TEST PREPARATION
RESOURCE FOR
NORTH CAROLINA
GRADE 9 END-OF-COURSE ENGLISH I
EMCParadigm Publishing Saint Paul, Minnesota
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Cover Credits
Cover Designer: C. Vern Johnson
Gas [Detail], 1940. Edward Hopper.
Last of the Buffalo [Detail], 1889. Albert Bierstadt.
His Hammer in His Hand [Detail], from the John Henry Series, 1944–7. Palmer Hayden.
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Contents
Test-Taking Skills Practice Worksheets
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Preparing For Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Strategies for Taking Standardized Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Taking Objective Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Reading Comprehension Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Unit 1 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Unit 2 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Unit 3 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Unit 4 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Unit 5 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Unit 6 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Unit 7 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Unit 8 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Unit 9 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Unit 10 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
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Unit 11 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Unit 12 Practice Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Part I: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Part II: Textual Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Test Preparation Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
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Test Taking Skills Practice Worksheets
PREPARING
FOR
TESTS
Tests are a common part of school life. These guidelines will help you prepare for and take a test.
TEST-TAKING TIPS
Preparing for a Test
Taking a Test
• Know what you will be tested on.
• Quickly preview the test to note the number
and types of questions.
• Make a study plan to allow enough time
to go over the material.
• Make lists of important points and ask someone to quiz you on them.
• Try to predict questions that may be on the
test and practice answering them.
• Read directions and questions carefully.
• Allow extra time for long-answer questions.
Skip questions that seem difficult and go back
to them later.
• Review your work before submitting it.
• Get plenty of sleep the night before and eat
a healthy breakfast.
EXERCISE
Test-Taking Strategies
Write a brief response to each set of suggestions above. Do you use these strategies now? Which would
help you most on your next test?
1. Preparing for a test
2. Taking a test
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STRATEGIES
FOR
TAKING STANDARDIZED TESTS
A standardized test measures overall ability, or achievement over a period of time. On standardized tests,
answers are recorded in a special format because they are scored by computer. You mark your answers on
a separate answer sheet by blacking in a small circle under the option you have chosen. The computer
then scans these marks to record the number of correct answers. To make sure your answers are scanned
accurately, be sure to fill in all circles solidly.
• When selecting answers on a standardized test, keep these points in mind:
• If you do not know the answer, try to rule out some choices and then guess from those remaining.
• If a question seems too difficult, skip it and go back to it later. Keep in mind, though, that most
tests allow you to go back only to questions within a section.
EXERCISE
Taking Standardized Tests
Read, or reread, the section “Figurative Language” on page 18 of your textbook. Then fill in the circle
that corresponds to the best answer to each question.
1. A synonym for hyperbole is _______.
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
a. understatement
b. exaggeration
c. alliteration
d. comparison
2. Saying “the White House” when you mean the president of the
United States is an example of _______.
a. metaphor
b. personification
c. synecdoche
d. metonymy
3. Synaesthesia, metaphor, and hyperbole are all examples of _______.
a. persuasive techniques
b. rhetorical techniques
c. figurative language
d. literal language
4. Which line or lines from “Elegy for Jane” by Theodore Roethke
on page 781 of your textbook contain a simile?
a. “I remember the neckcurls, limp and damp as tendrils.”
b. “And she balanced in the delight of her thought, /
A wren, happy, tail into the wind.”
c. “The sides of wet stones cannot console me.”
d. “The shade sang with her.”
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TAKING OBJECTIVE TESTS
The questions on objective tests have a single correct answer. Two common kinds of objective-test questions are true/false and multiple-choice. The guidelines below can help you answer these kinds of questions
effectively.
TIPS FOR ANSWERING OBJECTIVE-TEST QUESTIONS
True/False
Words like all and never often appear in false statements.
Words like most and often frequently appear in true statements.
If any part of a statement is false, then the statement is false.
Multiple-Choice
Read all choices first.
Rule out incorrect answers; then chose the answer that is most accurate
or complete. Pay special attention to choices such as none of the above
or all of the above.
EXERCISE
Answering Objective-Test Questions
Turn to page 520 of your textbook and read “About the Author” and “About the Selections,” which
introduce the poet Wallace Stevens. Then answer each set of questions.
True/False. Note whether each statement is true or false.
1. Wallace Stevens never held a regular job.
2. Stevens maintained contact with certain well-known poets.
3. Stevens wrote poems in high school and published his first book of poetry before graduating.
4. Stevens’s poetry was published in the first half of the twentieth century.
Multiple-Choice. Choose the best answer to complete each statement.
5. Stevens spent most of his life in _______.
a. Albuquerque, New Mexico
b. New York City
c. Hartford, Connecticut
d. Reading, Pennsylvania
6. Both selections by Stevens treat the relationship of _______.
a. weather and mood
b. work and art
c. perception and imagination
d. animals and humans
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READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
Reading comprehension questions ask you to read a short piece of writing and answer several questions
about it. To answer reading comprehension questions, follow these steps:
1. Read through all the questions quickly.
2. Read the passage with the questions in mind.
3. Reread the first question carefully.
4. Scan the passage to look for key words related to the question. When you find a key word, slow
down and read carefully.
5. Answer the question.
6. Repeat this process to answer the rest of the questions.
EXERCISE
Answering Reading Comprehension Questions
Select the best answer to the questions that follow this excerpt from the second inaugural address of
Abraham Lincoln (on page 386 of your textbook).
On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an
impending 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. . . . Neither party expected for the war, the
magnitude, or the duration, which it has already attained. . . . Fondly do we hope—fervently do we
pray—that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. . . .
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the
right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who
shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan––to do all which may achieve and cherish
a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.
1. According to Lincoln, what was the cause of the war?
a. states’ rights
b. the interests of slaves
c. a quest for territory
d. an assassination
2. What is Lincoln’s overall goal as president for his second term?
a. to pray for an end to the war
b. to show malice toward none
c. to achieve a just and lasting peace
d. to free the slaves
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Unit 1 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
My grandfather, Dennis Neil August Johnson, was born in 1910. Recently, he recalled his trip to the West
Coast (1) in the summer of 1924. At that time he was thirteen, almost fourteen, and had five siblings, soon
to be six.
Grandpa Dennis’s father, Sam Johnson, had been suffering from ulcers: making (2) it difficult for him to
farm his land just north of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. So Sam and his wife Ovida decided to take a trip.
They sold much of their stock and machinery, but kept their car, a 1922 Buick open touring car with wood
wheels (3). The family of eight packed up the Buick and started on their journey. “It was an adventure
from the moment we left the farm,” grandpa (4) said.
The family traveled due west toward (5) Wyoming on graveled roads in South Dakota that didn’t even
have guardrails. The small town of Presho, South Dakota, 213 miles west of Sioux Falls, was the first
campsite on the journey. They camped out in their car for the whole trip. When it rained they (6) put up
curtains to keep rain out and the family dry and comfortable (7). Three of Dennis’s sisters slept together in
the back seat, his brother Astor on the front seat, Dennis and his sister Doris each on a cot, and the parents on a double cot. Grandpa said, “We mostly ate fried foods, siphoning gas from the Buick for our
stove. It wasn’t the most smart (8) idea in the world because it wasn’t very safe, but we didn’t think about
that at the time.”
For each underlined item in the passage, circle the letter of the correction to be made or choose “Make no
change” if there is no correction.
