Study Island
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Generation Date: 04/01/2014
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Title: 11th Grade ELA Themes
Earthwomb
by R. Lee Walters
Neptune’s fire sprouts an island.
We watch the sea give way to earth,
First liquid then red marble,
And burning like a sky on fire.
I have never seen such a mob,
Such a rush of earthly violence.
The torrent of rocks over the cliff
Like porous lemmings.
The molten Mother plunges under
The Pacific, to hiss, to smolder
As we can never be, both beautiful
And terrible, like angels rising.
We do nothing but gawk,
Speechless, then wait to tread
Across the ash, the new ground,
And go forth in the footprints.
1. Which statement is true about the overall theme of this poem?
A. When lava flows reach the sea, the lava cools and forms rock.
B. The ancients used myths to explain many unknown things.
C. Some spectacular events can be both beautiful and terrifying.
D. Many islands in the Pacific were formed by active volcanoes.
2. Which lines most contribute to the theme of rebirth in this poem?
A. "The molten Mother plunges under / The Pacific, to hiss, to smolder"
B. "Across the ash, the new ground, / And go forth in the footprints."
C. "First liquid then red marble, / And burning like a sky on fire."
D. "The torrent of rocks over the cliff / Like porous lemmings."
The Beginnings of Fred Grew
Fred Grew was born near the lush jungles of South Africa. His parents, already
famous anthropologists, had trained him to see the universe in relation to nature. As a
little boy, he often found friendship among the trees. He knew—by heart—the expanse
of the branches in Baobab trees. He could recognize the swerve of the trunks. Fred
knew that the trees were more different from each other than the many groups of people
in the world.
As Fred grew up, he attempted very little to initiate friendship with the other kids in
the colony. Despite sharing a language and heritage with them, Fred found the children
of the British officers to be sheltered. These kids liked reading books and playing the
piano but did not once step outside. Fred did not understand that the kids were afraid of
the unknown. Unlike his parents who encouraged him to befriend the earth and the
vegetation, many colony mothers had cared for the kids behind closed walls.
3. What message about life is the author trying to communicate in this passage?
A. It is important to figure out your priorities in life.
B. Nature is the best answer to all of life's questions.
C. Children are less curious compared to their parents.
D. People are more similar to each other than we think.
4.
Death, be not proud (Holy Sonnet 10)
by John Donne
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so:
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death; nor yet canst thou kill me.
From Rest and Sleep, which but thy picture be,
Much pleasure, then from thee much more must flow;
And soonest our best men with thee do go—
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery!
Thou'rt slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke. Why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And Death shall be no more: Death, thou shalt die!
Which statement best describes the theme of this poem?
A. Death can be refused by a person who does not wish to die.
B. Death will be conquered and is not something to fear.
C. Death is a "slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men."
D. Death is a "mighty and dreadful" enemy to be dreaded.
5.
Technology Enhanced Questions are not available in Word format.
6.
Technology Enhanced Questions are not available in Word format.
7.
Technology Enhanced Questions are not available in Word format.
Aimee Mullins
by J. Robbins
(1)
(2)
Model, actress, and athlete Aimee Mullins was born with a condition called
fibular hemimelia. This conditio n, which caused her to be born without shin (fibula)
bones, required her to undergo an amputation of both legs below the knees at the
age of one. Aimee, wearing artificial legs, participated in athletics against her nondisabled peers, and in high school she became involved in athletic events for
people with physical disabilities. At her first track event, she not only beat the
other runners, most of whom had less severe amputations, but she also set a
national record.
Aimee continued to compete in athletics as she graduated high school and
entered Georgetown University. While attending college, she became the first
athlete with a disability to enter NCAA Division I track and field events. Her next
challenge was the Paralympic Games, an athletic competition that allows people
with disabilities to compete in events similar to those in the Olympic Games. In
1996, Aimee accomplished her goal of setting records in the 100 and 200-meter
(3)
dash and in the long jump at the Paralympic Games in Georgia.
Athletics is not the only area in which Aimee Mullins excels. She earned an
internship with the prestigious Georgetown University Foreign Affairs program.
