OKLAHOM
O C C T PR
AE
NDOFEPA
INSTR
RAT
UCTION ENGLISH II
ION
AN
DP
RACTIC
E
WORKBOOK
Aligned with the Oklahoma
Priority Academic Student Skills
GLENCOE LANGUAGE ARTS
GRADE 10
This helpful workbook provides
• Lessons and practice exercises
• Test-taking strategies and tips
• Steps for responding to a writing prompt
• Rubrics for scoring essays
• A full-length practice test
Acknowledgments
“The Black Snake” from Twelve Moons by Mary Oliver. Copyright © 1979 by Mary Oliver. By permission of Little, Brown
and Company.
“A Blessing” by James Wright from The Branch Will Not Break © 1963 by James Wright, Wesleyan University Press. By
permission of University Press of New England.
“Elena” by Pat Mora is reprinted with permission from the publisher of Chants (Houston: Arte Publico Press: University of
Houston, 1985).
“Explorers Say There’s Still lots to Look For” by Helen O’Neill. Reprinted with permission of the Associated Press © 2000.
All rights reserved.
“For Poets,” copyright © 1968 and 1992 by Al Young; reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Horned Toad,” copyright © 1983 by Gerald Haslam. Originally appeared in New Arts Review (January 1983).
Reprinted by permission of the author.
“I, Too” from Collected Poems by Langston Hughes. Copyright © 1996 by the Estate of Langston Hughes. Reprinted by
permission of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a division of Random House, Inc.
“Making a Fist” from Hugging the Jukebox. Copyright © 1982 by Naomi Shihab Nye. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Marked” from Sonnets to Human Beings and Other Selected Works by Carmen Tafolla. Copyright © 1992 by Carmen Tafolla.
“miss rosie,” copyright © 1987 by Lucille Clifton. Reprinted from Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir: 1969–1980 with
the permission of BOA Editions, Ltd., 260 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14604.
“The Peace of Wild Things” from Openings, copyright © 1968 and renewed 1996 by Wendel Berry, reprinted by
permission of Harcourt Brace & Company.
“Purchase” by Naomi Long Madgett from Phantom Nightingale: Juvenilia (Lotus, 1981), reprinted in Remembrances of
Spring: Collected Early Poems (Michigan State University, 1993). Reprinted by permission of the author.
Excerpt from The Real Life of Sebastian Knight by Vladimir Nabakov, copyright © 1941 by New Directions; copyright
renewed 1968 by Vladimir Nabakov. Copyright © 1959 by New Directions. Reprinted by permission of New Directions
Publishing Corp.
“Those Winter Sundays” Copyright © 1966 by Robert Hayden, from Collected Poems of Robert Hayden by Robert Hayden,
edited by Frederick Glaysher. Used by permission of Liveright publishing Company.
Grateful acknowledgment is given to authors, publishers, and agents for permission to reprint the following copyrighted
material. Every effort has been made to determine copyright owners. In case of any omissions, the Publisher will be
pleased to make suitable acknowledgments in future editions.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976,
no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system, without
prior written permission of the publisher.
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CONTENTS
About the English II OCCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Test-Taking Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Exercises
Exercise 1 Vocabulary: Words in Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Exercise 2 Comprehension: Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Exercise 3 Comprehension: Main Idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Exercise 4 Comprehension: Inferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Exercise 5 Literature: Genre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Exercise 6 Literature: Author’s Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Exercise 7 Literature: Theme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Exercise 8 Literature: Literary Elements and Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Exercise 9 Literature: Figurative Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Exercise 10 Literature: Comparing Two Selections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Exercise 11 Research: Accessing Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Exercise 12 Research: Interpreting Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Exercise 13 Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Exercise 14 Mechanics: Capitalization and Punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Exercise 15 Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Exercise 16 Grammar: Verb Form and Tense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Exercise 17 Sentence Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Exercise 18 The Writing Process: Prewriting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Exercise 19 The Writing Process: Drafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Exercise 20 The Writing Process: Revising and Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Practice Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Answer Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Introduction
About the English II OCCT
The English II End-of-Instruction Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT) consists of
three sections administered over the course of two or three days. The sections are not
strictly timed. Students in Oklahoma must pass this test to receive a high school diploma.
They take this test in the 10th grade and may retake it once prior to graduation.
Section 1
Section 1 consists of a prompt that requires you to write a short personal essay. This
section, accounts for 6 of the 66 points on the test.
Sections 2 and 3
Sections 2 and 3 assess reading comprehension, vocabulary, research skills, knowledge
of literature, and understanding of grammar, usage, and mechanics.
Each section consists of approximately 30 multiple-choice items followed by 4 answer
choices. These sections account for 60 of the 66 points on the test.
