to predict the future of his group’s actions
B
to recall the harsh actions of law enforcement
C
to encourage understanding of Black nationalists
D
to provide a contrast to his group’s nonviolent efforts
28

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.
29

Which sentence is written correctly?

A
Summer produce, such as heirloom tomatoes, can be used to create delicious salads.
B
The hotel in the business district, has many accommodations, for its corporate visitors.
C
The discovery of gold led to population growth, in the West, during the late 1800s.
D
Restaurants must adhere to, health department guidelines, in order to obtain a permit.
30

Read the excerpt from Leslie Marmon Silko’s story "The Man to Send Rain Clouds."They found him [Teofilo] under a big cottonwood tree. His Levi jacket and pants were faded light blue so that he had been easy to find. . . . He had been dead for a day or more, and the sheep had wandered and scattered up and down the arroyo. . . . . Ken came sliding down the low, crumbling bank about fifty yards down, and he was bringing the red blanket. . . . ."Send us rain clouds, Grandfather." They laid the bundle in the back of the pickup and covered it with a heavy tarp before they started back to the pueblo.They turned off the highway onto the sandy pueblo road. Not long after they passed the store and post office they saw Father Paul's car coming toward them. When he recognized their faces he slowed his car and waved for them to stop. The young priest rolled down the car window."Did you find old Teofilo?" he asked loudly.Leon stopped the truck. "Good morning, Father. We were just out to the sheep camp. Everything is O.K. now.""Thank God for that. Teofilo is a very old man. You really shouldn't allow him to stay at the sheep camp alone.""No, he won't do that any more now.""Well, I'm glad you understand. I hope I'll be seeing you at Mass this week—we missed you last Sunday. See if you can get old Teofilo to come with you." The priest smiled and waved at them as they drove away.What does this dialogue reveal about the priest’s standing within the community?

A
He is a trusted leader of the tribe.
B
He is considered to be an outsider.
C
He is a spiritual guide to the people.
D
He is disliked by most of the people.
31

Read the sentence.She met her friends in the lobby, the bottom floor, of the hotel so that they could head over to the refreshing pool for a cool, brisk swim.Which is the best revision of this sentence?

A
She met her friends in the lobby of the hotel, and they headed over to the pool for a cool, refreshing swim.
B
She met her friends at the hotel’s bottom floor, which is the lobby, so that they could head over to the swimming pool for a cool, brisk swim.
C
For a cool, brisk, refreshing swim at the hotel’s pool, she met her friends in the hotel’s lobby on the bottom floor.
D
The sentence is correct as written.
32

Read the excerpt from Fast Food Nation. The restaurant opens for business at seven o’clock, and for the next hour or so, Elisa and the manager hold down the fort, handling all the orders. As the place starts to get busy, other employees arrive. Elisa works behind the counter. She takes orders and hands food to customers from breakfast through lunch. When she finally walks home, after seven hours of standing at a cash register, her feet hurt. She’s wiped out. She comes through the front door, flops onto the living room couch, and turns on the TV. And the next morning she gets up at 5:15 again and starts the same routine.How does the description of Elisa’s daily routine support the author’s claim that the fast food industry seeks out teenage employees?

A
It provides anecdotal evidence of a teenage fast food employee living like an adult.
B
It provides analogical evidence to compare the efficiency of teenagers and adults.
C
It provides statistical evidence of what an average fast food employee experiences.
D
It provides testimonial evidence to describe employee abuse in the fast food industry.
33

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. What can be inferred from the excerpt?

A
Tan is embarrassed by the nonstandard form of English that her mother speaks.
B
Tan believes that nonstandard forms of English are legitimate languages in their own right.
C
Tan wishes that she did not have to think about the English that her mother speaks.
D
Tan is angry that people are not taught nonstandard English languages in school.
34

Which statement best compares the structure of "Harlem" and "The Weary Blues"?

A
“Harlem” is short and happy, while “The Weary Blues” is longer and lyrical.
B
“Harlem” is short and urgent, while “The Weary Blues” is longer and lyrical.
C
“Harlem” is short and content, while “The Weary Blues” is longer and unhappy.
D
“Harlem” is short and curious, while “The Weary Blues” is longer and unhappy.
35

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
36

Read the excerpt from Roosevelt’s Executive Order No. 9066.Whereas the successful prosecution of the war requires every possible protection against espionage and against sabotage to national-defense material, national-defense premises, and national-defense utilities. . . . Which best describes the impact of the words “prosecution,” “espionage,” and “sabotage”?

A
They reveal important information to the reader.
B
They create vivid imagery for the audience.
C
They emphasize the theme of the executive order.
D
They lend the excerpt an urgent tone.
37

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”
38

Read the excerpt from "In Response to Executive Order 9066".I am a fourteen-year-old girl with bad spellingand a messy room. If it helps any, I will tell youI have always felt funny using chopsticksand my favorite food is hot dogs.Why does Okita include this description of the speaker?

A
to emphasize the cultural differences between Japanese Americans and other Americans
B
to accentuate the social injustice of Japanese Americans being interned
C
to highlight the fact that the speaker is no different from any other average American girl
D
to call attention to the tear in the narrator’s relationship with her best friend
39

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.
40

Read the excerpt from Notes of a Native Son.He had lived and died in an intolerable bitterness of spirit and it frightened me, as we drove him to the graveyard through those unquiet, ruined streets, to see how powerful and overflowing this bitterness could be and to realize that this bitterness now was mine. Which words does Baldwin use to introduce his overarching problem?

A
it frightened me
B
as we drove him
C
to see how powerful
D
to realize that

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