After graduating with degrees in both history and diplomacy, Aimee starred in
several television programs, movies, and runway fashion shows. She currently
works as a motivational speaker and donates her time and efforts to helping
people with disabilities participate fully in life.
8. Which of the following is the best summary of this passage?
Aimee Mullins, whose legs were amputated below the knee at an early age, is an
accomplished athlete who has competed against both disabled and non-disabled athletes
A.
and set several records at the 1996 Paralympic Games. She also works as an actress,
fashion model, and motivational speaker.
Aimee Mullins had both her legs amputated below the knees when she was one year old
due to a condition called fibular hemimelia, which caused her to be born without shin
B.
bones in her legs. In high school, she wore artificial legs to participate in athletic events
against athletes who were not disabled.
Aimee Mullins is an athlete and a double-amputee who has competed in athletics at both
the high school and college level. In addition, she graduated with degrees in history and
C.
diplomacy from Georgetown University, and she also works as a motivational speaker to
help others achieve their dreams.
Aimee Mullins, who set a national track record while still in high school, did not let her
leg amputations prevent her from participating in the 1996 Paralympic Games. During this
D.
international athletic competition for athletes with disabilities, she set records in the 100
and 200- meter dash and the long jump.
9. Which of the following is the best summary of paragraph 2?
After graduating from high school and enrolling in Georgetown University, Aimee worked
A. hard and eventually accomplished her goal of setting a record in the long jump event at the
Paralympic Games held in Georgia.
While attending Georgetown University, Aimee was the first disabled athlete to participate
B. in NCAA Division I track and field events, and she set records in several track and field
events at the 1996 Paralympic Games.
Aimee did not abandon athletics when she graduated high school, but she enrolled as a
C. freshman in Georgetown University and managed to balance her life as a student and her
work as an athlete.
The 1996 Paralympic Games, held in Georgia, were the stage for Aimee to accomplish her
D. lifelong goals of setting records in track and field events, which she had become proficient
in during her high school years.
Passage 1
from A Room of One's Own
by Virginia Woolf
If a woman wrote, she would have to write in the common sitting–room. And, as Miss
Nightingale was so vehemently to complain,—"women never have a half hour . . . that
they can call their own"—she was always interrupted. Still it would be easier to write
prose and fiction there than to write poetry or a play. Less concentration is required.
Jane Austen wrote like that to the end of her days. 'How she was able to effect all this',
her nephew writes in his Memoir, 'is surprising, for she had no separate study to repair
to, and most of the work must have been done in the general sitting–room, subject to all
kinds of casual interruptions. She was careful that her occupation should not be
suspected by servants or visitors or any persons beyond her own family party.' Jane
Austen hid her manuscripts or covered them with a piece of blotting–paper. Then,
again, all the literary training that a woman had in the early nineteenth century was
training in the observation of character, in the analysis of emotion. Her sensibi lity had
been educated for centuries by the influences of the common sitting–room.
Passage 2
Renewed
My husband had brought me seven seas away from my family. Naturally, I had fears
about when I would next see my elderly parents and newborn nieces and nephews.
There were other fears, too. Would I understand the people here? Would they
comprehend me? How would I build my future here? What about the food, clothing,
language, friendships, and life in England? Most important of all, I did not want to
change into a person I would not recognize back home.
These burning questions actually settled rather peacefully in my soul after I spent a
few years learning about my new world. As I was fairly young, I picked up the language
and even secured a job at the local library by our flat. There, I found refuge. The world
of words opened up more opportunities than I had ever dreamed possible. Many
interesting people came to the library. I became friends with some of the regulars and
even joined a book club. The fact that my husband was a quiet and supportive man only
made my transition easier.
In the blink of an eye, four years had passed. It is funny how time flies when things
around you are new. Just as the world around me was getting familiar, my longing for
home was getting stronger. My wish was granted. After the completion of my husband's
PhD, we were going home for good. I was about to return an independent and strong
woman. I knew my place in the world.