About This Book
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Reading the test-taking strategies, completing the exercises, and taking the practice test
in this workbook will help you do better on the English II OCCT in two ways. First, you
will become familiar with the types of questions found on the test. Second, you can learn
and practice the skills and techniques of smart test taking.
There are three major sections of this book: Test-Taking Strategies, Exercises, and the
Practice Test.
Introduction
1
Introduction
Test-Taking Strategies
In this part of the book, you will learn general tips on how to prepare for the test. You will
also learn how to respond to a writing prompt and to multiple-choice items.
Exercises
There are twenty exercises in this book. The first seventeen exercises have two sections.
• The first section begins by introducing a question type to you. Then, you will learn
how to answer this type of question by following a step-by-step process. This section
also provides a test tip that applies to the question type taught in the lesson.
• The second section provides practice questions so that you can apply the test-taking
techniques and skills found in the sample question in the first section.
The final three exercises focus on three crucial stages of writing an essay in response to
a prompt—prewriting, drafting, and revising and editing.
• The first section discusses each stage in the writing process and suggests skills to
use in completing that stage.
• The second section asks you to respond to a writing prompt one stage at a time,
using the skills discussed in the exercise.
Practice Test
2
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The Practice Test, which is modeled on the English II OCCT, enables you to put together
and apply everything you learned in the previous sections of this book. The experience
you gain from taking the Practice Test will help you know what to expect when you take
the actual test. Knowing what to expect will help you feel relaxed, confident, and ready to
perform well.
Test-Taking Strategies
TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
When you take the Practice Test, allow about 60 minutes to complete each section
(although you may request extra time if you need it). It is a good idea to practice pacing
yourself so that you have enough time to answer every question within the suggested time
limits. Use the strategies listed below so that you will be familiar with them when you take
the English II OCCT and other standardized tests.
Before the test
•
•
•
•
Develop a positive attitude about the test. Be confident that you will do your best.
Get a good night’s rest so that you will be alert and clearheaded.
Wake up early to avoid hurrying to get ready for school.
Eat a nutritious meal so that you will have plenty of energy.
During the test
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stay calm so that you can do your best.
Listen carefully to instructions. Ask questions if you do not understand something.
Read directions carefully and completely.
Consider each item carefully to determine what it is really asking.
Read all the answer choices carefully.
Pace yourself. If you come to a difficult passage or set of questions, it may be
better to skip it and go on and then come back and really focus on the difficult
section.
After the test
•
•
•
•
If you have time, check your answers before you turn in the test. Do not change an
answer unless you are certain that it is incorrect.
Make sure that you have answered every item.
For multiple-choice items, make sure that you have clearly marked your answer
sheet with a No. 2 pencil. Erase any stray marks.
Once you have turned in the test, don’t worry about it. Focus on your other
schoolwork and activities.
This workbook prepares you for all three sections of the English II OCCT.
Test-Taking Strategies
3
Test-Taking Strategies
SECTION 1
Section 1 of the English II OCCT requires that you write a response to a writing prompt.
A top-scoring response directly addresses the topic of the writing task, reflects a clear
awareness of the audience and the purpose for writing, develops a central idea or
several ideas, and is unified and well-organized. The response also displays a variety of
sentence structures, effective word choice, tone, and voice and observes the conventions
of standard English.
To write an effective response to a writing prompt, use a systematic approach. Complete
each of the stages in the writing process:
Plan
Before you write:
• Read the writing prompt carefully and identify key words.
• Consider the topic, task, and audience.
• Jot down some ideas. Then organize them in a list, web, or outline on the planning
page of your test booklet.
Write
Respond fully to the writing prompt.
Include specific details, such as examples and reasons.
Organize your writing logically, using an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
Use complete sentences, varied in structure and length.
Revise, Edit, and Proofread
•
•
•
Make sure that your ideas are supported with specific details.
Check to be sure that the tone, voice, and point of view are consistent.
Correct all errors in capitalization, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage.
SECTIONS 2 AND 3
In these sections of the English II OCCT, you will be asked to do the following:
• read stories, essays, articles, and poems and answer multiple-choice items about
each selection
• read student passages and answer multiple-choice items that require you to identify
and correct errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics.
The test includes at least one set of paired selections that allow you to connect texts.
When answering multiple-choice items that test comprehension, you can use your time
effectively by previewing the set of items first and then reading the selection with a focus
on the main ideas and a sense of what to look for.
4
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
•
•
•
•
Test-Taking Strategies
Previewing the Items
Preview, or look over, the set of items that follows each reading selection. Pay attention
to the number of items and the information to look for.
Reading the Selection
Read to find the main idea of the selection, paying close attention to the title and the first
and last sentences of each paragraph. You can highlight the text or make marginal notes
on ideas that relate to the multiple-choice items.