1. A. west coast
B. West coast
C. west Coast
D. Make no change.
2. A. ulcers, making
B. ulcers—making
C. ulcers making
D. Make no change.
3. A. wooded wheels
B. wooden wheels
C. wood-wheels
D. Make no change.
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4. A. farm,” Grandpa
B. farm.” Grandpa
C. farm.” grandpa
D. Make no change.
5. A. towards
B. going toward
C. going towards
D. Make no change.
6. A. rained; they
B. rained, they
C. rained. They
D. Make no change.
7. A. family, dry and comfortable
B. family dry, and comfortable
C. family dry and, comfortable
D. Make no change.
8. A. smart
B. smarter
C. smartest
D. Make no change.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
“The Fox and the Crow” by Æsop
A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. “That’s for
me, as I am a Fox,” said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree.
“Good day, Mistress Crow,” he cried. “How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how
bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear
but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds.”
The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the
piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox. “That will do,” said he. “That was
all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future—
“Do not trust flatterers.”
1. This story is best classified as which of the following?
A. a tall tale
B. a fable
C. a spiritual
D. a proverb
2. How did the Crow most likely feel at the end of the story?
A. angry and embarrassed
B. happy and flattered
C. scared and confused
D. tired and worn out
3. Which of the following does the Fox compliment?
A. beak; feet; eyes
B. voice; tail; feathers
C. eyes; voice; feet
D. feathers; eyes; voice
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Unit 2 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
A hero is someone that you look up to, not just because of what he or she has accomplished, but because
he inspires you to accomplish things. Because of this definition of a hero I (1) chose to write about one of
my heroes, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart is a hero to me because whenever I listen to one of his
many piano pieces or symphonies they inspire (2) me to do my best in practicing and performing.
Mozart was a very smart person, a child prodigy and genius. He was born in Salzburg, Austria (3) in
1756. Before he was even four years old he already show (4) his talents for memory and ear-sophistication.
When his father realized that Mozart had a talent for music he signed him up for harpsichord lessons. A
harpsichord is an old instrument, like a piano, but it has a raspy sound and fewer keys. Mozart quickly
mastered it. Mozart started to compose music when he was six years old, and (5) toured Vienna at this age
with his piano pieces. Mozart started to write operas in his teens. His first opera, Mitridate, is (6) performed when he was only fourteen! Critics compared him to Handel (another famous composer of those
days) (7) even at such a young age (Scime). Though Mozart had a short life he (8) completed many amazing works. He composed over 600 different musical works; 21 stage and operas, over 50 symphonies, 25
piano concertos, 12 violin concertos, 17 piano sonatas, 26 string quartets, and many others (Chew).
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there
is no correction.
1. A. hero…I
B. hero. I
C. hero, I
D. Make no change.
2. A. I inspire
B. it inspires
C. it inspire
D. Make no change.
3. A. Salzburg Austria
B. Salzburg Austria,
C. Salzburg, Austria,
D. Make no change.
4. A. showed
B. shown
C. showing
D. Make no change.
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5. A. old. And
B. old; and
C. old and
D. Make no change.
6. A. are
B. was
C. were
D. Make no change.
7. A. Handel, another famous composer of those days,
B. Handel another famous composer of those days
C. Handel. Another famous composer of those days,
D. Make no change.
8. A. him
B. she
C. it
D. Make no change.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
“Birches” by Robert Frost
When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.
But swinging doesn’t bend them down to stay
As ice storms do. Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turns many-colored
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.
Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells
Shattering and avalanching on the snow crust—
Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away
You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.
They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load,
And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed
So low for long, they never right themselves:
You may see their trunks arching in the woods
Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground
Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair
Before them over their heads to dry in the sun.
But I was going to say when Truth broke in
With all her matter of fact about the ice storm,
I should prefer to have some boy bend them
As he went out and in to fetch the cows—
Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,
Whose only play was what he found himself,
Summer or winter, and could play alone.
One by one he subdued his father’s trees
By riding them down over and over again
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Until he took the stiffness out of them,
And not one but hung limp, not one was left
For him to conquer. He learned all there was
To learn about not launching out too soon
And so not carrying the tree away
Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise
To the top branches, climbing carefully
With the same pains you use to fill a cup
Up to the brim, and even above the brim.
Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish,
Kicking his way down through the air to the ground.
So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It’s when I’m weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and once eye is weeping
From a twig’s having lashed across it open.
I’d like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth’s the right place for love:
I don’t know where it’s likely to go better.
I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree,
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.
1. Which of the following is an example of simile?
A. Often you must have seen them / Loaded with ice
B. Some boy too far from town to learn baseball
C. And life is too much like a pathless wood
D. I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree
2. What does “swinging on a birch tree toward heaven” symbolize?
A. escape from life’s demands
B. childhood
C. spring
D. nature
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3. What is the definition of subdued as it is used in the passage?
A. cut down
B. overcame
C. trimmed
D. removed
4. What does the speaker dream of?
A. going back to be a swinger of birches
B. climbing the tallest birch tree s/he can find
C. build a shelter out of birch trees
D. write a poem about birch trees
5. What is the overall tone of this passage?
A. nervous and confused
B. nostalgic and sentimental
C. fearful and anxious
D. serious and critical
6. What literary technique is used in the comparison of a tree bent by an ice storm to a boy swinging
from birches?
A. simile
B. metaphor
C. personification
D. hyperbole
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Unit 3 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
One author who (1) work I really like is Harper Lee. Like so many others who read the book, I thought To
Kill A Mockingbird, was a real page-turner. Naturally, I would like to know more about her and other things
she may had written (2).
I did a web site search and found two that seemed reliable: “To Kill A Mockingbird and Harper Lee” at
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/culture/harperlee/index.html and “Harper Lee” at
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/harperle.htm. It didn’t take (3) me long to realize I favored the first one over
the second.
The first site, “To Kill A Mockingbird and Harper Lee,” had an interesting, clean line layout. Three colors is used (4) in all and there were no extravagant graphics, just a simple picture of Scout from the
movie made from the novel. The first page clearly listed the categories. That (5) were included in the
site and that was all. I clicked on the categories and saw more of the same layout with a few pictures and
the same colors used sparingly. I liked that the whole site appeared uncluttered (6) and was really easy to
follow.
As for the content of the site, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. There was a lot of information, but in (7) categories like a “Mockingbird FAQ,” “Mockingbird quiz,” and “To Kill A Mockingbird—
the book,” it was mostly covering the book and not Ms. Lee. There was also an address where you can
e-mail the site creator to talk about the book. The biography in this site wasn’t very thorough, at (8)
around one and a half pages long. Also there were somewhat shorter biographies of others in Harper
Lee’s family. This site might work better if you wanted a lot of information on her book and not as
much on Harper Lee. It gave you some good details, but not too much information.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there
is no correction.
1. A. who’s
B. whose
C. whom
D. Make no change.
2. A. had wrote
B. have written
C. have wrote
D. Make no change.
3. A. took
B. taken
C. taking
D. Make no change.
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4. A. are used
B. were used
C. was used
D. Make no change.
5. A. categories that
B. categories, that
C. categories; that
D. Make no change.
6. A. not cluttered
B. uncluttered
C. anti-cluttered
D. Make no change.
7. A. at
B. for
C. with
D. Make no change.
8. A. thorough. At
B. thorough; at
C. thorough at
D. Make no change.
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Part II: Textual Analysis
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
from “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one
and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks
burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della
counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.
There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it.
Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.
While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at
the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that
word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.
In the vestibule below was a letter box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from
which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name “Mr.