10. Which idea is found in both passages?
A. the struggles of a woman
B. the plight of women writers
C. the changing of identity
D. the benefits of immigration
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
In 1859, Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman, witnessed the Battle of Solferino, one of the
most horrific battles of the 19th century, between Austria and the Franco-Sardinian armies.
Dunant was so appalled by the suffering of the wounded that he decided to do something about
it, and in 1862 he published a pamphlet titled, A Memory of Solferino, asking international
organizations to care for the sick and the wounded. The pamphlet stirred an international outcry,
which led to the establishment of the International Red Cross and later the Red Crescent
Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's
largest humanitarian organization and is committed to political neutrality and mutual
understanding, friendship, cooperation, and lasting peace amongst all the nations on earth.
The history of the Red Cross in the United States has its beginnings with the work of Clara
Barton. Barton worked as a battlefield nurse during the American Civil War. In 1870, Barton
traveled to Europe where she volunteered for the International Red Cross during the FrancoPrussian War. Upon her return in 1873, she was invited by the International Red Cross to form
an American Chapter. In 1881, she founded the American Red Cross in Dansville, New York.
For the next 23 years Barton headed the American Red Cross—serving the needs of victims of
floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and providing medicine and healthcare to the wounded during
the Spanish-American War of 1898.
In the 20th century, the American Red Cross grew to become an umbrella that includes
individual state chapters, each with its own head, agenda, and set of regulations, but all maintain
the same basic principles. The American Red Cross was ahead of its time when, in 1910, it
started the original First Aid Drive that taught people how to care for common injuries. In 1914,
it began the Red Cross Lifesaving Corp, which provided the first trained lifeguards on our
nation's beaches. A rural nursing service and the Christmas Seals campaign to combat
tuberculosis changed the antiquated health practices at the time. Today a tissue donation program
for burn victims, an HIV/AIDS prevention campaign of 1987, and a simulation of terrorist
attacks on the United States carry the Red Cross into the future.
The American Red Cross faced one of its biggest challenges, when it faced one of the worst
disasters it ever handled, the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. The hurricane destroyed every
building in the city of Galveston; not one was spared. About 3,000 buildings and houses were
destroyed by fierce winds, torrential rains, and high tide. The city was submerged underwater
and cut off from the mainland. The Red Cross estimated that about 6,000 people died while
another 6,000 were left injured. In addition, the American Red Cross made an outstanding
performance during the two world wars. During hurricane Andrew in 1992, it brought 20,859
volunteers, the most ever, to South Florida.
About one million Americans serve as local volunteers and twelve million train in health and
lifesaving courses each year. The Red Cross transmits 1.4 million emergency messages from
armed services personnel to their families and is responsible for half the nation's blood supply. It
even handles the most common emergencies, house or apartment fires. In any given year, the
American Red Cross responds to over 60,000 such crises.
The Red Cross focuses on people's immediate individual needs such as shelter, food, and
health and mental health services, so victims can return to their normal daily activities. The
organization also coordinates emergency workers and blood deliveries, in addition to connecting
victims to other resources. It is not surprising that numerous polls have named it the most trusted
charity in the United States.
11.
Technology Enhanced Questions are not available in Word format.
(1)
(2)
Listening to music is a popular pastime, but it may surprise some people to
learn that music can heal. In music therapy, a trained therapist uses music to help
clients improve or regain their health and quality of life. People with learning
disabilities, physical disabilities, brain injuries, or substance abuse problems can
all benefit from this unique type of therapy. Some people think they can't
participate in music therapy because they don't play a musical instrument or they
only like a certain kind of music, but this is not the case. Anyone can become
involved in music therapy because therapists tailor each program to their client's
individual preferences and personal challenges.
In order to become a music therapist in the United States, a person must earn
a bachelor's and master's degree in music therapy. Students will learn music
theory, music history, health care and counseling skills, and they will practice
reading music, playing instruments, and singing. The next step is to become
board-certified, which means that a music therapist must successfully complete
course work and an internship at an American Music Therapy Association
program and pass the Certifying Board Examination. After finishing their
education, certified music therapists can work in hospitals, daycare centers,
senior centers, hospice programs, schools, and private practices.
12. Which statement expresses an idea that would be most important to include in a summar y of
this passage?