Multiple-choice Items
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Here are a few guidelines for answering multiple-choice items:
• Read the item carefully before you try to select an answer.
• First, decide on an answer without considering the answer choices. Then look at the
answer choices to see which one best matches your answer.
• As you mark your answers, fill in the circles completely and neatly, erasing any stray
marks.
• Frequently check to make sure that you are filling in the correct answer circles. It is
easy to skip a line, recording the answer for item 9, for example, in the answer circle
for item 10.
• When you are uncertain about an answer, you can improve your chances of guessing
correctly by using the process of elimination.
The Process of Elimination
The process of elimination is a method that you can use to rule out wrong answer
choices. Here are the steps to follow:
1. Highlight key words in the item and the answer choices. Then look for related text
in the selection. The highlighting you did while reading the selection may help you
quickly find the passage you need.
2. Review the related text to find helpful information.
3. Eliminate the answer choices that you know are wrong.
4. Choose the best answer from the remaining answer choices.
Following the passage below, you will see an example of a multiple-choice item that is
similar to those found on the English II OCCT. Study this example and then follow the
steps to learn how to use the process of elimination to determine the correct answer.
Test-Taking Strategies
5
Test-Taking Strategies
In 1770 Phillis Wheatley became the first African American, and the third
woman in the British colonies in America, to publish a book of poems. She achieved
international fame, and notable social and political figures often called upon her.
Her literary gifts, intelligence, and piety were a striking example to her English
and American audiences of the triumph of human capacities over the circumstances
of birth. Only one line of her poetry hints at the injustice she likely felt: “Some
view our sable race with scornful eye.” It would be almost a hundred years before
another writer of color would drop the mask of convention and write openly about
the African American experience.
The author suggests that Phillis Wheatley’s chief claim to fame is that
Step
1
Step
2
3
Step
4
6
she was the first woman to write openly about the African American
experience.
B
she was the first American woman to be visited by notable social and
political figures.
C
she was the first African American to publish a book of poems.
D
she was the first African American woman to write about injustice.
Read the multiple-choice item before you read the passage. From reading the
answer-choices, you can determine that Phillis Wheatley became famous because
she was the first to do something.
Identify the main idea in the passage by asking what Phillis Wheatley was the first
to do and why she became famous. The first sentence indicates that she was the
first African American, and the third colonial woman, to publish a book of poems.
The second sentence implies that this accomplishment made her famous.
You can now determine the correct answer by using the process of elimination. Key
words that you might have highlighted in the answer choices are first, woman, and
African American. Answer choice A can be eliminated because the passage does
not state that Wheatley was the first woman to write openly about the African
American experience. Choice B can be eliminated because, although the passage
states that “notable social and political figures” visited Wheatley, it does not state
that she was the first American woman to be so honored. Choice D can be
eliminated because the passage does not state that Wheatley was the first African
American woman to write about injustice.
You are left with choice C, which is clearly the correct answer because it is the only
choice that contains the main idea that Phillis Wheatley became famous by being
the first African American to publish a book of poems.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Step
A
Exercises
Exercise 1
Exercise
1
Vocabulary: Words in Context
The English II OCCT may ask you to determine the meaning of vocabulary
words used in reading selections. You can often determine the meaning of
a word by its context — the words that come before and after the unknown
word and help to explain it. Learn how to answer questions about
vocabulary words in context by completing the following sample questions.
The lonely lost dog howled in a melancholy fashion.
1
In this sentence, the word melancholy means
A
angry.
B
joyous.
C
sad.
D
unpleasant.
Step
1
Test Tip
Step
2
Step
3
Step
4
Step
5
8
What words in the sentence are context clues that
provide hints about the meaning of the vocabulary word?
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices
are not supported by the context clues you found in Step 2?
How would you describe a dog that howls because it is lost and lonely?
Of the remaining answer choices, which one is probably the most
accurate definition of melancholy? Why?
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Try replacing the
italicized word in the
sentence with each
answer choice. The
word that makes the
most sense in the
sentence is most likely
the correct answer
choice.
Read the sentence carefully. What is the vocabulary
word you are asked to define in the sentence?
Exercise 1
The indolent boy decided that he would spend the entire day sleeping in a
hammock instead of doing his chores.
2
Step
1
Step
2
Step
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
3
Step
4
Step
5
In this sentence, the word indolent means
A
lazy.
B
spirited.
C
brilliant.
D
ill.
Read the sentence carefully. What is the vocabulary word you are asked to define
in the sentence?
What words in the sentence are context clues that provide hints about the meaning
of the vocabulary word?
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices are not supported by the
context clues you found in Step 2?
How might you describe a boy who decides to spend his day lying in a hammock
instead of doing chores?
Of the remaining answer choices, which one is probably the most accurate
definition of indolent? Why?