James Dillingham Young.”
The “Dillingham” had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, the letters of “Dillingham”
looked blurred, as though they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D.
But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called “Jim”
and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all
very good.
Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with a powder rag. She stood by the window and
looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas
Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she
could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn’t go far. Expenses had been greater than
she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour
she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling—something
just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.
1. Which of the following words best describes how Della is feeling?
A. frustrated
B. elated
C. apprehensive
D. courageous
2. What point of view is used in the passage?
A. first-person
B. second-person
C. third-person
D. none
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3. What is the most likely meaning of the word parsimony as it is used in the passage?
A. betrayal
B. embarrassment
C. stinginess
D. confusion
4. What does the narrator instruct the reader to look at while Della is crying?
A. Jim’s character
B. Della’s financial situation
C. Jim and Della’s home
D. a gray cat walking outside
5. Which resource would be best to use to find more information about the author, O. Henry?
A. a thesaurus
B. an encyclopedia
C. an almanac
D. a biography
6. What does Della see when she looks out the window?
A. a child, a dog, and the city
B. a vendor, a stoplight, and a statue
C. a bird, a tree, and a sign
D. a cat, a fence, and a backyard
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Unit 4 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
Chris: I still can’t believe Coach White actually partnered me with George for Districts! George is such
a loser. Mr. Perfect four-point-oh GPA, over there. What was Coach thinking?
Rose: He was thinking about how you guys are such awesome debaters; and how (1) great a team you
would make with your combined talents. You guys will be impressive together. Don’t worry about it.
Chris: Actually Rose, (2) I think you’re the awesome debater who should be teamed with George.
Rose: [chuckling] Well, I’m sure I would be the one debating with George if I hadn’t graduated last year.
Besides, I only competed for one season—you and George had both (3) debated for three.
Chris: [smug grin] Hey, one season would be seven years if you were a dog! And you can’t tell me that
dogs aren’t smart—look at Lassie! [scared little kid voice] “Help Rose! (4) The Debate team has fallen
and they can’t get up! Go find help, girl!”
Rose: [pretends not to be amused] Very funny, Chris. Even in dog years you’re more experienced than I
am (5).
Chris: I disagree. I suppose I am the more experienced debater here. Even so, would you look over this
new Mozart Education case that I wrote? I’m hoping to shock a bunch of people with it because its (6)
something I know they won’t be expecting.
Chris: I guess it’s that time, eh? [closes the door and walks to a podium at the front of the room; he
looks to the negative team] Negatives ready? [they nod] Judge ready? [s/he nods] Okay. [looks to the
papers in his hand] Resolved: That the Federal government significantly increase academic achievement
in secondary schools in the United States. American high school students cannot compete academically
with students (7) in many countries around the world. The current methods by which our students is
being taught (8) are not enough. As such, we are instituting a program in secondary schools where all
students will be required to listen to the music of Mozart throughout the school day.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there
is no correction.
1. A. debaters, and how
B. debaters: and how
C. debaters and how
D. Make no change.
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2. A. Actually, Rose
B. Actually, Rose,
C. Actually Rose
D. Make no change.
3. A. have both
B. are both
C. did both
D. Make no change.
4. A. Help, Rose!
B. Help; Rose!
C. Help rose!
D. Make no change.
5. A. me
B. she is
C. Rose
D. Make no change.
6. A. it
B. it’s
C. it was
D. Make no change.
7. A. academically, with students
B. academically with students,
C. academically. With students
D. Make no change.
8. A. are being taught
B. were being taught
C. was being taught
D. Make no change.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
from “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare
[Benvolio, Montague, and Lady Montague are at a public place in Verona. Montague and Lady
Montague are married. Benvolio is Montague’s nephew and a friend of Romeo. Romeo is the
Montague’s son. Montague wants Benvolio to find out the cause of Romeo’s sorrow.]
Enter Romeo.
Benvolio [to Montague]. See where [Romeo] comes. So please [Montague] step aside,
I’ll know [Romeo’s] grievance, or be much denied.
Montague. I would thou wert so happy by thy stay
To hear true shrift. Come, [Lady Montague], let’s away.
Exeunt Montague and Lady.
Benvolio. Good morrow, cousin.
Romeo. Is the day so young?
Benvolio. But new strook nine.
Romeo. Ay me, sad hours seem long.
Was that my father that went hence so fast?
Benvolio. It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?
Romeo. Not having that which, having, makes them short.
Benvolio. In love?
Romeo. Out—
Benvolio. Of love?
Romeo. Out of her favor where I am in love.
Benvolio. Alas that love, so gentle in his view,
Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!
Romeo. Alas that love, whose view is muffled still,
Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!
Where shall we dine? O me! what fray was here?
Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all:
Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love.
Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
O any thing, of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness, serious vanity,
Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?
Benvolio. No, coz, I rather weep.
Romeo. Good heart, at what?
Benvolio. At thy good heart’s oppression.
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Romeo. Why, such is love’s transgression.
Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast,
Which though wilt propagate to have it press’d
With more of thine. This love that thou hast shown
Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.
Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs,
Being purg’d, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes,
Being vex’d, a sea nourish’d with loving tears.
What is it else? a madness most discreet,
A choking gall, and a preserving sweet,
Farewell, my coz.
Benvolio. Soft, I will go along;
And if you leave me so, you do me wrong.
Romeo. Tut, I have lost myself, I am not here:
This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.
Benvolio. Tell me in sadness, who is that you love?
Romeo. What, shall I grown and tell thee?
Benvolio. Groan? why, no;
But sadly tell me, who?
Romeo. Bid a sick man in sadness make his will—
A word ill urg’d to one that is so ill!
In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.
1. What is the meaning of the word grievance as it is used in the passage?
A. attitude
B. frame of mind
C. complaint
D. disease
2. Which of the following words best describes how Romeo feels after learning of Benvolio’s sadness?
A. happier and relieved
B. even more sad and grief-stricken
C. angry and resentful
D. confused and unsure of what to do
3. Which of the following phrases is not an oxymoron?
A. bright smoke
B. good heart
C. heavy lightness
D. sick health
4. Who is Romeo in love with?
A. someone who is dying
B. someone who doesn’t know him
C. someone who does not love him
D. someone who is deeply in love with someone else
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5. What is the meaning of the word transgression as it is used in the passage?
A. nature
B. virtue
C. offense
D. honesty
6. Which resource would be best to use to find more information about William Shakespeare?
A. a thesaurus
B. an encyclopedia
C. an almanac
D. a biography
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Unit 5 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
A recent study found that female students do better in only female classes, especially (1) in math and science. Put another way, separate classes would reduce the distraction created by the opposite sex, and
they would give females more attention and encouragment (2). While the logical conclusion seems to be
that high schools should segregate its math and science classes by gender, this idea is actually a very
flawed one. In fact, girls should compete with boys in the math and science classroom.
First, the idea of separate classes in math and science for males and females simply doesn’t match.
With (3)what is happening in the real world. For instance, drive down any street and you will see
women construction workers. Or call for assistance from the police or fire departments, and you will as
likely have women as men at you’re (4) door. Or go to the doctor and it may be a woman; look in the
phone book for a lawyer and you will find more female than male (5) lawyers. Or ask to see the Manager
or (6) owner of a business, and she is as likely to be a woman as a man. Across the employment spectrum
women are now doing jobs that used to be handled only by men. How did these women acheive (7) this?
Not by sitting in classrooms with only other women. But by learning to competition (8) with men.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there
is no correction.
