TEST NAME: English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
TEST ID: 333174
GRADE: 12
SUBJECT: English Language and Literature
TEST CATEGORY: District Benchmark
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
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11/17/14, English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
Student: Class:
Date:
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from Patrick Henrys Address to Convention of Delegates' ­ and answer the question
below:
Excerpt from Patrick Henrys Address to Convention of Delegates
Excerpt from Patrick Henry’s Address to Convention of Delegates,
March 28, 1775 I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp
of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the
past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in
the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those
hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves
and the House? Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has
been lately received?
Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves
to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception
of our petition comports with these war­like preparations which cover
our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a
work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling
to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let
us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and
subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen,
sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to
submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motives for it?
Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all
this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are
meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to
bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have
been so long forging. And what have we to oppose them? Shall we try
argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we
anything new to offer on the subject? Nothing. We have held the
subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in
vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms
shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I
beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that
could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have
petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have
prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its
interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and
Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have
produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been
disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot
of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope
of peace and reconciliation.
There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free—if we mean
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to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have
been so long contending—if we mean not basely to abandon the noble
struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have
pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our
contest shall be obtained—we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must
fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable
an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week,
or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a
British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather
strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of
effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the
delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand
and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means
which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of
people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that
which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send
against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a
just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise
up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the
strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we
have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late
to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and
slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the
plains of Boston! The war is inevitable—and let it come! I repeat it, sir,
let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace,
Peace—but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale
that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of
resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we
here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is
life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of
chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course
others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
1. To which of these questions does Henry fail to give a definitive answer in the second paragraph of the passage?
A.
Are the American colonies strong in terms of military might?
B.
Is there any recourse other than war for the American colonies?
C.
Will other nations be willing to support the American colonies?
D.
Do the American colonies have plans in place regarding what to do next?
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from Patrick Henrys Address to Convention of Delegates' ­ and answer the question
below:
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
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2. Which sentence describes a piece of evidence that Henry offers in support of his position?
A.
The British stationed guards in every person’s house.
B.
The British have forged chains and shipped them to Boston.
C.
The British have turned down the Americans’ latest petition.
D.
The British armed themselves in the absence of actual adversaries.
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from Patrick Henrys Address to Convention of Delegates' ­ and answer the question
below:
3. Read the following sentence from the passage.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of
experience.
Which statement best describes Henry’s use of figurative language in this sentence?
A.
Henry is claiming that past actions determine the course that one’s life will take in the future.
B.
Henry is explaining that he weighs what has happened before when choosing his course of action.
C.
Henry is condemning the idea of taking action without familiarizing oneself with the past effects of similar
actions.
D.
Henry is encouraging his colleagues to become more familiar with the kinds of things he himself has gone
through.
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from Patrick Henrys Address to Convention of Delegates' ­ and answer the question
below:
4. Read the following sentence from the passage.
We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have
prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to
arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.
Which word could best replace supplicated in this sentence to maintain its tone?
A.
asked
B.
demanded
C.
pleaded
D.
requested
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from Patrick Henrys Address to Convention of Delegates' ­ and answer the question
below:
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5. Read this quote from Patrick Henry.
Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offence, I
should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country, and of an act of
disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly­kings.
Which sentence best restates and preserves the meaning of this sentence?
A.
If I kept the same opinions at this time, through fear of offending someone, I ought to consider myself as
being guilty of treason toward my country, as well as an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven,
which I revere above all earthly rulers.
B.
I do not know whether I ought to say what I think right now, because someone could be offended, and I
might be considered guilty of treason toward my country and an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of
heaven, and I revere that above all earthly rulers.
C.
I am wondering if my opinions will offend or frighten people at this time, or if I need to consider myself as
being as guilty of treason as I am of acting disloyally toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all
rulers here on earth.
D.
If I failed to speak my mind at this time because it might offend someone, I would consider myself guilty of
treason toward my country and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all
rulers here on earth.
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from Patrick Henrys Address to Convention of Delegates' ­ and answer the question
below:
6. Which sentence describes a piece of evidence that Henry offers in support of his position?
A.
The British stationed guards in every person’s house.
B.
The British have forged chains and shipped them to Boston.
C.
The British have turned down the Americans’ latest petition.
D.
The British armed themselves in the absence of actual adversaries.
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from Patrick Henrys Address to Convention of Delegates' ­ and answer the question
below:
7. Read the following sentence from the passage.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of
experience.
Which statement best describes Henry’s use of figurative language in this sentence?
A.
Henry is claiming that past actions determine the course that one’s life will take in the future.
B.
Henry is explaining that he weighs what has happened before when choosing his course of action.
C.
Henry is condemning the idea of taking action without familiarizing oneself with the past effects of similar
actions.
D.
Henry is encouraging his colleagues to become more familiar with the kinds of things he himself has gone
through.
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from Patrick Henrys Address to Convention of Delegates' ­ and answer the question
below:
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8. Read the following sentence from the passage.
We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have
prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to
arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.
Which word could best replace supplicated in this sentence to maintain its tone?