Exercises
9
Exercise 1
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
One Prank Too Many
My sister, Lakena, and I were
very competitive. We were always
trying to get the best of each other.
You may think that we were athletes
competing on a soccer field or a
baseball diamond, but in fact, we
were competitive pranksters. Once
Lakena decorated my face with
lipstick while I was sleeping. So I
retaliated by squirting shaving cream
at her as she left the bathroom.
My accomplice and I spent the
greater portion of one rainy Saturday
morning preparing the prank. When
we were ready, I began to shout
“Mom! Mom!” throughout the house.
“What is it, David?” Mom queried,
already out of her seat. “What’s the
matter?”
10
I stood by and watched our
mother race frantically down the
steps. The entire basement floor was
covered with frogs! Frogs jumping,
frogs resting, frogs leaping on the
workbench, frogs peeking out of
dusty old boxes. There were also
thick trails of mud all over the floor.
Lakena and I had spent the entire
morning collecting frogs in the rain.
“Oh!” Mother gasped, as a frog
leaped from a lampshade and landed
at her feet. “A little practical joke is
one thing, but you kids have gone too
far this time. These jokes have gotten
out of hand. Your pranks are not
funny anymore.”
It was quite a chore collecting all
of those squirmy little amphibians
and cleaning mud out of every crevice
in the basement. From that moment
on, Lakena and I abstained from
playing pranks—on each other or on
others.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
We were tiring of this seemingly
endless series of small pranks, so
one afternoon we figured that we
would combine our prank-playing
abilities and plot one grand joke on
an unsuspecting victim. We unwisely
decided that the victim should be
our mother.
“It’s Lakena!” I said. “She was
reaching for her soccer ball on the
shelf in the basement, and the ball
must have been in front of a hole
because—because—well, come look!”
Exercise 1
1
So I retaliated by squirting
shaving cream at her as she left
the bathroom.
4
In this sentence from the
passage, what does the word
frantically mean?
In this sentence from the
passage, what does the word
retaliated mean?
A
randomly
A
surrendered
B
timidly
B
repaid in kind
C
intelligently
C
returned
D
crazily
D
walked away
5
2
My accomplice and I spent the
greater portion of one rainy
Saturday morning preparing the
prank.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
In this sentence from the
passage, what does the word
accomplice mean?
3
I stood by and watched our mother
race frantically down the steps.
From that moment on, Lakena
and I abstained from playing
pranks — on each other or on
others.
In this sentence from the
passage, what does the word
abstained mean?
A
indulged
A
enemy
B
refrained
B
leader
C
ensured
C
partner
D
responded
D
brother
“What is it, David?” Mom queried,
already out of her seat.
In this sentence from the
passage, what does the word
queried mean?
A
screamed
B
explained
C
wept
D
asked
Exercises
11
Exercise 2
Exercise
2
Comprehension: Organization
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about how an author has
organized a text. Organization is the way that the author has decided
to arrange the text's ideas, details, and events. Learn how to answer
questions about organization by completing the sample questions that
follow each selection.
Benjamin Franklin often had marveled at the awesome power of
lightning. Franklin believed that lightning was a natural form
of electricity. He theorized that metal would conduct lightning if
lightning was a form of electricity. So one stormy June night in 1752,
Franklin tied a brass key to the string of a kite and sent the kite
soaring into the sky. When a bolt of lightning struck the kite, the
lightning traveled through the brass key and through Franklin’s body,
knocking him to the ground. Fortunately Franklin was not hurt.
Franklin’s experiment, which showed other inventors the power and
potential of electricity, led to such inventions as the electric lightbulb
and the battery.
1
What is the main organizational pattern used by the
author of this selection?
compare and contrast
B
problem and solution
C
order of importance
D
analysis of an argument
Step
1
Read the selection carefully. What is discussed in it?
Test Tip
Always read the selection
thoroughly and then
skim it in its entirety
to determine how it is
organized.
Step
3
12
Step
2
On the basis of your answers to Step 1, which answer
choices are definitely incorrect?
Of the remaining answer choices, which one is the best description of
how the selection is organized? Why?
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
A
Exercise 2
Rod Serling: A True Television Innovator
Rod Serling was born on December 25, 1924. As a child, he developed an
interest in writing and telling stories. These interests had a profound effect on
his future career.
Following high school, Rod enlisted in the army and fought in World War II.
After his discharge in 1946, Rod enrolled at Antioch College. While in college,
he was able to pursue his love of writing quirky short stories.
After college Rod developed a science-fiction television series called The
Twilight Zone. Each episode of The Twilight Zone presented a story in which
bizarre, fascinating events occurred. Audiences loved his imaginative tales.
Although Rod died in 1975, The Twilight Zone can still be seen on television
today.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
What is the main organizational pattern used by the author of this
selection?