1. A. classes especially
B. classes; especially
C. classes. Especially
D. Make no change.
2. A. encourage
B. encouragement
C. couragement
D. Make no change.
3. A. match with
B. match, with
C. match; with
D. Make no change.
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4. A. its
B. their
C. your
D. Make no change.
5. A. more female, than male
B. more females than males
C. more females, than males
D. Make no change.
6. A. Manager, or
B. manager or
C. manager, or
D. Make no change.
7. A. acheeve
B. achieve
C. acheve
D. Make no change.
8. A. completely
B. compete
C. competed
D. Make no change.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
from “An Encounter with an Interviewer” by Mark Twain
The nervous dapper, “peart” young man took the chair I offered him, and said he was connected with
the “Daily Thunderstorm” and added,—
“Hoping it’s no harm, I’ve come to interview you.”
“Come to what?”
“Interview you.”
“Ah! I see. Yes—yes. Um! Yes—yes. I see.”
I was not feeling bright that morning. Indeed, my powers seemed a bit under a cloud. However, I
went to the bookcase, and when I had been looking six or seven minutes, I found I was obliged to refer
to the young man. I said,—
“How do you spell it?”
“Spell what?”
“Interview.”
“Oh my goodness! what do you want to spell it for?”
“I don’t want to spell it; I want to see what it means.”
“Well, this is astonishing, I must say. I can tell you what it means, if you—if you—”
“Oh, all right! That will answer, and much obliged to you, too.”
“In, in, ter, ter, inter—”
“Then you spell it with an I?”
“Why, certainly!”
“Oh, that is what took me so long.”
“Why, my dear sir, what did you propose to spell it with?”
“Well, I—I—hardly know. I had the Unabridged, and I was ciphering around the back end, hoping I
might tree her among the pictures. But it’s a very old edition.”
“Why, my friend, they wouldn’t have a picture of it in even the latest e—My dear sir, I beg your pardon, I mean no harm in the world, but you do not look as—as—intelligent as I had expected you
would.”
“Oh, don’t mention it! It has often been said, and by people who would not flatter and who could have
no inducement to flatter, that I am quite remarkable in that way. Yes—yes; they always speak of it with
rapture.”
“I can easily imagine it. But about this interview. You know it is the custom, now to interview any man
who has become notorious.”
“Indeed, I had not heard of it before. It must be very interesting. What do you do it with?”
“Ah, well—well—well—this is disheartening. It ought to be done with a club in some cases; but customarily it consists in the interviewer asking questions and the interviewed answering them. It is all the
rage now. Will you let me ask you certain questions calculated to bring out the salient points of your
public and private history?”
“Oh, with pleasure,—with pleasure. I have a very bad memory, but I hope you will not mind that.
That is to say, it is an irregular memory,—singularly irregular. Sometimes it goes in a gallop, and then
again it will be as much as a fortnight passing a given point. This is a great grief to me.”
“Oh, it is no matter, so you will try to do the best you can.”
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“I will. I will put my whole mind on it.”
“Thanks. Are you ready to begin?”
“Ready.”
1. This story is best classified as which of the following?
A. diary
B. satire
C. tall tale
D. mystery
2. How did the interviewer most likely feel about the interview?
A. exhilarated
B. intimidated
C. alarmed
D. frustrated
3. What kind of memory does the narrator claim to have?
A. irregular
B. excellent
C. poor
D. sharp
4. What words best describes the narrator?
A. foolish and dull-witted
B. sly and intelligent
C. angry and bitter
D. quiet and bewildered
5. What is the meaning of the word rapture as it is used in the passage?
A. enthusiasm
B. great pleasure
C. adversity
D. sadness
6. Which word best describes the tone of the passage?
A. playfulness
B. discouragement
C. resentment
D. joyful
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Unit 6 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
This is your first and only warning, do (1) not even think about doing this if you hate getting messy! All
right, with the useless warning out of the way, we can get started. Mostly people (2) like getting messy,
even if they deny it. Think of mud wrestling. Think of mud pies and dirt fights you had as a kid. This is
(3) one way to give in to the voice that says, “Get messy!” while (4) giving the excuse that you are being
a very mature artist.
Making pottery is extremely dirty. Your basically (5) playing with dirt and mud. Dirt is the main ingredient for clay. Add some water, and you’ve got mud. There are other ingredients of course so (6) that
you can mold and create. Working with clay is good, messy fun, but there’s also a bonus; pots (7) make
great gifts for your relatives and friends. My grandma loves it when I make something totally original
just for her, and if the pot turns out to be a mess, it doesn’t matter. A lot of types of art originated from
mess-ups. And she (8) can make cool things for your friends, too. I made this gargoyle for my friend
Deenah. She uses it for a bookend.
So let’s get messy. There are five main steps to making your own masterpiece. Here they are.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there
is no correction.
1. A. warning do
B. warning: do
C. warning; do
D. Make no change.
2. A. Most people
B. Most People
C. Most people,
D. Make no change.
3. A. These were
B. These are
C. This was
D. Make no change.
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4. A. “Get messy,” while
B. ‘Get messy!’ while
C. “Get messy!” While
D. Make no change.
5. A. You’re basically
B. Your basicaly
C. You’re basicaly
D. Make no change.
6. A. ingredients of course, so
B. ingredients, of course so
C. ingredients, of course, so
D. Make no change.
7. A. bonus pots
B. bonus, pots
C. bonus: pots
D. Make no change.
8. A. you
B. it
C. her
D. Make no change.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
from “The Grass” by Marjory Stoneman Douglas
The Everglades begin at Lake Okeechobee. That is the name later Indians gave the lake, a name almost
as recent as the word “Everglades.” It means “Big Water.” Everybody knows it.
Yet few have any idea of those pale, seemingly illimitable waters. Over the shallows, often less than
foot deep but seven hundred fifty or so square miles in actual area, the winds in one gray sift moment
can shatter the reflection of sky and cloud whiteness standing still in that shining, polished, shimmering
expanse. A boat can push for hours in a day of white sun through the short, crisp lake waves and there
will be nothing to be seen anywhere but the brightness where the color of the water and the color of the
sky become one. Men out of sight of land can stand in it up to their armpits and slowly “walk in” their
long nets to the waiting boats. An everglade kite and his mate, questing in great solitary circles, rising
and dipping and rising again all day long at the water faintly green with floating water lettuce or marked
by think standing lines of reeds, utter their sharp goat cries, and be seen and heard by no one at all.
There are great shallow islands, all brown and reeds or shrubby trees thick in the water. There are
masses of water weeds and hyacinths and flags rooted so long they seem solid earth, yet there is nothing
but lake bottom to stand on. There the egret and the white ibis and the glossy ibis and the little blue
herons in their thousands nested and circled and fed.
A long northeast wind, a “norther,” can lash all that still surface to dirty vicious gray and white, over
which the rain mists shut down like stained rolls of wool, so that from the eastern sand rim under dripping cypresses or the west ridge with its live oaks, no one would guess that all that waste of empty water
stretched there but for the long monotonous of waves on unseen marshy shores.
Saw grass reaches up both sides of that lake in great enclosing arms, so that it is correct to say that the
Everglades are there also. But south, southeast, and southwest, where the lake water slopped and seeped
and ran over and under the rock and soil, the greatest mass of the saw grass begins. It stretches as it
always has stretched, in one thick enormous curving river of grass, to the very end. This is the
Everglades.