A. ". . . it may surprise some people to learn that music can heal."
B. "Listening to music is a popular pastime. . . ."
C. "Anyone can become involved in music therapy. . . ."
D. ". . . they will practice reading music, playing instruments, and singing."
13. What statement best summarizes the passage?
Music therapists work closely with clients who have physical or learning disabilities to
A. improve their lives with music. These therapists can work with any clients, even those
who aren't very talented at playing a musical instrument.
B. Many people like to listen to music, but music therapy involves a trained therapist working
with a client. Musical therapists are trained by learning music theory, music history, and
counseling. They also learn to play a musical instrument.
Music therapy can help improve the lives of people with physical or mental disabilities.
C. Music therapists earn advanced degrees and certification, and they work in many different
environments, such as hospitals, senior centers, and schools.
Becoming a music therapist requires earning a bachelor's and a master's degree, learning
D. to play a musical instrument, and board certification. After school, therapists are qualified
to work in hospitals, senior centers, and daycare centers.
Passage 1
The Beginnings of Fred Grew
Fred Grew was born near the lush jungles of South Africa. His parents, already
famous anthropologists, had trained him to see the universe in relation to nature. As a
little boy, he often found friendship among the trees. He knew—by heart—the expanse
of the branches in Baobab trees. He could recognize the swerve of the trunks. Fred
knew that the trees were more different from each other than the many groups of people
in the world.
As Fred grew up, he attempted very little to initiate friendship with the other kids in
the colony. Despite sharing a language and heritage with them, Fred found the children
of the British officers to be sheltered. These kids liked reading books and playing the
piano but did not once step outside. Fred did not understand that the kids were afraid of
the unknown. Unlike his parents who encouraged him to befriend the earth and the
vegetation, many colony mothers had cared for the kids behind closed walls.
Passage 2
Ghazipur
JoyDeep bid farewell to his employee’s daughter and packed up his flute. By day,
he was a soldier under the Bengal Native Infantry and by evening, he was a music tutor
for Madam Cromwell’s family. JoyDeep often felt that this was a double life. The colonial
world was different for JoyDeep when the dust met the sky as his boots hit the marching
floor. The uniform has a way of changing a man, he often thought to himself. But when
he rested his lips on the wooden flute and let his breaths turn into music, Ghazipur
became alive. In the evenings, people forgot that there was a war.
14. A common theme in both passages is
A. the influence of nature on children.
B. the importance of music in life.
C. life under the influence of colony.
D. the idea of a world without war.
Meeting
by J. Robbins
―Are you sure about this?‖ Nehemiah asked as he followed his best friend Olive up
the rotting, creaking stairs of the decrepit house. He glanced fearfully at the ―No
Trespassing‖ sign taped to the front door and tried to ignore the strange sounds
emanating from the house.
―I’m absolutely sure,‖ replied Olive. ―This is definitely Rudolphino Strange’s house. I
got the address from his publisher. Can you believe I’m actually going to meet my
favorite author?‖ Nehemiah looked warily at the pile of mail and yellowing newspapers
littering the porch.
―Not really,‖ he muttered. ―I’m more inclined to believe that we’re about to become
the stars of our very own horror movie.‖ Olive rolled her eyes as she knocked on the
front door.
―Quit being so dramatic,‖ she said. ―I think I hear someone moving around inside!‖
Nehemiah almost dashed off the porch when the front door opened to reveal an elderly
man wearing a welder’s mask, a dirty apron, and a pair of thick goggles.
―Can I help you?‖ the man asked, his polite demeanor contrasting with his unusual
appearance. Olive took a deep breath and stepped toward him.
―Hi, Mr. Strange,‖ she squeaked excitedly. ―My name is Olive Fandorin, and this is
my best friend Nehemiah Neski. We’re your biggest fans! I’ve practically memorized the
entire Detective Rumbolt Fairlygood series.‖
―Well, thank you,‖ replied Strange. ―I enjoyed writing the series, so I’m glad people
enjoy reading it. Are you here for an autograph?‖
―Oh, no, sir,‖ said Olive. ―I actually came to interview you for the school paper. I want
to hear all about your exciting life as a big-city police officer investigating sordid crimes.‖
―I’m flattered, but I was never a police officer,‖ Strange told his visitors. ―I merely
researched police protocol for my books.‖ Olive drooped in disappointment.