A
chronological order
B
compare and contrast
C
order of importance
D
problem and solution
Read the selection carefully. How are the events arranged?
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices are definitely incorrect?
Which answer choice is the best description of how the selection is organized? Why?
Exercises
13
Exercise 2
Practice
D
irections
Read the selections and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
From Bicycles to Cars
Learning to drive a car is different from learning to ride a bicycle. As a young
child, you probably spent time in your driveway or at a nearby park trying to
master the balance it takes to ride a bicycle. You might have felt unsteady at
first, much like a baby feels when learning to walk, because riding a bicycle
was new to you. Learning to drive a car can feel challenging and awkward, but
it won’t test your balance. Driving requires a completely different set of skills.
While both bicycles and cars are modes of transportation with wheels and
pedals, driving a car is more difficult than riding a bicycle. To operate a motor
vehicle, you must have a driver’s license, which is something that you do not
need for riding a bicycle.
1
14
What is the main organizational pattern used by the author of this
selection?
A
sequential order
B
cause and effect
C
problem and solution
D
compare and contrast
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
A car is a potentially hazardous machine, and driving a car is a great
responsibility. Although you need to follow safety regulations when riding
a bicycle, you need to be even more cautious and alert when driving a car
because driving is more dangerous. Only a safe driver will be a successful
driver.
Exercise 2
French Toast Made Easy
Have you ever been in the mood for a quick and easy breakfast but wanted
something that was a little more satisfying than cold cereal? Believe it or not,
French toast is not only delicious but also quick and easy to prepare.
1. Beat one egg in a large mixing bowl. Add a quarter cup of milk.
2. Dip two pieces of bread into the egg-and-milk mixture. Make sure that
the bread is covered thoroughly.
3. Melt a pat of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Coat the skillet
well with the melted butter.
4. Fry the slices of bread until both sides are golden brown.
That’s all there is to it! Now that your French toast is made, you can add
your favorite toppings such as maple syrup, cinnamon, or jam.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2
What is the main organizational pattern used by the author of this
selection?
A
sequential order
B
problem and solution
C
cause and effect
D
analysis of an argument
Exercises
15
Exercise 3
Exercise
3
Comprehension: Main Idea
The English II OCCT may ask you to determine the main idea of various
selections. Learn how to answer questions about the main idea by
completing the sample questions that follow each selection.
Tropical Storm Predicted for Thursday
Meteorologists have predicted a major tropical rainstorm for
Thursday. Because of the predicted conditions, families are advised to
prepare for all possible problems that a tropical storm may create. Stock
up on essential provisions, such as flashlights, batteries, toilet paper,
first-aid supplies, and food that does not need to be refrigerated. Stay
clear of windows, which could be shattered by falling tree branches or
other wind-blown debris. Remember: The basement is the safest place
to stay during a tropical storm.
1
What is the main idea of this selection?
A
Be sure to prepare for the tropical storm.
B
Always keep a flashlight in your house for an emergency.
C
Meteorologists predict the weather.
D
Tropical storms can cause terrible damage.
1
Test Tip
To identify the main
idea of a selection, think
about the one idea that
relates to all the details
in the selection.
Step
2
Step
3
16
Read the selection, including the title, carefully. Write
down what this selection tells you.
Which answer choices are not supported by the
summary you created for Step 1?
Of the remaining answer choices, which one best states the main idea
of the selection? Why?
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Step
Exercise 3
One of the most well-known aspects of Native Alaskan culture is its totem
poles. The totem pole is a creative method of recording history and displaying
ancestral pride. A large log is carved and brightly painted. The carvings often
feature the faces of animals such as fish, bears, wolves, and eagles. A totem
pole may represent a specific clan or family group, or it may represent an
ancient legend. Each member of the Tlingit and Haida tribes is presented with
a totemic symbol at birth. The symbol is meant to remind the clan member
of his or her ancestry. Clan members then use that symbol to represent
themselves in artwork and, perhaps, on a totem pole of their own.
2
Step
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1
Step
2
Step
3
Step
4
Which of the following would be the best title for this selection?
A
“How to Carve a Totem Pole”
B
“Traditions of the World”
C
“A History of Native Alaskans”
D
“A Creative Historical Record”
Read the selection carefully. Consider each sentence and note the important details.
Now look at the important details you wrote. Then write the main idea of this
selection in your own words.
Consider the answer choices. On the basis of your answer in step 2, which titles do
not indicate the main idea of the selection?
Of the remaining choices, which one is the best title for the selection? Why?
Exercises
17
Exercise 3
Practice
D
irections
Read the selections and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
On the Verge of a Race
“On your mark,” the track coach
called out.
The people in the stands sat
silently. The coach suddenly lowered
the flag and shouted loudly, “Go!”