1. What is the author’s main purpose for writing this passage?
A. to inform
B. to reflect
C. to entertain
D. to persuade
2. What is the meaning of the word illimitable?
A. confined
B. still
C. vast
D. deep
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3. Which resource would be best to use to find more information about the Everglades?
A. a dictionary
B. an atlas
C. an encyclopedia
D. a newspaper
4. Which of the following birds are not mentioned in the passage?
A. blue heron
B. egret
C. white ibis
D. sandhill crane
5. What turns the water into a dirty vicious gray and white?
A. the wind
B. the sun
C. the tides
D. people
6. The phrase “river of grass” is an example of what?
A. personification
B. hyperbole
C. metaphor
D. simile
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Unit 7 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
“Shut up!” I yelled at the loud noises from the street. I shoved a pillow over my head to block out the
noise that woke me from my sleep. The hotel window had been left open until the air conditioning
kicked in, and I could hear shouts from outside. Seconds later, after barely dozing off (1) I awoke to my
sister screaming my name.
“Ariana! Ariana!” she yelled from across the room. She was standing near the bathroom door holding
the frame. The room was shaking back and forth.
“What’s happening,” I called back. (2) I was utterly confused and couldn’t seem to react.
After living fourteen years in the United States and having my Turkish father as the most diverse part
of my life, I had traveled with my family to dad’s (3) homeland. It was the end of a three-week trip and
we had returned to Istanbul from the tourist city of Ayvalik. We had come back from a day of sightseeing and (4) were munching on juicy peaches from a grocer across the street from our hotel, it (5) was as
typical an evening as it could have been. We had watched a Jackie Chan movie on Turkish television,
and soon after I had fallen asleep in the hotel room I shared with my older sister.
“Come over here!” my sister ordered. “It’s an earthquake!” I didn’t know what was happening. I was
sleepy and had never experienced an earthquake before. It took awhile for me to understand. I got up
and try (6) to make my way across the room to where she was standing. Walking was much harder than I
imagined with the floor shaking beneath me. With a drunken sensation, I stumbled across the room to
her and stood clutching her arm until the earthquake subsided. It had to be the longest 45 seconds in my
life.
Minutes later my (7) parents rushed into our room and told us to get sweatshirts on and come with
them down to the streets. All of the power had gone out and we were in total darkness. From the top
floor of our hotel, we had to feel our way down the unlit, winding staircase for eight floors. It was
extreamely (8) difficult. We were the last ones to come down, but were happy to recognize some other
guests in the street outside our hotel.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there
is no correction.
1. A. later, after barely dozing off,
B. later after barely dozing off,
C. later after barely dozing off
D. Make no change.
2. A. “What’s happening?” I called back.
B. “What’s happening,” I called back?
C. ‘What’s happening’ I called back.
D. Make no change.
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3. A. dads’
B. Dad’s
C. Dads’
D. Make no change.
4. A. sightseeing; and
B. sightseeing: and
C. sightseeing, and
D. Make no change.
5. A. hotel it
B. hotel; it
C. hotel. It
D. Make no change.
6. A. tries
B. tried
C. trying
D. Make no change.
7. A. later, my
B. later. My
C. later; my
D. Make no change.
8. A. extremely
B. extremly
C. extreamly
D. Make no change.
.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
“I’m Nobody! Who are you?” by Emily Dickinson
I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you—Nobody—Too?
Then there’s a pair of us?
Don’t tell! they’d advertise—you know!
How dreary—to be—Somebody!
How public—like a Frog—
To tell one’s name—the livelong June—
To an admiring Bog!
1. How does the speaker of the poem describe someone who is “somebody”?
A. exciting
B. dreary
C. unusual
D. frightening
2. What is the theme of this poem?
A. being nothing
B. identifying our true selves
C. the importance of maintaining privacy and solitude
D. staying away from famous people
3. “How dreary—to be—Somebody! / How public—like a Frog—” is an example of which of the following?
A. personification
B. hyperbole
C. metaphor
D. simile
4. How does the speaker of the poem most likely feel about her own identity?
A. uncertain
B. satisfied
C. confused
D. greatly unsatisfied
.
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5. Which resource would be best to use to find more information about Emily Dickinson?
A. an atlas
B. a biography
C. a dictionary
D. a thesaurus
6. This poem is best classified as which of the following?
A. sonnet
B. narrative poem
C. dramatic poem
D. lyric poem
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Unit 8 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
I started playing guitar about eight months ago when I was still fifteen. I don’t really remember exactly
what motivated me to start playing guitar. But (1) I suppose it was mostly my girlfriend’s influence. She
had just gotten an acoustic guitar for Christmas, and she had even started taking lessons at a local guitar
shop (2). I had been interested in guitar before that, mainly from seeing performances, of (3) local guitarists that I knew. I play trombone in the high school band and bass trombone in one of the school jazz
bands. I like playing in jazz band, but I always thought the guitarists had the coolest parts.
So I started playing with my dad’s old classical guitar with the nylon strings. It had been in my room
for ages, gathering dust underneath my bed, and it was missing a string. He had bought it in 1970.
Using (4) part of his first paycheck after college to pay for it. He thought it cost 70 bucks then (Land). It
is a Wilson, not exactly a famous name like Fender or Martin or Gibson. Unfortunately, it was out of
tune so I couldn’t do much. Not that I had the ability anyway.
Eventually I talked my parents into letting me take lessons at the same guitar shop my girlfriend went
to. I paid to restring the guitar and I started lessons playing that old classical. My lessons was (5) every
week at fifteen dollars a lesson.
That lasted about a month before I realized that I wanted to play electric, not classical. Todd, the
owner of the shop (6) was trying to sell some of his low-end guitars in order to make room for new
ones. So, after a couple weeks of trying to remember to do the chores that my parents think build character (take out the garbage, pick up the dog poop), I talked them into letting me buy an electric guitar. I
bought a new guitar, choose (7) a blue one, and a small Ibanez GT-10 practice amp. I was really excited.
I later realized that it weren’t (8) as cool a guitar as I thought it was.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there
is no correction.
1. A. guitar, but
B. guitar but
C. guitar; but
D. Make no change.
2. A. Guitar Shop
B. Guitar shop
C. guitar Shop
D. Make no change.
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3. A. performances of
B. performances of,
C. performances: of
D. Make no change.
4. A. 1970 using
B. 1970, using
C. 1970; using
D. Make no change.
5. A. were
B. are
C. is
D. Make no change.
6. A. Todd the owner of the shop
B. Todd the owner of the shop,
C. Todd, the owner of the shop,
D. Make no change.
7. A. choosing
B. chose
C. chosed
D. Make no change.
8. A. they weren’t
B. it wasn’t
C. they wasn’t
D. Make no change.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
“Overcoming the Odds”
Lindsley Cameron lived in Japan for eight years and now lives in New York, where she writes about
Japanese and Chinese art and culture for The New York Times and The New Yorker. In 1991 she published
a book of short stories entitled The Prospect of Detachment . Then in 1998 Cameron wrote a book called
The Music of Light.
The Music of Light is a nonfiction account of Hikari Oe, the son of famous Japanese author Kenzaburo
Oe. Hikari was born with a brain defect which left a large portion of his brain outside his skull. The
surgery required to correct this and save his life left him severely damaged, with an Intelligence
Quotient (IQ) in the range of 50-75. In addition to this, Hikari was diagnosed with autism. Doctors and
acquaintances urged the Oes to allow Hikari to die rather than undertake the demanding responsibilities
of raising such a dependent and handicapped child. However, Kenzaburo and his wife, Yukari, decided
to devote their lives to raising Hikari to reach his fullest potential and he has far surpassed anyone’s
expectations. Hikari’s name means “light” in Japanese.