A.
asked
B.
demanded
C.
pleaded
D.
requested
Read the passage ­ 'An Episode Of War' ­ and answer the question below:
An Episode Of War
An Episode Of War by Stephen Crane 1 The lieutenant's rubber blanket lay on the ground, and upon it he had
poured the company's supply of coffee. Corporals and other
representatives of the grimy and hot­throated men who lined the
breastwork had come for each squad's portion.
2 The lieutenant was frowning and serious at this task of division. His
lips pursed as he drew with his sword various crevices in the heap until
brown squares of coffee, astoundingly equal in size, appeared on the
blanket. He was on the verge of a great triumph in mathematics, and
the corporals were thronging forward, each to reap a little square, when
suddenly the lieutenant cried out and looked quickly at a man near him
as if he suspected it was a case of personal assault. The others cried
out also when they saw blood upon the lieutenant's sleeve.
3 He had winced like a man stung, swayed dangerously, and then
straightened. The sound of his hoarse breathing was plainly audible. He
looked sadly, mystically, over the breastwork at the green face of a
wood, where now were many little puffs of white smoke. During this
moment the men about him gazed statue­like and silent, astonished
and awed by this catastrophe which happened when catastrophes were
not expected—when they had leisure to observe it.
4 As the lieutenant stared at the wood, they too swung their heads, so
that for another instant all hands, still silent, contemplated the distant
forest as if their minds were fixed upon the mystery of a bullet's
journey.
5 The officer had, of course, been compelled to take his sword into his
left hand. He did not hold it by the hilt. He gripped it at the middle of
the blade, awkwardly. Turning his eyes from the hostile wood, he
looked at the sword as he held it there and seemed puzzled as to what
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to do with it, where to put it. In short, this weapon had of a sudden
become a strange thing to him. He looked at it in a kind of
stupefaction, as if he had been endowed with a trident, a sceptre, or a
spade.
6 Finally he tried to sheath it. To sheath a sword held by the left hand, at
the middle of the blade, in a scabbard hung at the left hip, is a feat
worthy of a sawdust ring. This wounded officer engaged in a desperate
struggle with the sword and the wobbling scabbard, and during the time
of it he breathed like a wrestler.
7 But at this instant the men, the spectators, awoke from their stone­like
poses and crowded forward sympathetically. The orderly­sergeant took
the sword and tenderly placed it in the scabbard. At the time, he leaned
nervously backward and did not allow even his finger to brush the body
of the lieutenant. A wound gives strange dignity to him who bears it.
Well men shy from this new and terrible majesty. It is as if the
wounded man's hand is upon the curtain which hangs before the
revelations of all existence. . . . Moreover, they fear vaguely that the
weight of a finger upon him might send him headlong, precipitate the
tragedy, hurl him at once into the dim, grey unknown. And so the
orderly­sergeant, while sheathing the sword, leaned nervously
backward.
8 There were others who proffered assistance. One timidly presented his
shoulder and asked the lieutenant if he cared to lean upon it, but the
latter waved him away mournfully. He wore the look of one who knows
he is the victim of a terrible disease and understands his helplessness.
He again stared over the breastwork at the forest and then turning
went slowly rearward. He held his right wrist tenderly in his left hand as
if the wounded arm was made of very brittle glass.
9 And the men in silence stared at the wood, then at the departing
lieutenant—then at the wood, then at the lieutenant.
10 As the wounded officer passed from the line of battle, he was enabled
to see many things which as a participant in the fight were unknown to
him. He saw a general on a black horse gazing over the lines of blue
infantry at the green woods which veiled his problems. An aide galloped
furiously, dragged his horse suddenly to a halt, saluted, and presented
a paper. It was, for a wonder, precisely like an historical painting.
. . .
11 He came upon some stragglers, and they told him how to find the field
hospital. They described its exact location. In fact, these men, no
longer having part in the battle, knew more of it than others. They told
the performance of every corps, every division, the opinion of every
general. The lieutenant, carrying his wounded arm rearward, looked
upon them with wonder.
12 At the roadside a brigade was making coffee and buzzing with talk like
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a girls' boarding school. Several officers came out to him and inquired
concerning things of which he knew nothing. One, seeing his arm,
began to scold. "Why, man, that's no way to do. You want to fix that
thing." He appropriated the lieutenant and the lieutenant's wound. He
cut the sleeve and laid bare the arm, every nerve of which softly
fluttered under his touch. He bound his handkerchief over the wound,
scolding away in the meantime. His tone allowed one to think that he
was in the habit of being wounded every day. The lieutenant hung his
head, feeling, in this presence, that he did not know how to be correctly
wounded.
13 The low white tents of the hospital were grouped around an old
schoolhouse. There was here a singular commotion. In the foreground,
two ambulances interlocked wheels in the deep mud. The drivers were
tossing the blame of it back and forth, gesticulating and berating, while
from the ambulances, both crammed with wounded, there came an
occasional groan. An interminable crowd of bandaged men were coming
and going. Great numbers sat under the trees nursing heads or arms or
legs. There was a dispute of some kind raging on the steps of the
schoolhouse. Sitting with his back against a tree a man with a face as
grey as a new army blanket was serenely smoking a corncob pipe. The
lieutenant wished to rush forward and inform him that he was dying.