The girls burst out of the blocks and
dashed toward the finish line.
“Get set,” the coach shouted,
raising an orange flag. All three girls
hunched over in the blocks.
1
18
What is the main idea of this selection?
A
Ileana’s field hockey experience will help her to win the race.
B
Each girl in the race is a powerful athlete.
C
The beginning of a race is full of tension and excitement.
D
Training for a race is difficult.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The three girls planted their feet
on the starting line. Ileana, who held
the school’s sprinting record, shook
her hands and wiggled her shoulders
in an attempt to relax her tense
muscles. Marta, in a state of deep
concentration, fixed her eyes on the
finish line. She wore the ring that
her grandmother had given to her for
good luck. Liz, the tallest of the three
girls, stretched her arms toward the
sky and breathed deeply. Butterflies
swirled in her stomach, and
nervousness was etched on her face.
Each girl was a powerful athlete.
Ileana was the captain of the fieldhockey team. Marta skied with
devotion during the winter months.
Liz was the best javelin thrower in
the school. And all three girls were
talented members of the track team.
They all worked hard to prepare
for this race, and any one of them
could win.
Exercise 3
A Day to Top All Others
The Phases of the Moon
Today was a day to top all others. I
rode a horse for the first time. My
father took me to a stable near my
school. The stable was so huge that I
had many horses to choose from. This
was my first time riding, so I wanted
to pick the perfect horse. I walked
back and forth a hundred times,
looking for the best horse in the
stable. Finally I spotted her. She was a
strong black mare with a white spot
on her forehead. She came over to the
fence where I stood and offered her
nose for me to pet. It was soft and
velvety. The horse neighed quietly, as
if she were agreeing to be my riding
partner. I called to my father.
The Moon passes through phases
that describe how much of the Moon
can be seen from Earth. When the
Moon is between the Sun and Earth,
the Moon cannot be seen because the
Sun’s light is hitting the side of the
Moon that observers on Earth cannot
see. This “new Moon” phase lasts for
one day. Then a thin sliver of Moon, a
crescent, appears. Over the next few
days, this “crescent Moon” gradually
grows larger. The Moon appears as a
crescent because observers can see
part of the Moon’s sunlit surface.
When half of one side of the Moon
becomes visible, the Moon reaches its
“half Moon” phase.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
“This is the one,” I said.
My father moved from the other
end of the stable to meet me, taking
long strides as he walked. He seemed
to be just as excited as I was.
2
Which of the following titles
would also be a good title for
this selection?
Finally, about two weeks after the
new moon, the “full Moon” shines in
the night sky. At this time, one side of
the Moon is visible to observers.
During the two weeks that follow, the
Moon appears to diminish, returning
to a half moon, then to a crescent
moon, and finally to a new moon.
Then the cycle repeats itself.
A
“How to Pet a Horse”
B
“The Big Decision”
What is the main idea of this
selection?
C
“Practice Makes Perfect”
F
D
“The Riding Lesson”
The “new Moon” phase lasts
for one day.
G
The Moon has various
phases.
H
The Earth is a great distance
from the Moon.
J
People do not understand
the Moon.
3
Exercises
19
Exercise 4
Exercise
4
Comprehension: Inferences
The English II OCCT may ask you to make inferences. You make
inferences by drawing conclusions that are based on information provided
in reading selections. Learn how to answer questions about making
inferences by completing the sample questions that follow each selection.
A Summer Wedding
Garret was looking forward to his sister’s wedding. Maury, his
future brother-in-law, even honored Garret by asking him to be
in the wedding party. But this summer was one of the hottest on
record. Garret dreaded wearing a tuxedo in such steamy conditions.
On the day before the wedding, everyone was dressed to have
their pictures taken by a professional photographer. But Garret
appeared wearing a T-shirt with the image of a tuxedo on it.
“Real funny,” Maury laughed. “But it’s time for the real tuxedo.”
“Okay,” Garret replied. “But somebody had better crank up the
air conditioning!”
1 Who is Maury?
When making inferences
conclusions, do not make
assumptions that cannot
be supported. Make
sure that the selection
provides enough
evidence to support
your conclusions.
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
20
A
a tuxedo salesperson
B Garret’s brother
C
the groom
D the photographer
Read the selection carefully. Write down key words about
Maury that you find in the selection.
Which answer choices can be eliminated on the basis of
your response to Step 1?
Which answer choice is the best choice? Why?
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Test Tip
Exercise 4
Recycled Steel
As environmental issues become more and more urgent, it is encouraging to
see organizations that are trying to reduce environmental waste. Every year
the steel industry in North America is responsible for the recycling of steel
cans, discarded appliances, auto parts, and other steel products. Millions of
tons of scrap steel are recycled for future use. Recycled steel is used in the
production of auto bodies, appliances, and steel framing. Products such as
railroad ties and bridge supports are made up of almost 100 percent recycled
steel. All new steel products contain at least some recycled steel, so purchasing
steel is purchasing a recycled product.