Early in his life, Hikari demonstrated an extraordinary interest in, and talent for, music. His parents
nurtured this talent, and Hikari’s now a world-famous composer. The first CD of his compositions was
released to high praise when he was 29. Though Hikari has learned to play simple pieces on the piano,
he composes all of his work in his head and writes it down without playing it first.
Cameron first became aware of Kenzaburo Oe and his work when she read Oe’s book A Personal
Matter. In this book, Oe writes a fictional account of his and his wife’s decision not to allow their handicapped son to die, but rather to save his life and raise him. The book held a special power over Cameron
because of her own experience as an adopted child. Her adoptive parents adopted a second daughter, but
when they found out that she had cerebral palsy they sent her back to the adoption agency, “as though
she were a piece of defective merchandise being returned to a department store.” Thus, Cameron was
drawn to Oe’s work and its themes of defective, unwanted, and abandoned children.
1. Why is Cameron drawn to Oe’s book, A Personal Matter?
A. because she is an adopted child
B. because she is a handicapped person
C. because she loves all of Oe’s books
D. because she loves music
2. What does Hikari grow up to do?
A. play the violin
B. compose music
C. conduct a symphony
D. write books
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3. Which resource would be best to use to find more information about autism?
A. an atlas
B. a biography
C. an encyclopedia
D. a thesaurus
4. Based on the passage, which word best describes how Cameron feels about her parents sending
their second adopted daughter back to the adoption agency?
A. benevolent
B. resentful
C. confused
D. understanding
5. Based on what you’ve learned about Hikari and his life, what might his name—meaning “light”—
most likely symbolize?
A. handicaps
B. books and writing
C. success and achievement
D. adoption
6. What is the definition of surpassed?
A. met
B. gone beyond
C. stopped
D. fell behind
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Unit 9 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
This observation took place in a home where a mother and a daughter were (1) discussing dinner preparations. The daughter had been home from middle school for two hours and the mother had just arrived
home from work.
Elise (voice soft and gentle, leaning in the doorway): Mom, what’s for dinner?
Mom (plunking down in a chair, looking directly at Elise): I don’t know. What are you making for dinner?
Elise (cocky tone of voice, walking away): Nothin’.
Mom (voice rising from soft at beginning to loud at the end, without any humor in voice): Ooh yes you are!
Its your (2) turn.
Elise (yelling from her bedroom across the way, in an honestly questioning (3) voice, but not looking in her
mom’s direction): What about Jake? He hasn’t cooked dinner in a while.
Mom (leaning toward the bedroom, looking directly at Elise): Jake was gone last weekend and he is still
tired.
Elise (walking back into the kitchen crossing her arms, pouting voice): So?
Mom (standing up and yelling): So WHAT?
Elise (looking her mother straight in the eyes, stating clearly): So, I’m not makin’ dinner tonight.
Mom (pointing at her and waving her index finger, voice speeding up): You are to, (4) young lady.
Elise (pout deepens, arms crossed): I’m not!
Mom (now furious, with the face of someone who has just been kicked): You are too, and THAT’S the end
of this discussion.
Elise (yelling as she runs to her bedroom and slams bedroom door shut): I’m NOT making dinner, so
there!
Mom (going to bedroom door, yelling at the top of her lungs while bangs (5) her fists on Elise’s bedroom
door): Elise, you get out here right now! You hear me!
Obviously, the mother was trying to get a message across that Elise should make dinner, but it failed
because Jake ended up making dinner. Elise resisted the order to make dinner by firm verbal statements and
very little emotion. The mother on the other hand, (6) raised both: (7) the volume and the tone of her voice
a couple of times, becoming louder and higher pitched with frustration. The mother used many gestures,
while the daughter seemed collected and calm until she finally denied the mother, strongly.
The daughter had power over the mother in this exchange because she won in the end. The mother
appeared tired and unable to protest, her emotions clearly not affecting the daughter. The daughter did not
recognize or sympathize, (8) with the mother’s stress.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there is
no correction.
1. A. was
B. are
C. is
D. Make no change.
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2. A. Its you’re
B. It’s your
C. It’s you’re
D. Make no change.
3. A. questioned
B. questionably
C. questions
D. Make no change.
4. A. to
B. too,
C. too
D. Make no change.
5. A. banging
B. banged
C. bang
D. Make no change.
6. A. mother, on the other hand
B. mother, on the other hand,
C. mother on the other hand
D. Make no change.
7. A. both;
B. both,
C. both
D. Make no change.
8. A. recognize. Or sympathize
B. recognize, or sympathize
C. recognize or sympathize
D. Make no change.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
“A Poison Tree” by William Blake
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I water’d it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunnéd it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole,
When the night had veil’d the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch’d beneath the tree.
1. What grew in the speaker?
A. anger
B. fear
C. resentment
D. sadness
2. What happens to the foe at the end of the poem?
A. makes up with the speaker of the poem
B. gardens in the middle of the night
C. falls asleep under a tree
D. dies from eating a poisoned apple
3. Which of the following phrases best describes the poem’s theme?
A. define anger so that you understand it
B. hide anger and it will be easier to deal with
C. deal with anger or it will fester
D. ignore anger and it will go away
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4. What point of view is used in the poem?
A. first-person
B. second-person
C. third-person
D. omniscient
5. What is “sunnéd it with smiles” an example of?
A. cliché
B. alliteration
C. simile
D. couplet
6. What is the phrase “And I water’d it in fears, / Night and morning with my tears” an example of?
A. cliché
B. personification
C. palindrome
D. paradox
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Unit 10 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
She slowly set herself down on the striped couch and (1) then softly touched her short brown hair. That
afternoon she had had her first beauty shop permanent in 12 years; it had been wonderful. Earlier that
morning she had walked down for breakfast and seen the announcement that three beauticians would be
set up in the commons area. The cost was ten dollars. Without thinking she had put her name on the
sign-up list and then sat down for breakfast.
Within two minutes Harold, the old guy from across the hall whom (2) always wore a bowtie, was sitting down beside her.
“Care if I join you, Marie?” he asked, but he was already setting his tray down.
“That would be nice.” Marie (3) responded. Harold had eaten every meal with her for the last three
days. She didn’t know where he came from; she had looked around the dining room and hadn’t seem
him, but then, suddenly, there he was. At first she was somewhat nervous about eating with him. After
all, (4) she was still a married woman, but after the first couple times she decided that he was just a
friendly man who was probably lonely.
“You should go with us this afternoon dancing,” he said. “It’s (5) great fun, and I bet you are a jewel of
a dancer.” Every Tuesday the center’s bus took interested people to the Elks lodge for a couple of hours
of dancing. Marie smiled.
“That sounds like fun,” she said, “but I’m getting my hair done.”
Now she breathed deeply, and looking (6) out the large picture window. The view wasn’t much, (7)
across the lawn of the retirement home was another wing, exactly like the one her two-bedroom apartment was in. Low, one story, red brick, flat roof; very functional, but it wouldn’t win any architectural
awards. Still, Marie smiled contentedly (8). It was her first apartment by herself in 62 years, the first
time she had been in charge of her own life since she had gotten married back in 1937. It had been a
wonderful 62 years: four good children, the beautiful farm, the strong handsome husband, the good
friends out in the country, the card parties, and the church circle meetings. It had all been wonderful,
but now it was time for a new chapter in her life and Marie looked forward to that, too.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if
there is no correction.