14 A busy surgeon was passing near the lieutenant. "Good morning," he
said, with a friendly smile. Then he caught sight of the lieutenant's
arm, and his face at once changed. "Well, let's have a look at it." He
seemed possessed suddenly of a great contempt for the lieutenant.
This wound evidently placed the latter on a very low social plane. The
doctor cried out impatiently, "What mutton­head had tied it up that way
anyhow?" The lieutenant answered, "Oh, a man."
15 When the wound was disclosed, the doctor fingered it disdainfully.
"Humph," he said. "You come along with me, and I'll 'tend to you." His
voice contained the same scorn as if he were saying, "You will have to
go to jail."
16 The lieutenant had been very meek, but now his face flushed, and he
looked into the doctor's eyes. "I guess I won't have it amputated," he
said.
17 "Nonsense, man! Nonsense! Nonsense!" cried the doctor. "Come along,
now. I won't amputate it. Come along. Don't be a baby."
18 "Let go of me," said the lieutenant, holding back wrathfully, his glance
fixed upon the door of the old schoolhouse, as sinister to him as the
portals of death.
19 And this is the story of how the lieutenant lost his arm. When he
reached home, his sisters, his mother, his wife sobbed for a long time
at the sight of the flat sleeve. "Oh, well," he said, standing shamefaced
amid these tears, "I don't suppose it matters so much as all that."
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9. What can the reader infer from the second paragraph of the passage?
A.
The soldiers suddenly notice the lieutenant’s wound, which he has been hiding from them.
B.
One of the soldiers accidentally injures the lieutenant while waiting for a coffee square.
C.
The lieutenant accidentally injures himself while dividing the coffee supply.
D.
The lieutenant is shot unexpectedly while not engaged in battle.
Read the passage ­ 'An Episode Of War' ­ and answer the question below:
10. Which sentence best explains the effect that the first paragraph of “An Episode of War” has on the rest of the
story?
A.
By describing the lieutenant’s task of rationing coffee, the author establishes that the lieutenant is in
charge.
B.
By showing the lieutenant performing a mundane task, the author sets up a contrast for when the
lieutenant is injured.
C.
By describing the lieutenant’s task of rationing coffee, the author demonstrates the scarcity of goods during
war.
D.
By showing the lieutenant performing a mundane task, the author establishes the lieutenant as a minor
character.
Read the passage ­ 'An Episode Of War' ­ and answer the question below:
11. Read this sentence from the last paragraph of the passage.
And this is the story of how the lieutenant lost his arm.
Which sentence best explains the function this sentence serves in the passage?
A.
The narrator’s matter­of­fact tone creates a sense of understatement compared to some characters’
reactions to his loss.
B.
The narrator’s matter­of­fact tone conveys the sense that the loss was not very important to any of the
characters.
C.
The narrator’s sarcastic tone emphasizes the lieutenant’s bitter feelings about losing his arm.
D.
The narrator’s direct tone further underscores the lack of emotion present in the story.
Read the passage ­ 'By The Sea' ­ and answer the question below:
By The Sea
By The Sea by Emily Dickinson I started early, took my dog,
And visited the sea;
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The mermaids in the basement
Came out to look at me,
5 And frigates in the upper floor
Extended hempen hands,
Presuming me to be a mouse
Aground, upon the sands.
But no man moved me till the tide
10 Went past my simple shoe,
And past my apron and my belt,
And past my bodice too,
And made as he would eat me up
As wholly as a dew
15 Upon a dandelion's sleeve —
And then I started too.
And he — he followed close behind;
I felt his silver heel
Upon my ankle, — then my shoes
20 Would overflow with pearl.
Until we met the solid town,
No man he seemed to know;
And bowing with a mighty look
At me, the sea withdrew.
12. What is the meaning of simple in stanza 3 of the poem?
A.
unmixed
B.
ordinary
C.
chaste
D.
cunning
Read the passage ­ 'By The Sea' ­ and answer the question below:
13. What two main ideas about the sea are expressed in the poem?
A.
The sea is intent on terrifying the speaker with a frightening attack.
B.
The sea is powerful and stately, overwhelming the tiny speaker.
C.
The sea is deceptive, first welcoming then attacking.
D.
The sea is intimidating and dangerous.
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Read the passage ­ 'By The Sea' ­ and answer the question below:
14. Based on stanzas 1 and 2, how does the speaker in the poem feel when first visiting the sea?
A.
scrutinized and timid
B.
frightened and insecure
C.
emotional and shocked
D.
uncomfortable and upset
Read the passage ­ 'By The Sea' ­ and answer the question below:
15. Read the definition of a hymn.
A metrical composition in the form of verse, using various literary devices to express
contemplation, praise, and exultation.
Emily Dickinson’s religious upbringing is reflected in many of her earlier poems. What element of “By the Sea”
suggests this influence?
A.
The theme reflects personal joy in creation.
B.
The stanzas support the concept of reflection.
C.
Each stanza contains an example of alliteration.
D.
The rhyme and rhythm are exact and repeated.