2
Step
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1
Step
2
Step
3
This selection suggests that
A
it is important to reduce environmental waste.
B
purchasing steel supports poorly paid steelworkers.
C
steel is used to make recycling machines.
D
steel is hard to find in nature.
Read the selection carefully. Write down key words that you find in the selection.
Which answer choices can be eliminated because they are not supported by your
response to step 1?
Which answer choice is the best choice? Why?
Exercises
21
Exercise 4
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
Rained Out
1
The fishing trip wasn’t turning out
to be the fun experience that we had
hoped it would be. None of us had
counted on being caught in the rain in
the middle of nowhere in a strange
cabin for the entire week.
Dad sat near the window of the
cabin, looking forlornly out over the
lake. My younger brother, Jeremy, lay
on the bed playing a video game. I sat
on the floor reading an old magazine,
occasionally glancing out of the
window to see whether there was any
sign that the rain would stop.
3
“I wish that we had never come to
this boring place,” Jeremy said.
4
I stopped reading and looked at our
father. He pretended that he hadn’t
heard what Jeremy said, but he
winced every time Jeremy made a
negative remark about the cabin. This
trip meant a lot to him because he
used to come here with his own father.
5
“I mean, fishing in the rain would
be more fun than this. Anything is
more exciting than sitting in this
cabin all week,” Jeremy lamented.
6
Dad was still staring at the lake.
This was his only week off from work
22
7
We were all quiet for some time. I
imagined what the fishing trip would
be like with good weather. I pictured
us sitting in the boat with the anchor
dropped in a calm cove as we cast our
lines toward the shore. That was the
kind of trip that Dad had described
when he was convincing Jeremy and
me to accompany him to the lake.
8
Suddenly our father stood up with
a determined expression on his face.
“Get up, Jeremy,” he bellowed. “We’re
going fishing.” With that, he picked up
his rod and tackle box and marched
into the rain.
9
Jeremy and I watched our father
walk toward the dock, the wind
whipping through his hair and the
rain soaking his clothes. I wasn’t sure
what I should do. Then Jeremy and I
both dashed into the rain, laughing
like little kids.
10
“Now this is more like what I had
in mind!” Jeremy exclaimed excitedly.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
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2
for the entire year, and he chose to
spend it on this trip with his sons. I
was hoping that Jeremy would be a
bit more compassionate and refrain
from making another complaint.
Exercise 4
1
Which statement is suggested
in the fourth paragraph?
4
A
The father is hurt by what
Jeremy says.
B
The narrator doesn’t like to
see his father feeling bored.
F
impatient and bored
G
furious and resentful
The father is physically
injured.
H
tolerant and mature
J
intelligent and indecisive
C
D
The father is hard of
hearing.
5
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2
3
What pair of adjectives would
you use to describe the
narrator based on his behavior
in the selection?
The selection suggests that the
narrator stopped reading the
magazine to
F
play Jeremy’s video game.
G
investigate the cabin.
H
check his father’s reaction to
Jeremy’s remark.
J
daydream about a calm cove.
Which statement is suggested
by the tenth paragraph?
A
The sun has come out, and
the rain has stopped.
B
The narrator and Jeremy
plan to go fishing without
their father.
C
The narrator and Jeremy are
happy to fish in the rain
with their father.
D
Jeremy is concerned that his
father shouldn’t be in the
rain.
How does the narrator
demonstrate that he is more
compassionate than Jeremy?
6
Which statement is suggested
by this selection?
A
He does not complain about
the cabin.
B
He grabs a towel for his
father as he goes into the
rain.
F
The narrator goes fishing
with his father and brother
every summer.
C
He is happy to be sitting in
the cabin all week.
G
Only the father has a tackle
and box.
D
He remembered to bring his
guitar with him.
H
The father has never fished
in the rain before.
J
The father wants to be like
his own father.
Exercises
23
Exercise 5
Exercise
5
Literature: Genre
The English II OCCT may ask you to identify and to determine the
characteristics of literary genres. A genre is the category of a literary work
in a particular form or style, such as poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama.
Learn how to answer questions about genre by completing the sample
question that follows the selection.
How Drama Began
Today, we are surrounded by drama. We have to look no further than
our own living rooms to find it. Soap operas, sit-coms, and made-for-TV
movies can be viewed at the click of a button on the remote. We visit
cinemas to see the newest spy movies or action flicks. If we happen
to miss one, we can rent it in a few months and play it on the VCR at
home. Our culture is so drenched in drama that sometimes it is hard
to imagine that drama wasn’t always part of human life. Like so many
other cultural developments, it had a specific beginning.