―Thanks anyway, Mr. Strange,‖ said Nehemiah as he tried to squash his own
disappointment. ―We’ll just be going.‖
―However, I could tell you about my 25 years as a test pilot and NASA engineer,‖
Strange said thoughtfully, ―Or my discovery of a new way to process data from orbiting
satellites. I could even talk about the flight simulator I’m building in my living room. It
may not be as interesting to your readers as a career in law enforcement, though—‖
―That would be great!‖ interrupted Olive happily. ―I thought I knew everything about
you from your books, but I had no idea what your life was really like. My readers will be
thrilled to find out that you’re a scientific genius and a famous writer.‖ Strange invited
Olive and Nehemiah into his living room and spent the afternoon regaling them with his
real-life adventures.
15. Read this sentence from the passage.
"Can I help you?" the man asked, his polite demeanor contrasting with his strange
appearance.
How does this sentence contribute to the theme of the passage?
A. Judging people based on their looks is an important skill to develop.
B. It is important to dress nicely when meeting people for the first time.
C. People dressed in unusual clothing often work in science-related jobs.
D. There is usually more to people than what is visible on the surface.
16. Which statement best describes the theme of this passage?
A. Science is a more interesting career than law enforcement.
B. True friendship can help people overcome their fears.
C. It is best to keep an open mind when meeting new people.
D. It is rude to assume famous people want to be interviewed.
from A Room of One's Own
by Virginia Woolf
If a woman wrote, she would have to write in the common sitting-room. And, as Miss
Nightingale was so vehemently to complain,—"women never have a half hour . . . that
they can call their own"—she was always interrupted. Still it would be easier to write
prose and fiction there than to write poetry or a play. Less concentration is required.
Jane Austen wrote like that to the end o f her days. 'How she was able to effect all this',
her nephew writes in his Memoir, 'is surprising, for she had no separate study to repair
to, and most of the work must have been done in the general sitting-room, subject to all
kinds of casual interruptions. She was careful that her occupation should not be
suspected by servants or visitors or any persons beyond her own family party. Jane
Austen hid her manuscripts or covered them with a piece of blotting-paper. Then, again,
all the literary training that a woman had in the early nineteenth century was training in
the observation of character, in the analysis of emotion. Her sensibility had been
educated for centuries by the influences of the common sitting-room.
17. A universal idea in this passage is
A. creative people find a way to express themselves.
B. female writers always create based on observations.
C. people find it easier to write poetry compared to prose.
D. women in the nineteenth century wrote under aliases.
Before Dawn
As a textile worker in London, I have no prospect of finding a beautiful bride. You
might ask what is wrong with working in a factory. Well, my job has given me a sallow
and pallid appearance. Like the other few hundred of my acquaintances in the factory,
my stature is low. These slender limbs hang awkwardly, and my legs refuse to stand up
straight. I’ve grown up spending hours of being cooped up in a heated atmosphere
without the necessary exercise. Others who have sat in the same position for hours
have also awkwardly developed a few set of muscles.
Mother once told me that I was born with a handsome face and predicted that I
would live an easy life. She believed that beautiful people had better luck. Now I see a
face with flat and hollow features, yet I do not want to doubt her prophecy. She also
believed a good education would open the doors for me. I wish I had other prospects. I
wish the doors would open, and I would see a thousand splendid suns. Well, my future
might just change if I want it badly enough.
18. What message about life is the author trying to communicate in this passage?
A. It is important to be hopeful even in difficult circumstances.
B. Some people don't mind horrible working and living conditions.
C. People can learn about history by studying the lives of workers.
D. What is trash for someone maybe treasure for someone else.
(1) The clouds roared in like a bear's snarl. The storm had teeth and was hungry.
Inside the cave, the rain trickled downward and onto the heads of Rusty and Ericka.