Read the passage ­ 'By The Sea' ­ and answer the question below:
16. Which metaphor does the poet use to describe the appearance of the waves?
A.
hempen hands
B.
dandelion’s sleeve
C.
silver heel
D.
a mighty look
Read the passage ­ 'Thomas Jeffersons First Inaugural Address' ­ and answer the question below:
Thomas Jeffersons First Inaugural Address
Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
Page 11 of 24
Friends and Fellow­citizens:
Called upon to undertake the duties of the first executive office of our
country, I avail myself of the presence of that portion of my fellow­
citizens which is here assembled, to express my grateful thanks for the
favor with which they have been pleased to look toward me, to declare
a sincere consciousness, that the task is above my talents, and that I
approach it with those anxious and awful presentiments, which the
greatness of the charge, and the weakness of my powers, so justly
inspire. A rising nation, spread over a wide and fruitful land, traversing
all the seas with the rich productions of their industry, engaged in
commerce with nations who feel power and forget right, advancing
rapidly to destinies beyond the reach of mortal eye; when I
contemplate these transcendent objects, and see the honor, the
happiness, and the hopes of this beloved country committed to the
issue and the auspices of this day, I shrink from the contemplation, and
humble myself before the magnitude of the undertaking. Utterly,
indeed, should I despair, did not the presence of many, whom I see
here, remind me, that, in the other high authorities provided by our
Constitution, I shall find resources of wisdom, of virtue, and of zeal, on
which to rely under all difficulties. To you, then, gentlemen, who are
charged with the sovereign functions of legislation, and to those
associated with you, I look with encouragement for that guidance and
support which may enable us to steer with safety the vessel in which
we are all embarked, amidst the conflicting elements of a troubled
world.
During the contest of opinion through which we have passed, the
animation of discussions and of exertions has sometimes worn an
aspect which might impose on strangers unused to think freely, and to
speak and to write what they think; but this being now decided by the
voice of the nation, announced according to the rules of the
Constitution, all will of course arrange themselves under the will of the
law, and unite in common efforts for the common good. All too will bear
in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in
all cases to prevail, that will, to be rightful, must be reasonable; that
the minority possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect,
and to violate which would be oppression. Let us then, fellow­citizens,
unite with one heart and one mind, let us restore to social intercourse
that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life itself are
but dreary things. And let us reflect, that having banished from our land
that religious intolerance under which mankind so long bled and
suffered, we have yet gained little, if we countenance a political
intolerance, as despotic, as wicked, and as capable of as bitter and
bloody persecutions. During the throes and convulsions of the ancient
world, during the agonizing spasms of infuriated man, seeking through
blood and slaughter his long­lost liberty, it was not wonderful that the
agitation of the billows should reach even this distant and peaceful
shore; that this should be more felt and feared by some, and less by
others, and should divide opinions as to measures of safety; but every
difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by
different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans;
we are all Federalists. If there be any among us who wish to dissolve
this Union, or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
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as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be
tolerated, where reason is left free to combat it. I know, indeed, that
some honest men fear that a republican government cannot be strong;
that this government is not strong enough. But would the honest
patriot, in the full tide of successful experiment, abandon a government
which has so far kept us free and firm, on the theoretic and visionary
fear, that this government, the world’s best hope, may, by possibility,
want energy to preserve itself? I trust not. I believe this, on the
contrary, the strongest government on earth. I believe it the only one
where every man, at the call of the law, would fly to the standard of
the law, and would meet invasions of the public order as his own
personal concern. Sometimes it is said, that man cannot be trusted with
the government of himself. Can he then be trusted with the government
of others? Or, have we found angels in the form of kings, to govern
him? Let history answer this question.
Let us then, with courage and confidence, pursue our own federal and
republican principles; our attachment to union and representative
government. Still one thing more, fellow­citizens, a wise and frugal
government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall
leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and
improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it
has earned. This is the sum of good government; and this is necessary
to close the circle of our felicities.
17. Which sentiment does Jefferson express in the first sentence of the passage?
A.
regret that his fellow citizens chose him
B.
surprise at what he will be expected to do
C.
concern for the direction the nation may take
D.
modesty regarding his qualifications for office
Read the passage ­ 'Thomas Jeffersons First Inaugural Address' ­ and answer the question below:
18. Based on the passage, which quality does Jefferson believe unites Americans?
A.
their eagerness to defend their form of government
B.
their tolerance of opinions they think are wrong
C.
their ability to glean happiness from their circumstances
D.
their interest in maintaining civility in politics
Read the passage ­ 'Thomas Jeffersons First Inaugural Address' ­ and answer the question below:
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
Page 13 of 24
19. Read the following sentence from the passage.
Still one thing more, fellow­citizens, a wise and frugal government, which shall
restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to
regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from
the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.
Which phrase could be substituted for “the mouth of labor the bread it has earned” in this sentence to preserve
the meaning of the metaphor?
A.
the book of a scholar the pages he has read
B.
the mother of a child the pride she has experienced
C.
the wheelbarrow of a miner the ore he has extracted
D.
the basket of a seamstress the cloth she has purchased
Read the passage ­ 'Thomas Jeffersons First Inaugural Address' ­ and answer the question below:
20. Read the following sentence from the passage.
To you, then, gentlemen, who are charged with the sovereign functions of
legislation, and to those associated with you, I look with encouragement for that
guidance and support which may enable us to steer with safety the vessel in
which we are all embarked, amidst the conflicting elements of a troubled world.
