Diagnostic PostTest Answers

Read the excerpt from the introduction to Wheels of Change .When I was a kid, I took great pleasure in jumping on my bike and riding to the corner candy store about half a mile away. Although I had no knowledge of the part the bicycle had played as a vehicle of change for turn-of-the-20th-century women, I was acutely aware that it allowed this 1960s girl a unique measure of independence. On my bike, I could break free of the bonds that held me in my neighborhood to go buy Necco Wafers and candy necklaces and Atomic FireBalls. If I felt particularly adventurous, I could even ride a bit farther for a fresh ice-cream cone at Applegate Farm.

Read the excerpt from The Fellowship of the Ring.As for Bilbo Baggins, even while he was making his speech, he had been fingering the golden ring in his pocket: his magic ring that he had kept secret for so many years. As he stepped down he slipped it on his finger, and he was never seen by any hobbit in Hobbiton again.

Read the excerpt from the Declaration of Sentiments.He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice.He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men—both natives and foreigners.

Read the lines from "84" by Rabindranath Tagore.Let none go back home, brothers, this morning, let none go to work.Let us take the blue sky by storm and plunder space as we run.Laughter floats in the air like foam on the flood.Brothers, let us squander our morning in futile songs.

Read the excerpt from Utopia.I never saw a clearer instance of the opposite impressions that different customs make on people than I observed in the ambassadors of the Anemolians, who came to Amaurot when I was there. As they came to treat of affairs of great consequence, the deputies from several towns met together to wait for their coming. The ambassadors of the nations that lie near Utopia, knowing their customs, and that fine clothes are in no esteem among them, that silk is despised, and gold is a badge of infamy, used to come very modestly clothed; but the Anemolians, lying more remote, and having had little commerce with them, understanding that they were coarsely clothed, and all in the same manner, took it for granted that they had none of those fine things among them of which they made no use; and they, being a vainglorious rather than a wise people, resolved to set themselves out with so much pomp that they should look like gods, and strike the eyes of the poor Utopians with their splendour.

Read the excerpt from "A Modest Proposal."I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust.

Read the excerpt from President Lincoln’s 1865 inaugural address, in which he speaks about the Civil War.One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it.

Read the excerpt from The Odyssey.He saw the townlandsand learned the minds of many distant men,and weathered many bitter nights and daysin his deep heart at sea, while he fought onlyto save his life, to bring his shipmates home.

Read the excerpt from "How the Grimm Brothers Saved the Fairy Tale."Between 1812 and 1857, seven editions of their tales appeared, each one different from the last, until the final, best-known version barely resembled the first. Given that the first edition has recently been honored in bicentenary celebrations throughout the world, it is perhaps a good time to reexamine what we think we know about the original tales of the Brothers Grimm.

Read the passage from "Ode on a Grecian Urn."Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leaveThy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss,Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve;She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

In the story “Ambush,” what is revealed to the reader through the frame-story structure?

Read the paragraph.Kev’s first experience as a babysitter was pure chaos. His four-year-old charge demonstrated karate moves (at the expense of two potted plants), and the toddler’s tantrums were remarkable. When Kev wisely offered lunch as a diversion, the macaroni and cheese could not be contained to the plates or table. Playtime outside was a welcome relief, as was the payment for babysitting when the parents returned home.

In the introduction of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson explains the way a government should function. In the body of the document,

Read the excerpt from "Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell.Silly words and expressions have often disappeared, not through any evolutionary process but owing to the conscious action of a minority. Two recent examples were explore every avenue and leave no stone unturned, which were killed by the jeers of a few journalists.

Read the excerpt from Enrique’s Journey.Hours later, the Red Cross asked Cancino if he could help an injured migrant. It was the same Honduran teenager. His right ribs were broken. His entire chest and face were badly bruised. He spoke slowly, in a whisper, clasping his chest. Two gangsters had overheard his description and kicked him mercilessly. "Next time, we kill you," the gangsters told him. The teenager, afraid for his life, asked to be deported.Read the excerpt from "Children of the Drug Wars."But, as I learned when I returned to Nueva Suyapa last month, a vast majority of child migrants are fleeing not poverty, but violence.

Read the excerpt from Roosevelt’s State of the Union address and the poster below it.As spokesmen for the United States Government, you and I take off our hats to those responsible for our American production—to the owners, managers, and supervisors, to the draftsmen and the engineers, and to the workers—men and women—in factories and arsenals and shipyards and mines and mills and forests—and railroads and on highways.

Read the excerpt from The Dark Game.But how would Hall get that telegram? That would take some doing, he admitted. Then Hall remembered Mr. H., one of his trusted operatives. It was Mr. H. who had alerted MI8 to the suspicious activities of Sweden's chargé d'affaires in Mexico City, Folke Cronholm. Sharp-eyed Mr. H. had noticed that Cronholm was making frequent visits to the telegraph office, far more visits than one would expect from a representative of the Swedish government, given the limited relationship between that government and Mexico.

Read the paragraph.Preparation is the key to success when hiking. Hikers must research weather conditions and wear appropriate layers of clothing to avoid discomfort. Also, hikers must chart their course to confirm the availability of suitable trails. When packing, hike participants should select ample food and water for their adventure. Finally, phones and other communication devices should be charged and ready for emergencies.

Read the excerpt from The Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England.Pig farmers keep their flitches of bacon back in storage until they can get a better price for them later in the winter. Such tactics are made even more profitable by the unhappy fact that harvests can fail, causing local—and sometimes national—food shortages. Large towns are less vulnerable, being part of an international market that sees preserved foods traded long-distance; but much of the countryside is dependent on fresh food. After a poor harvest, prices for all commodities—not just grain—rise dramatically and the poor are unable to make ends meet.