AnswersGA-GSE World HistoryEthnic and Religious Conflict

Topic Test Answers

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Read the excerpt from Gary Soto’s story "Like Mexicans."We talked for an hour and had apple pie and coffee, slowly. Finally, we got up with Carolyn taking my hand. Slightly embarrassed, I tried to pull away but her grip held me. I let her have her way as she led me down the hallway with her mother right behind me. . . . Carolyn waved again. I looked back, waving . . . . Her people were like Mexicans, only different.Which best describes the irony in this excerpt?

A
The narrator is embarrassed about his own Mexican identity even though there is no reason to be.
B
Carolyn is exactly like a good Mexican girl even though her family is Japanese American.
C
After worrying about marrying a woman from a different culture, the narrator learns that her family is a lot like his own.
D
Although the narrator has dreamed about marrying a Mexican girl for most of his life, he finds a Japanese American girl instead.
42
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Read the excerpt from “Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry.”For me, reading has always been a path toward liberation and fulfillment. To learn to read is to start down the road of liberation, a road which should be accessible to everyone. No one has the right to keep you from reading, and yet that is what is happening in many areas in this country today. There are those who think they know best what we should read. These censors are at work in all areas of our daily lives.Which best describes how Anaya uses rhetorical appeal to convince readers that censors want to limit what people can read?

A
Anaya speaks about everyone’s right to read what they choose in order to appeal to the reader’s sense of fairness.
B
Anaya presents documented facts about censors’ motivations in order to appeal to the reader’s sense of logic.
C
Anaya discusses his lifelong love of reading in order to establish his expertise for the reader on the topic of censorship.
D
Anaya refrains from stating a direct opinion in order to allow the reader to form one based on evidence from many areas of the country.
43

Read the excerpt from “How the Internet and Other Technologies Came About.”In a scenario of two dazed boxers lying flat on their backs, slowly regaining consciousness, the winner of World War III would be that country which could stand on its feet first (and so go on to win World War VI). Therefore, the pentagon’s priority was to provide scientists with a way to rebuild the country as fast as possible, unimpeded by unnecessary restrictions.Which type of rhetoric is used most in this excerpt to convince readers of the author’s point of view?

A
an appeal to logic
B
an appeal to the author’s character
C
an appeal to emotion
D
an appeal to ethics
44

Read this excerpt from "Talking Robots."Of course, neural networks still have a long way to go before they can model the human brain. As physicist Heinz Pagels has said: “The difference between a real neuron and the model neurons . . . is like the difference between a human hand and a pair of pliers.” But the fact that a simple neural network can speak at all is remarkable, indicating that perhaps human abilities can be simulated by electronics. . . . Which is the most accurate summary of Kaku’s argument?

A
The simulated speech of neural networks suggests the potential for other electronic simulations.
B
Neural networks are vastly inferior to the human brain, and critics question whether they can speak at all.
C
Neural networks are vastly different from the human brain, just as pliers are different from the human hand.
D
Electronic simulation of speech suggests that technological ability will eventually exceed human potential.
45

Read the excerpt from “Like Mexicans.”We talk for an hour and had apple pie and coffee, slowly. Finally, we got up with Carolyn taking my hand. Slightly embarrassed, I tried to pull away but her grip held me. I let her have her way as she led me down the hallway with her mother right behind me. . . . Carolyn waved again. I looked, back, waving. . . . Her people were like Mexicans, only different.Which best explains how Soto’s text structure helps establish his voice in the excerpt?

A
Soto compares his experience to his wife’s experience in order to criticize marriage in a multicultural society.
B
Soto lists a series of events to present guidelines on how to live in a multicultural society.
C
Soto relates a story from his life to make a point about what it means to live in a multicultural society.
D
Soto uses a cause-and-effect format to show how a person’s heritage can limit his or her marriage choices.
46

How does Michio Kaku develop the idea of an impending scientific revolution in “Choreographers of Matter, Life, and Intelligence”?

A
by praising the efficiency of modern-day Internet research
B
by providing quantitative proof of recent scientific progress
C
by comparing scientific knowledge to grains of sand on a beach
D
by providing the names and contributions of modern scientists
47

Read the excerpt from Julia Ortiz Cofer’s poem "El Olvido."It is a dangerous thingto forget the climate of your birthplace,to choke out the voices of dead relativeswhen in dreams they call youby your secret name.Which statement best expresses Cofer’s point?

A
Although the United States has much to offer, it is a very dangerous place.
B
Immigrants must remember and preserve their own native cultures.
C
The voices of dead relatives may enter a person’s dreams at night.
D
Dead relatives will call people by secret names that no one else knows.
48

Read the excerpt from "Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry" by Rudolfo A. Anaya.If we leave out our tortillas—and by that I mean the language, history, cultural values and themes of our literature—the very culture we’re portraying will die. Based on this excerpt, which statement best expresses Anaya’s point of view?