Jefferson uses figurative language in this sentence to emphasize which idea?
A.
the possibility that the government will encounter difficulties
B.
the sense of common purpose among those in the government
C.
the different responsibilities of the branches of the government
D.
the humility with which the government should approach its citizens
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from a Letter to Frederick Douglass from Harriet Beecher Stowe' ­ and answer the
question below:
Excerpt from a Letter to Frederick Douglass from Harriet Beecher Stowe
Excerpt from a Letter to Frederick Douglass from Harriet Beecher Stowe
Frederick Douglass Esq. (1851)
Sir –
You may perhaps have noticed in your editorial reading of a series of articles
that I am furnishing for the Era under the title “Uncle Tom’s Cabin or Life
among the lowly” – In the course of my story, the scene will fall upon a
cotton plantation – I am very desirous here to gain information from one
who has been an actual laborer on one ­ & it occurs to me that in the circle
of your acquaintance there might be one who would be able to communicate
to me some such information as I desire – I have before me an able paper
written by a southern planter in which the details & modus operandi are
given from his point of sight –
I am anxious to have some more from another standpoint – I wish to be able
to make a picture, which shall be graphic & true to nature in its details. Such
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
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a person as Henry Bibb, if in this country might give me just the kind of
information I desire. You may possibly know of some other person – I will
[attach] to this letter a list of questions which in that case, you will do me a
favor by enclosing to the individuals with a request, that he will at earliest
convenience answer these –
. . .
21. What is the meaning of the phrase “earliest convenience” in Stowe’s letter to Douglass?
A.
at your leisure
B.
whenever you can
C.
as soon as possible
D.
some time in the future
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from a Letter to Frederick Douglass from Harriet Beecher Stowe' ­ and answer the
question below:
22. What is the purpose of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s letter to Douglass?
A.
to persuade Douglass to read her work
B.
to request information about southern planters
C.
to obtain an accurate information about workers on a plantation
D.
to persuade Douglass to help find some source material that she needs
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from a Letter to Frederick Douglass from Harriet Beecher Stowe' ­ and answer the
question below:
23. What is the most likely reason Harriet Beecher Stowe chose to write to Douglass?
A.
He had many acquaintances.
B.
He had once lived on a plantation.
C.
He might be willing to publish her story in his paper
D.
He might know someone who could answer her questions.
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from American Eloquence' ­ and answer the question below:
Excerpt from American Eloquence
Excerpt from American Eloquence Constitutional government in the United States began, in its national
phase, with the inauguration of Washington, but the experiment was
for a long time a doubtful one. Of the two parties, the federal and the
anti­federal parties, which had faced one another on the question of the
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adoption of the Constitution, the latter had disappeared. Its
conspicuous failure to achieve the fundamental object of its existence,
and the evident hopelessness of reversing its failure in future, blotted
it out of existence. There was left but one party, the federal party; and
it, strong as it appeared, was really in almost as precarious a position
as its former opponent, because of the very completeness of its success
in achieving its fundamental object. Hamilton and Jefferson, two of its
representative members, were opposed in almost all the political
instincts of their natures; the former chose the restraints of strong
government as instinctively as the latter clung to individualism. They
had been accidentally united for the time in desiring the adoption of the
Constitution, though Hamilton considered it only a temporary shift for
something stronger, while Jefferson wished for a bill of rights to weaken
the force of some of its implications. Now that the Constitution was
ratified, what tie was there to hold these two to any united action for
the future? Nothing but a shadow—the name of a party not yet two
years old. As soon, therefore, as the federal party fairly entered upon a
secure tenure of power, the divergent instincts of the two classes
represented by Hamilton and Jefferson began to show themselves more
distinctly until there was no longer any pretence of party unity, and the
democratic (or republican) party assumed its place, in 1792­3, as the
recognized opponent of the party in power. It would be beside the
purpose to attempt to enumerate the points in which the natural
antagonism of the federalists and the republicans came to the surface
during the decade of contest which ended in the downfall of the federal
party in 1800–1. In all of them, in the struggles over the establishment
of the Bank of the United States and the assumption of the State
debts, in the respective sympathy for France and Great Britain, in the
strong federalist legislation forced through during the war feeling
against France in 1798, the controlling sympathy of the republicans for
individualism and of the federalists for a strong national government is
constantly visible, if looked for. The difficulty is that these permanent
features are often so obscured by the temporary media in which they
appear that the republicans are likely to be taken as a merely State­
rights party, and the federalists as a merely commercial party.
To adopt either of these notions would be to take a very erroneous idea
of American political history. The whole policy of the republicans was to
forward the freedom of the individual; their leader seems to have made
all other points subordinate to this. There is hardly any point in which
the action of the individual American has been freed from governmental
restraints, from ecclesiastical government, from sumptuary laws, from
restrictions on suffrage, from restrictions on commerce, production, and
exchange, for which he is not indebted in some measure to the work
and teaching of Jefferson between the years of 1790 and 1800. He and
his party found the States in existence, understood well that they were
convenient shields for the individual against the possible powers of the
new federal government for evil, and made use of them. The State
sovereignty of Jefferson was the product of individualism; that of
Calhoun was the product of sectionalism.