1. A. couch. And
B. couch; and
C. couch, and
D. Make no change.
2. A. who’s
B. who
C. whose
D. Make no change.
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3. A. nice” Marie
B. nice,” Marie
C. nice;” Marie
D. Make no change.
4. A. all
B. all:
C. all;
D. Make no change.
5. A. dancing, he said. It’s
B. dancing. He said. It’s
C. dancing.” He said. “It’s
D. Make no change.
6. A. looked
B. looks
C. look
D. Make no change.
7. A. much
B. much:
C. much;
D. Make no change.
8. A. contented
B. contently
C. content
D. Make no change.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
“The Courage That My Mother Had” by Edna St. Vincent Millay
The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite hill.
The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet, it is something I could spare.
Oh, if instead she’d left to me
The thing she took into the grave!—
That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and I have.
1. “The courage that my mother had / Went with her, and is with her still: / Rock from New England
quarried; / Now granite in a granite hill” is an example of what?
A. hyperbole
B. personification
C. metaphor
D. simile
2. The phrase “courage like a rock” is an example of what?
A. hyperbole
B. personification
C. metaphor
D. simile
3. How does the speaker most likely feel about her mother?
A. she despises her
B. she loves and misses her
C. she doesn’t understand her
D. she envies her
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4. What is a brooch?
A. a bracelet
B. a ring
C. a necklace
D. a pin
5. Which of the following best describes the pair of words “grave/have”?
A. rhyme
B. sight rhyme
C. figure of speech
D. rhythm
6. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
A. aabb
B. aaab
C. abab
D. abcd
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Unit 11 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
I’ve heard it said that there are three types of people in this world—those who make things happen,
those who watch things happen, and people (1) who wonder what happened. Growing (2) up in South
Africa, I was just a watcher. At times I wondered about things, but I never wanted to figure anything out.
Then, it was like the world went into (3) a tailspin! Apartheid was over and I had to cope with everything around me changing. I had no control. At first everyone, including me, was insecure. But slowly I
learned to take advantage of each opportunity (4) that came along by learning as much as possible from
it. Now I’m a person who makes things happen.
I lived in South Africa when I was a young child. I was unaware of the fear that haunted both blacks
and whites. I was very content with the way we were. I thought that everyone and everything was just
fine. That changes (5) the night our house was robbed. That was my first taste of the deep and dangerous divisions in the real world. It gave me a sick; (6) sinking feeling to think about it. I knew that had
the intrudar (7) been armed with a knife or gun, my life could have ended even as I slept.
When I was older, we moved to New Zealand. I became even more timid. I was afraid of what people
thought of me because of the problems in South Africa. I spent a lot of time looking down at my shoes.
Then I realized that if I wanted to make anything of myself, I had to stop watching and start making
things happen. Though at first it made me tremble, I joined committees at school. I worked part time in
the customer service division of a supermarket. There I began to help people make decisions and appreciated (8) their points of view. I made friends and I became more confident.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there
is no correction.
1. A. the kind of people
B. those
C. them
D. Make no change.
2. A. Grown
B. Growed
C. Grow
D. Make no change.
3. A. in
B. to
C. through
D. Make no change.
4. A. oportunity
B. oppourtunity
C. opertunity
D. Make no change.
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5. A. change
B. changed
C. changing
D. Make no change.
6. A. sick,
B. sick:
C. sick
D. Make no change.
7. A. intruder
B. intrudor
C. intrudur
D. Make no change.
8. A. to appreciate
B. appreciate
C. was appreciating
D. Make no change.
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PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
“Edith Wharton”
Edith Wharton, American novelist and short story writer, was born into a wealthy and socially prominent old New York City family. Educated privately in New York and Europe, Wharton became an expatriate who resided permanently in France. In 1915 she was awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor
by the French government for her services during World War I.
In her fiction Wharton depicted the suffering of characters caught in the grip of shifting economic
forces and restrictive social codes that often encouraged selfish and cruel behavior in the name of
respectability. She was also concerned with the subtle interplay of emotions in a society that did not
allow the free expression of passion. Her literary reputation was established by The House of Mirth
(1905). In 1920 she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Innocence (1920), which was made into a
motion picture starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder in 1994. Her novella,
Ethan Frome (1911), one of her most critically acclaimed writings, depicts the tragic fate of three people
against the stark background of rural New England. Wharton was also the author of travel books, literary criticism, and poetry.
1. Which resource would be best to use to find more information about Edith Wharton?
A. a thesaurus
B. a dictionary
C. a biography
D. an atlas
2. The passage is best classified as which of the following?
A. diary entry
B. speech
C. autobiography
D. essay
3. What is the author’s main purpose for writing this passage?
A. to entertain
B. to persuade
C. to inform
D. to reflect
4. Which of the following is an opinion?
A. Wharton was awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor
B. The Age of Innocence was made into a motion picture
C. Ethan Frome depicts the tragic fate of three people against rural New England
D. Wharton was also the author of travel books, literary criticism, and poetry
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5. What is the definition of restrictive?
A. confining
B. unclear
C. loose
D. deceptive
6. Which of the following statements is not true about The Age of Innocence?
A. it was her most critically acclaimed writing
B. it was published in 1920
C. it won Wharton a Pulitzer Prize
D. it was made into a motion picture
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Name________________________________________ Class_____________________ Date ____________________
Unit 12 Practice Exercises
PART I: EDITING
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
On video: Picture of a basketball team wearing masks of the same face and another team without masks.
Anchor: Headlining the news today: High school students in Redmond, California, (1) made history last
night. In a stunning first for young athletes, human students were allowed to challenge a clone team
from nearby Marino Academy on the basketball court. Stay tuned for this amazing story.
Video fades to black. Spotlight on anchor.
Anchor: Since the first human clones came on the scene twenty years ago, human children have not
been allowed to compete with clones in either academics or sports (2). Last night that all changed. Sara
Sequent has the story.
Spotlight on girl reporter at a desk to the right of anchor.
Reporter: Thanks, Amy. So much for the notion that human children cannot compete with handpicked
clones. Last night in a demonstration game (3) between clones and human, the human students surprised everyone.
Video: Picture of young man. He is the same face that we saw earlier on all the team members.
Reporter: Marino Academy is an exclusive, private, (4) school with a basketball team that has been
cloned almost in entirely (5) from Sam Waterman, one of the century’s finest players. The Marino
Comets have never lost a game since the school opened ten years ago…
Video: Picture of regular basketball team—all sizes and shapes.
Reporter: On the other hand, the human students from Redmond attend public school and represent a
mix of sizes and abilities (6).
Video: Picture of clone team again—all with identical “Sam” masks and all about the same size and build.
Reporter: The clones were given telepathic blockers and told to refrain from astral projection. But
these rules didn’t appear to cause the Comets no (7) worries. They laughed at their opponents when
they came onto the floor. The clones flew into action at the whistle, taking the ball and sinking four baskets in a row with the human students unable to stop them.
Fifteen minutes into the game, human Jaguar, Mike Salens, was tossed off the court for argument with
(8) the referee.
For each underlined item in the passage, choose the correction to be made or “Make no change” if there
is no correction.