A
Mexican American writers need to reject American values and instead focus on Mexican traditions.
B
Mexican American writers need to recognize that Mexican food is the most important symbol of their heritage.
C
Mexican American writers need to focus more on their Mexican heritage than on their American heritage.
D
Mexican American writers need to preserve their heritage by continuing to write about it.
49

Read this excerpt from "Like Mexicans.". . . I ignored them and climbed the back fence to see my best friend, Scott, a second-generation Okie.What is the meaning of the underlined term in this context?

A
someone who is from the West and whose parents are from the West
B
someone who is racist and whose parents who are racist
C
someone who is not Mexican and whose parents are not Mexican
D
someone who is fluent in English and whose parents are fluent in English
50

Which excerpt from Sandra Cisneros’s story "Mericans" best reveals a blending of cultures?

A
“The awful grandmother knits the names of the dead and the living into one long prayer fringed with the grandchildren born in that barbaric country with its barbaric ways.”
B
“They’re not from here. Ladies don’t come to church dressed in pants. And everybody knows men aren’t supposed to wear shorts.”
C
“‘Por favor,’ says the lady. ‘¿Un foto?’ pointing to her camera.‘Si.’ She’s so busy taking Junior’s picture, she doesn’t notice me and Keeks.”
D
“‘Hey, Michele, Keeks. You guys want gum?’‘But you speak English!’‘Yeah,’ my brother says, ‘we’re Mericans.’”
51

Read the excerpt from “First Generation” of Dreaming in Cuban.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.Read the excerpt from “Like Mexicans.”We talked for an hour and had apple pie and coffee, slowly. Finally, we got up with Carolyn taking my hand. Slightly embarrassed, I tried to pull away but her grip held me. I let her have her way as she led me down the hallway with her mother right behind me. . . . Carolyn waved again. I looked, back, waving. . . . Her people were like Mexicans, only different.Which best states how the structures of the excerpts are similar?

A
Each relates an anecdote to appeal to the reader’s emotions.
B
Each presents factual evidence to appeal to the reader’s logic.
C
Each documents career credentials to appeal to the reader’s ethics.
D
Each discusses a political event to appeal to the reader’s logic.
52

Diversity in the American populace has resulted in

A
diminished recognition of multiracial identities.
B
increased exploration of multiracial identities.
C
delayed growth of multiracial Americans as a group.
D
heightened analyses of European values and beliefs.
53

Read the excerpt from “Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry.”For me, reading has always been a path toward liberation and fulfillment. To learn to read is to start down the road of liberation, a road which should be accessible to everyone. No one has the right to keep you from reading, and yet that is what is happening in many areas in this country today. There are those who think they know best what we should read. These censors are at work in all areas of our daily lives.Which type of rhetoric is used most in this excerpt to convince readers that censors have unjust motives?

A
an appeal to emotion
B
an appeal to ethics
C
an appeal to the author’s character
D
an appeal to logic
54

Read this excerpt from "Why No Policeman on the Block?"Already, young computer nerds who have attempted to fill this curious vacuum by writing simple directories for the Internet have amassed fabulous fortunes overnight when their companies went public. Netscape’s co-founder Jim Clark’s fortune ballooned to an astonishing half billion dollars the day the company went public. (Clark reached billionaire status only eighteen months after starting his company; it took Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, twelve years.) Which is the most accurate summary of Kaku’s argument?

A
Young people interested in pursuing Internet-related careers are likely to accomplish financial success.
B
The rapid success of Netscape’s launch is proof that there is a demand for Internet directories.
C
Internet commerce moguls, such as Jim Clark, will generate billions of dollars in profits for their companies.
D
Innovative individuals, such as Jim Clark, will greatly assist the future of Internet efficiency.
55

Read the excerpt from “Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry.”My friend had concluded that if he took his language and culture out of his poetry, he stood a better chance of receiving a fellowship. He took out his native language, the poetic patois of our reality, the rich mixture of Spanish, English, pachuco and street talk which we know so well. In other words, he took the tortillas out of his poetry, which is to say he took the soul out of his poetry. Which best explains how Anaya’s tone establishes his voice in the excerpt?

A
Anaya’s tone is humorous, which reflects his desire to highlight the topic.
B
Anaya’s tone is easy-going, which reflects his lack of concern about the topic.
C
Anaya’s tone is passionate, which reflects his strong feelings about the topic.
D
Anaya’s tone is joyful, which reflects his determination to celebrate the topic.
56

Read the excerpt from Sandra Cisneros’s story "Mericans."They’re not from here. Ladies don’t come to church dressed in pants. And everybody knows men aren’t supposed to wear shorts.Which best describes the irony in the narrator’s observation that the couple is “not from here”?

A
The narrator is not from “here” either.
B
The couple is Mexican.
C
The couple thinks that the children are Mexican.
D
The narrator is mistaken.
57

Read this excerpt from "Talking Robots."Sejnowski rejected the usual top-down approach to reproducing human speech. He threw out the fat dictionaries of pronunciation and programs brimming with the rules of phonetics and the tedious list of exceptions to all the previous rules, which had no rhyme or reason. Instead, he replaced all this with a surprisingly simple neural circuit. What is the author’s purpose for including this statement?

A
to prove Sejnowski’s credentials
B
to clarify how linguists teach speech
C
to criticize robots with neural circuits
D
to praise Sejnowski’s innovation

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