On the other hand, if Jeffersonian democracy was the representative of
all the individualistic tendencies of the later science of political
economy, Hamiltonian federalism represented the necessary corrective
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
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force of law. It was in many respects a strong survival of colonialism.
Together with some of the evil features of colonialism, its imperative
demands for submission to class government, its respect for the
interests and desires of the few, and its contempt for those of the
many, it had brought into American constitutional life a very high ratio
of that respect for law which alone can render the happiness and
usefulness of the individual a permanent and secure possession. It was
impossible for federalism to resist the individualistic tendency of the
country for any length of time; it is the monument of the party that it
secured, before it fell, abiding guaranties for the security of the
individual under freedom.
24. Which statement most accurately analyzes the structure the author uses in the passage?
A.
The author gives a chronological account of the establishment of the system of constitutional government
in the United States.
B.
The author compares Jefferson favorably to Hamilton to elevate Jefferson’s role in the establishment of the
American political system.
C.
The author accounts for certain aspects of American government by contrasting the philosophies of the
parties into which federalism divided.
D.
The author identifies problems that arose between the federal and anti­federal parties in the United States and explains how two pivotal figures solved those problems.
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from American Eloquence' ­ and answer the question below:
25. What statement correctly analyzes the structure of the passage’s argument concerning Hamiltonian federalism?
A.
The author explains that Hamiltonian federalism’s achievements were accomplished during a turbulent
time making them more impressive than they seem.
B.
The author describes Hamiltonian federalism’s place in history as a way to establish its superiority to
other philosophies of government.
C.
The author acknowledges the negative aspects of Hamiltonian federalism to separate those aspects from
the positive ones emphasized.
D.
The author critiques Hamiltonian federalism in the guise of praising its contributions to the nation.
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from American Eloquence' ­ and answer the question below:
26. Which description most accurately states one of the author’s main purposes in the passage?
A.
to account for the delicate nature of the constitutional government of the United States
B.
to argue that certain characteristics are unique to the constitutional government of the United States
C.
to assign ultimate responsibility for the final form of the constitutional government of the United States
D.
to explain the complementary nature of different approaches to the constitutional government of the United
States
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from American Eloquence' ­ and answer the question below:
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
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27. Which sentence from the passage most supports the idea that the author believes Jefferson and Hamilton did
as much for the country when they were opposed as when they were united?
A.
“They had been accidentally united for the time in desiring the adoption of the Constitution, though
Hamilton considered it only a temporary shift for something stronger, while Jefferson wished for a bill of
rights to weaken the force of some of its implications.”
B.
“It would be beside the purpose to enumerate the points in which the natural antagonism of the federalists
and the republicans came to the surface during the decade of contest which ended in the downfall of the
federal party in 1800–1.”
C.
“The whole policy of the republicans was to forward the freedom of the individual; their leader seems to
have made all other points subordinate to this.”
D.
“On the other hand, if Jeffersonian democracy was the representative of all the individualistic tendencies of
the later science of political economy, Hamiltonian federalism represented the necessary corrective force
of law.”
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from American Eloquence' ­ and answer the question below:
28. Read the following sentence from the passage.
The difficulty is that these permanent features are often so obscured by the
temporary media in which they appear that the republicans are likely to be taken
as a merely State­rights party, and the federalists as a merely commercial party.
Which supporting detail does the author use later in the passage to contradict the description of the republicans
in this sentence?
A.
a contrast between Jefferson and Calhoun
B.
a description of Hamiltonian federalism as evil
C.
a discussion of the importance of security for Americans
D.
a statement acknowledging that Jefferson helped found the states
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from American Eloquence' ­ and answer the question below:
29. Which statement accurately identifies a premise of the author’s argument regarding the relative importance of
republicanism and federalism?
A.
The rights of individual states conflict with the need for a strong central government.
B.
A government cannot guarantee individual freedoms in the absence of respect for the law.
C.
Conflicts between political parties are inevitable in nations with strong central governments.
D.
Governments should not enact laws that respect the interests of the few while having contempt for those of
the many.
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from American Eloquence' ­ and answer the question below:
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
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30. Based on the passage, which themes will Thomas Jefferson’s works written between 1790 and 1800 most
likely embrace?
A.
the importance of a government’s ability to provide security for its people
B.
the need for states to take on powers wrongly seized by the federal government
C.
the steps a government should take to free its people from laws that restrain their actions
D.
the desirability of reconciling the parties that had once formed a united federal government
Read the passage ­ 'Excerpt from American Eloquence' ­ and answer the question below:
31. The rhetorical strategies used by the author indicate which of these assumptions about the intended audience
for the passage?
A.
The audience is likely to be unfamiliar with several pivotal political figures in U.S. political history.
B.
The audience is likely to have been misinformed about some essential concepts in U.S. political history.
C.
The audience is likely to have strong political leanings that affect their understanding of U.S. political
history.
D.
The audience is likely to fail to understand the freedoms they enjoy thanks to the achievements of U.S.
political history.