1. A. Redmond, California
B. Redmond, California,
C. Redmond California,
D. Make no change.
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2. A. either in academics or sports
B. in either academic or sport
C. either in academic or sport
D. Make no change.
3. A. Demonstration Game
B. Demonstration game
C. demonstration Game
D. Make no change.
4. A. exclusive private
B. exclusive private,
C. exclusive, private
D. Make no change.
5. A. entirety
B. in entirety
C. entirely
D. Make no change.
6. A. ability
B. abillity
C. abillities
D. Make no change.
7. A. none
B. any
C. to
D. Make no change.
8. A. arguing
B. arguing to
C. arguing with
D. Make no change.
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Name________________________________________ Class_____________________ Date ____________________
PART II: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
DIRECTIONS
Read the passage below and circle the letter of the correct answer to the questions that follow.
from “Nightmare Number Three” by Stephen Vincent Benét
We had expected everything but revolt
And I kind of wonder myself when they started thinking—
But there’s no dice in that now.
I’ve heard fellows say
They must have planned it for years and maybe they did.
Looking back, you can find little incidents here and there,
Like the concrete-mixer in Jersey eating the chap
Or the roto press that printed “Fiddle-dee-dee!”
In a three-color process all over Senator Sloop,
Just as he was making a speech. The thing about that
Was, how could it walk upstairs? But it was upstairs,
Clicking and mumbling in the Senate Chamber.
They had to knock out the wall to take it away
And the wrecking-crew said it grinned.
It was only the best
Machines, of course, the superhuman machines,
The ones we’d built to be better than flesh and bone,
But the cars were in it, of course…
and they hunted us
Like rabbits through the cramped streets on that Bloody Monday,
The Madison Avenue buses leading the charge.
The buses were pretty bad—but I’ll not forget
The smash of glass when the Dussenberg left the show-room
And pinned three brokers to the Racquet Club steps,
Or the long howl of the horns when they saw the men run,
When they saw them looking for holes in the solid ground…
1. The phrase “hunted us like rabbits” is an example of what?
A. metaphor
B. simile
C. personification
D. hyperbole
2. What point of view is used in the poem?
A. first-person
B. second-person
C. third-person
D. omniscient
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3. Which of the following did something inexplicable?
A. the printing press
B. the rabbits
C. the concrete-mixer
D. the cars
4. What is “howl of the horns” an example of?
A. simile
B. personification
C. alliteration
D. metaphor
5. What is the best meaning of the word revolt as it appears in the passage?
A. disgust
B. nauseate
C. rebellion
D. shock
6. Who was pinned to the Racquet Club steps?
A. rabbits
B. brokers
C. the senator
D. Benét
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Test Preparation Resources
For additional test preparation sites please visit the EMC Literature and the Language Arts Resource Center at
http://www.emcp.com/literature.
Achievement Data, Inc.
http://www.achievementdata.com
Online testing and management systems for schools and organizations.
Advanced Placement Program
[email protected]
Information on the Advanced Placement Program sponsored by the College Board, giving students an opportunity to take college-level courses and exams, and earn credit, advanced placement, or both for college.
American Book Company
http://www.americanbookcompany.com
State exit exam and preparation books and software for middle and high school graduation, assessment training,
and proficiency development in all major subjects.
American College Test (ACT) Preparation
http://www.knock-knock.com/sat.htm
Resource Center for the SAT I, SAT Test Prep Resource Center, and College Board and College Prep Test
Information.
American Guidance Service
http://www.agsnet.com
Test preparation materials for a variety of educational tests, including high school exit exams, math and reading
standardized tests, essay style writing tests, language arts tests, and general test-taking skills.
APReview Services AP Exam Review Material
http://www.apreview.com
Offers materials to help Advanced Placement exam students achieve the highest possible scores on the AP exams
given by the College Board in May, including essay evaluation materials, multiple choice sets, and online advice.
AP Test & School Help
http://www.APHelp.com
Offers free practice multiple choice tests, sample syllabi and media for Advanced Placement and other high
school courses.
The Educational Testing Service Network
http://www.ets.org
Educational Testing Service is the world’s largest private educational testing and measurement organization and
a leader in educational research.
Edutest.com–Online Assessment
http://www.edutest.com
Practice tests for state-mandated K–12 assessment tests. Immediate scoring and feedback available.
EssayPrep
http://www.collegeboard.org
Allows students to preview actual essay questions from the Advanced Placement and SAT II: Writing exams and
then to receive expert opinions on their responses.
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ETS Global Institute
www.ets.org.etsglobal
Source for information and training on testing and assessment issues, policies, techniques, and standards.
fatbrain.com
http://www.fatbrain.com
Study and test guides for ACT: American College Test, AP: Advanced Placement, GED: General
Equivalency Diploma, SAT & PSAT, TOEFL: Test Of English As A Foreign Language, and
various other exams.
LearningPlus
http://www.teachingandlearning.org/licnsure/praxis/learn.html
Interactive computer-delivered instructional program with accompanying handbooks for students who want to
improve their reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking skills.
Preliminary Test of English as a Foreign Language Institutional Program
(Pre-TOEFL)
www.toefl.org
Measures the same language skills as the regular TOEFL test, but is shorter and less difficult.
SAT Program
http://www.collegeboard.org
College Board SAT program consisting of the SAT I: Reasoning Test and SAT II: Subject Tests.
Secondary Level English Proficiency Test (SLEP)
http://www.toefl.org/edslep.html
Measures English language ability in two primary areas: listening comprehension and reading comprehension.
Test Professor.Com
http://www.testprofessor.com
Provides online content to help teachers, parents, schools, and students to better prepare students to pass state
assessment exams.
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ANSWER KEY
UNIT 1
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. D
1. B
2. A
2. A
3. B
3. D
4. A
4. C
5. D
5. D
6. B
6. D
7. D
8. C
UNIT 2
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. C
1. C
2. B
2. A
3. D
3. B
4. A
4. A
5. C
5. B
6. B
6. B
7. A
8. D
UNIT 3
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. B
1. A
2. B
2. C
3. D
3. C
4. B
4. C
5. A
5. D
6. D
6. D
7. C
8. C
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UNIT 4
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. C
1. C
2. B
2. B
3. A
3. B
4. A
4. C
5. D
5. C
6. B
6. D
7. D
8. A
UNIT 5
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. D
1. B
2. B
2. D
3. A
3. A
4. C
4. B
5. D
5. B
6. B
6. A
7. B
8. B
UNIT 6
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. B
1. A
2. A
2. C
3. D
3. C
4. D
4. D
5. A
5. A
6. C
6. C
7. C
8. A
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UNIT 7
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. A
1. B
2. A
2. C
3. B
3. D
4. D
4. B
5. C
5. B
6. B
6. D
7. D
8. A
UNIT 8
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. A
1. A
2. D
2. B
3. A
3. C
4. B
4. B
5. A
5. C
6. C
6. B
7. A
8. B
UNIT 9
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. D
1. A
2. B
2. D
3. D
3. C
4. B
4. A
5. A
5. B
6. B
6. B
7. C
8. C
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UNIT 10
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. D
1. C
2. B
2. D
3. B
3. B
4. D
4. D
5. D
5. B
6. A
6. C
7. B
8. D
UNIT 11
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. B
1. C
2. D
2. D
3. D
3. C
4. D
4. C
5. B
5. A
6. A
6. A
7. A
8. A
UNIT 12
Part I: Editing
Part II: Textual Analysis
1. A
1. B
2. D
2. B
3. D
3. A
4. C
4. C
5. C
5. C
6. D
6. B
7. B
8. C
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