(2) Ericka was the first to notice the oncoming storm, "This looks like something out of
the Bible. I'm half expecting locusts to swarm. Just look at the way those clouds keep
bending over themselves. You just know something bad is behind it."
(3) Rusty looked on; however, he was more impressed that the pebble that found its
way into his shoe has somehow turned into a boulder. Rusty had been through many
storms, and this one had all the look to it of a three-year old running with plastic
scissors—it looks deadly until you see what's really in his hand. Still, he had waited for
weeks to hike with Ericka, and he decided to play along. Anything he could to do to get
closer to her was fine by him. He had tried telling her how he felt, but he thought it might
just be a crush. He wasn't sure if she felt the same way, and what better time than being
stranded during a downpour on the side of a mountain to find out, he thought to himself.
(4) Ericka was huffing, pulling away at branches and bark trying to make a space for
them to get out of the storm. She pulled on twigs, branches, and brush, making a small
entrance for the two of them to hide in. She could feel the sweat starting to form at her
brow. Instinctively, she held her head out to the rain that had begun to sprinkle. There,
now he won't kno w the difference—never let 'em see you s weat. It's the first rule. This
space may be crowded and cramped for two people, but hopefully the storm will pass
quickly. I'd rather be a little cramped in this makeshift shelter than slip right off of the
face of this thing.
(5) Rusty watched on, wondering if he should offer assistance or if she would be
offended by it. Ericka was fiercely independent, so Rusty just let her dig away at the
brush. Rusty kicked his shoe off and watched the boulder that had been bothering him
tumble over the mountain's face. It wasn't even the size of a dime. As he peered over
the ledge to see the pebble disappear, he saw it. There was a small awning of stone
about 15 feet below them. That little spot has plenty of room for us to wait the storm out
he thought to himself.
(6) "You need any help Ericka?" Rusty asked.
(7) "No worries, Rust. I've almost got the last of this mess cleared away. Just do me a
favor and try not to slip off the mountain," she said jokingly, smiling at Rusty.
adapted from "Things in Our Shoes" by c.safos
19. Which statement best summarizes Ericka's feelings about the storm?
A. She is angry that the rain will soak them.
B. She is worried that the storm will be bad.
C. She is not scared of a little rain storm.
D. She is excited about hiking in the rain.
20. Which is the best summary of paragraph 4?
A.
Ericka did not want Rusty to see that she was working so hard. She lifted her head up to
the rain so that she would not be sweaty.
Ericka knew that they needed to find a place to hide until the storm was over. She looked
for a good place, and Rusty watched her.
Ericka started to clear brush from a small space on the side of the mountain. She could feel
C.
herself sweating from the hard work.
Ericka worked hard to make a space for them to hide until the storm ended. She thought
D.
the small space would keep them safe.
B.
21. Rusty's feelings about Ericka are best summarized by which statement?
A. Rusty is angry at Ericka.
B. Rusty is concerned about Ericka.
C. Rusty is jealous of Ericka.
D. Rusty is attracted to Ericka.
22. Which best summarizes the plot of this passage?
Ericka and Rusty are stuck on a mountain as a storm is approaching. Ericka tries to hollow
A. out a shelter for them to hide in while Rusty deals with whether or not he should help
Ericka.
Ericka wants to keep climbing the mountain. Rusty does not think it is safe, so he decides
B. that he will go to a bigger shelter under them while Ericka will continue to hike to the
peak.
As Ericka digs out a shelter, Rusty finds a shelter that has already been dug out. He
C. notices this and kicks the pebble out of his shoe and off the mountain. Then, he offers to
help Ericka.
Rusty is trying to get a pebble out of his shoe. Ericka is digging out a shelter for the two of
D. them. A storm that looks bad is approaching. Rusty doesn't think the storm looks bad,
though.
23. Which sentence shows an idea that would be important to include in a summary of this
passage?
A. " 'Just do me a favor and try not to slip off the mountain.' "
B. ". . . this one had all the look to it of a three-year-old running. . . ."
C. "She could feel the sweat starting to form at her brow."
D. "Rusty watched on, wondering if he should offer assistance. . . ."