Read the passage ­ 'A Pink Stocking' ­ and answer the question below:
A Pink Stocking
A Pink Stocking by Anton Chekhov 1 A DULL, rainy day…Pavel Petrovitch Somov is pacing up and down his
study, grumbling at the weather. The tears of rain on the windows and
the darkness of the room make him depressed. He is insufferably bored
and has nothing to do…The newspapers have not been brought yet;
shooting is out of the question, and it is not nearly dinner­time….
2 Somov is not alone in his study. Madame Somov, a pretty little lady in a
light blouse and pink stockings, is sitting at his writing table. She is
eagerly scribbling a letter. Every time he passes her as he strides up
and down, Ivan Petrovitch looks over her shoulder at what she is
writing. He sees big sprawling letters, thin and narrow, with all sorts of
tails and flourishes. There are numbers of blots, smears, and finger­
marks. Madame Somov does not like ruled paper, and every line runs
downhill with horrid wriggles as it reaches the margin….
3 "Lidotchka, who is it you are writing such a lot to?" Somov inquires,
seeing that his wife is just beginning to scribble the sixth page.
4 "To sister Varya."
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5 "Hm…it's a long letter! I'm so bored—let me read it!"
6 "Here, you may read it, but there's nothing interesting in it."
7 Somov takes the written pages and, still pacing up and down, begins
reading. Lidotchka leans her elbows on the back of her chair and
watches the expression of his face…After the first page his face
lengthens and an expression of something almost like panic comes into
it…At the third page Somov frowns and scratches the back of his head.
At the fourth he pauses, looks with a scared face at his wife, and
seems to ponder. After thinking a little, he takes up the letter again
with a sigh…. His face betrays perplexity and even alarm….
8 "Well, this is beyond anything!" he mutters, as he finishes reading the
letter and flings the sheets on the table, "It's positively incredible!"
9 "What's the matter?" asks Lidotchka, flustered.
10 "What's the matter! You've covered six pages, wasted a good two hours
scribbling, and there's nothing in it at all! If there were one tiny idea!
One reads on and on, and one's brain is as muddled as though one
were deciphering the Chinese wriggles on tea chests! Ough!"
11 "Yes, that's true,…" says Lidotchka, reddening. "I wrote it carelessly…"
12 "[Odd] sort of carelessness! In a careless letter there is some meaning
and style—there is sense in it—while yours…excuse me, but I don't
know what to call it! It's absolute twaddle! There are words and
sentences, but not the slightest sense in them. Your whole letter is
exactly like the conversation of two boys: 'We had pancakes to­day!
And we had a soldier come to see us!' You say the same thing over and
over again! You drag it out, repeat yourself. . . . The wretched ideas
dance about like devils: there's no making out where anything begins,
where anything ends….How can you write like that?"
13 "If I had been writing carefully," Lidotchka says in self defence, "then
there would not have been mistakes…"
14 "Oh, I'm not talking about mistakes! The awful grammatical howlers!
There's not a line that's not a personal insult to grammar! No stops nor
commas—and the spelling…brrr! 'Earth' has an a in it!! And the writing!
It's desperate! I'm not joking, Lido…I'm surprised and appalled at your
letter…You mustn't be angry, darling, but, really, I had no idea you
were such a duffer at grammar…And yet you belong to a cultivated,
well­educated circle: you are the wife of a University man, and the
daughter of a general! Tell me, did you ever go to school?"
15 "What next! I finished at the Von Mebke's boarding school…"
16 Somov shrugs his shoulders and continues to pace up and down,
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sighing. Lidotchka, conscious of her ignorance and ashamed of it, sighs
too and casts down her eyes…Ten minutes pass in silence.
17 "You know, Lidotchka, it really is awful!" says Somov, suddenly halting
in front of her and looking into her face with horror. "You are a mother…
do you understand? A mother! How can you teach your children if you
know nothing yourself? You have a good brain, but what's the use of it
if you have never mastered the very rudiments of knowledge? There—
never mind about knowledge…the children will get that at school, but,
you know, you are very shaky on the moral side too! You sometimes
use such language that it makes my ears tingle!"
18 Somov shrugs his shoulders again, wraps himself in the folds of his
dressing­gown and continues his pacing…Both feel oppressed and
miserable…Absorbed in their woes, they do not notice how time is
passing and the dinner hour is approaching.
19 Sitting down to dinner, Somov, who is fond of good eating and of eating
in peace, begins talking about something else. Lidotchka listens and
assents, but suddenly over the soup her eyes fill with tears and she
begins whimpering.
20 "It's all mother's fault!" she says, wiping away her tears with her dinner
napkin. "Everyone advised her to send me to the high school, and from
the high school I should have been sure to go on to the University!"
21 "University…high school," mutters Somov. "That's running to extremes,
my girl! What's the good of being a blue stocking1! A blue stocking is
the very deuce! Neither man nor woman, but just something midway:
neither one thing nor another…I hate blue stockings! I would never have
married a learned woman…"
22 "There's no making you out…," says Lidotchka. "You are angry because I
am not learned, and at the same time you hate learned women; you are
annoyed because I have no ideas in my letter, and yet you yourself are
opposed to my studying…"
23 "You do catch me up at a word, my dear," yawns Somov…
24 [After] a good dinner, Somov grows more good­humoured, lively, and
soft…He watches his pretty wife making the salad with an anxious face
and a rush of affection for her, of indulgence and forgiveness comes
over him.
