Topic Test Answers

What major topic do both Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Philosophy of Composition” and Stephen King’s On Writing address?

In the movie X-Men: First Class (2011), the character Mystique must decide between defending the people who hate her or using violence to gain human rights. What type of conflict does Mystique face?

Into what genre do both Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Philosophy of Composition” and Stephen King’s On Writing fall?

What is character motivation?

Read the poems below and answer the question that follows. “The Taxi”by Amy Lowell When I go away from youThe world beats deadLike a slackened drum.I call out for you against the jutted starsAnd shout into the ridges of the wind.Streets coming fast,One after the other,Wedge you away from me,And the lamps of the city prick my eyesSo that I can no longer see your face.Why should I leave you,To wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night? Source: Lowell, Amy. “The Taxi.” Sword Blades and Poppy Seeds. New York: MacMillan Co., 1914. Google Books. Web. 29 June 2011. “Where Have You Gone”by Mari Evans Where have you gonewith your confidentwalk withyour crooked smile why did you leavemewhen you took yourlaughterand departedare you aware thatwith youwent the sunall lightand what few starsthere were? Where have you gonewith your confidentwalk yourcrooked smile therent moneyin one pocket andmy heartin another . . . Source: Evans, Mari. “Where Have You Gone.” I Am a Black Woman. New York: Morrow, 1970. Google Books. Web. 29 June 2011. Which statement offers the best comparison of the two poems?

All of the following are common organizational strategies except __________.

Which phrase best defines “figurative language”?

All of the following are types of details except __________.

Read the poem below and answer the question that follows. “Hanging Fire”by Audre Lorde I am fourteenand my skin has betrayed methe boy I cannot live withoutstill sucks his thumbin secrethow come my knees arealways so ashywhat if I diebefore the morning comesand momma’s in the bedroomwith the door closed. I have to learn how to dancein time for the next partymy room is too small for mesuppose I die before graduationthey will sing sad melodiesbut finallytell the truth about meThere is nothing I want to doand too muchthat has to be doneand momma’s in the bedroomwith the door closed. Nobody even stops to thinkabout my side of itI should have been on Math Teammy marks were better than hiswhy do I have to bethe one wearing bracesI have nothing to wear tomorrowwill I live long enoughto grow upand momma’s in the bedroomwith the door closed. Source: Lorde, Audre. “Hanging Fire.” The Black Unicorn: Poems. New York: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, 1978. El Camino College. Web. 06 June 2011. Which poetic techniques are illustrated in the opening lines “I am fourteen/and my skin has betrayed me/the boy I cannot live without/still sucks his thumb/in secret”?

Read the poem below and answer the question that follows. “Fog”by Carl Sandburg The fog comeson little cat feet. It sits lookingover harbor and cityon silent haunchesand then moves on. Source: Sandberg, Carl. “Fog.” Chicago Poems. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1916. 71. Web. Representative Poetry Online. Web. 9 June 2011. Which of the following excerpts from the poem reflects the use of figurative language? I. “The fog comes/on little cat feet.” II. “It sits looking/over harbor and city” III. “on silent haunches/and then moves on.”

Which statement about facts and opinions in memoirs is true?

How do facts in a memoir differ from facts in other types of nonfiction?

Read the poem below and answer the question that follows. “The Taxi”by Amy Lowell When I go away from youThe world beats deadLike a slackened drum.I call out for you against the jutted starsAnd shout into the ridges of the wind.Streets coming fast,One after the other,Wedge you away from me,And the lamps of the city prick my eyesSo that I can no longer see your face.Why should I leave you,To wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night? Source: Lowell, Amy. “The Taxi.” Sword Blades and Poppy Seeds. New York: MacMillan Co., 1914. Google Books. Web. 29 June 2011. Which poetic techniques does Lowell use in the first three lines of this poem?

Which term is a type of detail?

What is the definition of “memoir”?

When the plot of a story includes the main character’s internal conflict, which of the following may be true?

What is one key difference between the critical acclaim received by Edgar Allan Poe and that received by Stephen King?

Read the poem below and answer the question that follows. “Fog”by Carl Sandburg The fog comeson little cat feet. It sits lookingover harbor and cityon silent haunchesand then moves on. Source: Sandberg, Carl. “Fog.” Chicago Poems. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1916. 71. Representative Poetry Online. Web. 9 June 2011. Which two things are being compared in the poem?

Which term refers to careful and deliberate word choice in speaking or writing?