25 "It was stupid of me to depress her, poor girl…," he thought. "Why did I
say such a lot of dreadful things? She is silly, that's true, uncivilised
and narrow; but…there are two sides to the question, and audiatur et
altera pars 2…Perhaps people are perfectly right when they say that
woman's shallowness rests on her very vocation. Granted that it is her
vocation to love her husband, to bear children, and to mix salad, what
the devil does she want with learning? No, indeed!"
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26 At that point he remembers that learned women are usually tedious,
that they are exacting, strict, and unyielding; and, on the other hand,
how easy it is to get on with silly Lidotchka, who never pokes her nose
into anything, does not understand so much, and never obtrudes her
criticism. There is peace and comfort with Lidotchka, and no risk of
being interfered with.
27 "Confound them, those clever and learned women! It's better and easier
to live with simple ones," he thinks, as he takes a plate of chicken from
Lidotchka.
28 He recollects that a civilised man sometimes feels a desire to talk and
share his thoughts with a clever and well­educated woman. "What of
it?" thinks Somov. "If I want to talk of intellectual subjects, I'll go to
Natalya Andreyevna…or to Marya Frantsovna…It's very simple! But no, I
shan't go. One can discuss intellectual subjects with men," he finally
decides.
­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
1 blue stocking: a woman with strong scholarly or literary interests 2 audiatur et altera pars: the opposite side needs to be heard 32. How does the author's description of the setting as "a dull, rainy day" impact the reader's understanding of
Somov's character?
A.
The reference to dullness reveals Somov’s boring character, and the rain foreshadows his regret.
B.
The reference to dullness mirrors Somov’s criticism of his wife, and the rain foreshadows his combative
mood.
C.
The reference to dullness reveals Somov’s boring character, and the rain foreshadows his melancholy
behavior toward his wife.
D.
The reference to dullness mirrors Somov’s criticism of his wife, and the rain foreshadows his sadness
about marrying such a woman.
Read the passage ­ 'A Pink Stocking' ­ and answer the question below:
33. Which sentence from the passage best develops Madame Somov as frivolous in Somov’s view?
A.
Every time he passes her as he strides up and down, Ivan Petrovitch looks over her shoulder at what she
is writing.
B.
He sees big sprawling letters, thin and narrow, with all sorts of tails and flourishes.
C.
After the first page, his face lengthens and an expression of something almost like panic comes into it.
D.
He recollects that a civilized man sometimes feels a desire to talk and share his thoughts with a clever and
well­educated woman.
Read the passage ­ 'A Pink Stocking' ­ and answer the question below:
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
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34. Read this line from the last paragraph of the passage.
“One can discuss intellectual subjects with men,” he finally decides.
By concluding the story in this way, the author
A.
confirms that Somov’s perspective is accurate.
B.
establishes Somov as an uncaring husband.
C.
offers a simple resolution to Somov’s conflict.
D.
hints that Somov will continue to criticize Lidotchka.
Read the passage ­ 'A Pink Stocking' ­ and answer the question below:
35. Why does the author most likely begin the story by describing Somov in his study?
A.
to establish Somov’s internal conflict
B.
to convey Somov’s intellectual curiosity
C.
to establish Somov’s impatience and immaturity
D.
to reveal that Somov is unhappy in his marriage
Read the passage ­ 'A Pink Stocking' ­ and answer the question below:
36. Which sentence from the passage best establishes irony in the way the author presents Somov’s perspective?
A.
Somov takes the written pages and, still pacing up and down, begins reading.
B.
Somov shrugs his shoulders again, wraps himself in the folds of his dressing­gown and continues his
pacing…
C.
[After] a good dinner, Somov grows more good­humoured, lively, and soft…
D.
He recollects that a civilised man sometimes feels a desire to talk and share his thoughts with a clever
and well­educated woman.
Read the passage ­ 'A Pink Stocking' ­ and answer the question below:
37. Read these sentences from paragraph 17 of the passage.
“You are a mother…do you understand? A mother! How can you teach your
children if you know nothing yourself?”
What is the purpose of Somov’s use of hyperbole in these lines?
A.
to call into question Lidotchka's reliability as a parent
B.
to underscore how incoherent Lidotchka’s letter really is
C.
to justify the reaction Somov has to reading the letter
D.
to highlight Somov’s sense of humor in describing the letter
English IV_CFA #2_Fall 2014
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Read the passage ­ 'A Pink Stocking' ­ and answer the question below:
38. In the passage, the author describes Lidotchka as “a pretty little lady.” What nuance does the phrase suggest
that differs from the phrase “a beautiful woman”?
A.
The phrase removes connotation by describing Lidotchka in a more neutral tone.
B.
The phrase trivializes Lidotchka by describing her in somewhat childish terms.
C.
The phrase establishes Lidotchka as unremarkable compared to her husband.
D.
The phrase avoids hyperbole and conveys the idea that Lidotchka is genuinely attractive.
39.
How does the characters interaction impact the progression of the plot? Utilize 2­3
evidences from the selection.
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