Over the next century, two forms of drama we recognize today
developed. These forms were comedy and tragedy. Comedies made
audiences laugh by satirizing politicians and political situations, and
they tended to end happily—or at least peacefully. Tragedies, on the
other hand, were no laughing matter. Every tragedy featured a tragic
hero, a character who had to endure great suffering because of a tragic
flaw in his or her personality.
24
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Long before the creation of VCR’s and movie projectors, the ancient
Greeks gathered on grassy slopes to hear a chorus of male singers and
dancers tell stories. These performances, called dithyrambs, were part
of ancient religious festivals. Then one day in the year 534 B.C., a poet
called Thespis made a discovery that forever changed the way stories
are told. Thespis wrote a song-story that had a character in addition to
the chorus. He discovered that the character and the chorus could talk
to each other, much as people do when they have a conversation. It did
not take long for other poets to add characters to their stories. They
began by adding one character, then two, and eventually as many as
they needed to act out stories of human struggles and conflicts. Drama
as we know it was born.
Exercise 5
Today, we understand comedy and tragedy a little differently from the ancient
Greeks. Our tragic endings often result from circumstances rather than from
personality flaws. Similarly, our comedies may have endings that are bittersweet at
best. However, it is useful to remind ourselves that when we watch tragedies and
comedies in movie theaters, on television, or on stage, we are taking part in a ritual
that has persisted for more than 2500 years.
1.
To which genre does the selection belong?
A
fiction
B
poetry
C
nonfiction
D
drama
Step
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Test Tip
Dialogue may be a
clue that a selection
is a work of fiction.
Nonfiction selections
generally inform the
reader about real people
and events or about
historical and scientific
discoveries. References
to facts and dates
may be a clue that a
selection is a work of
nonfiction.
1
Step
2
Step
3
Read the selection carefully. Is it telling a made-up story
or is it telling factual information?
Which answer choices can be eliminated on the basis of
your answers to step 1?
Which answer choice is the best choice? Why?
Exercises
25
Exercise 5
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answer to the questions that
follow.
from Bartleby the Scrivener
by HERMAN MELVILLE
It was on the third day, I think, of his being with me, and before any necessity had arisen for
having his own writing examined, that, being much hurried to complete a small affair
I had in hand, I abruptly called to Bartleby. In my haste and natural expectancy of instant
compliance, I sat with my head bent over the original on my desk, and my right hand sideways,
and somewhat nervously extended with the copy, so that immediately upon emerging from his
retreat, Bartleby might snatch it and proceed to business without the least delay.
In this attitude did I sit when I called to him, rapidly stating what it was I wanted him to do—
namely, to examine a small paper with me. Imagine my surprise, nay, my consternation, when
without moving from his privacy, Bartleby in a singularly mild, firm voice, replied,
“I would prefer not to.”
“Prefer not to,” echoed I, rising in high excitement, and crossing the room with a stride.
“What do you mean? Are you moon-struck? I want you to help me compare this sheet here—
take it,” and I thrust it towards him.
“I would prefer not to,” said he.
1
26
This story was written from
which narrative point of view?
2
What is the main conflict in
this story?
A
third-person limited
F
the narrator vs. society
B
first person
G
the narrator vs. himself
C
third-person omniscient
H
the narrator vs. nature
D
interior monologue
J
the narrator vs. another
character
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
I sat awhile in perfect silence, rallying my stunned faculties. Immediately it occurred to me
that my ears had deceived me, or Bartleby had entirely misunderstood my meaning. I repeated
my request in the clearest tone I could assume. But in quite as clear a one came the previous
reply, “I would prefer not to.”
Exercise 5
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
from Crime and Punishment
by FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY
On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which
he lodged in S. Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K. bridge.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
He had successfully avoided meeting his landlady on the staircase. His garret was under the
roof of a high, five-storied house, and was more like a cupboard than a room. The landlady, who
provided him with garret, dinners, and attendance, lived on the floor below, and every time he
went out he was obliged to pass her kitchen, the door of which invariably stood open. And each
time he passed, the young man had a sick, frightened feeling, which made him scowl and feel
ashamed. He was hopelessly in debt to his landlady, and was afraid of meeting her.
This was not because he was cowardly and abject, quite the contrary; but for some time past
he had been in an overstrained, irritable condition, verging on hypochondria. He had become so
completely absorbed in himself, and isolated from his fellows that he dreaded meeting, not only
his landlady, but any one at all. He was crushed by poverty, but the anxieties of his position had
of late ceased to weigh upon him. He had given up attending to matters of practical importance;
he had lost all desire to do so. Nothing that any landlady could do had a real terror for him. But
to be stopped on the stairs, to be forced to listen to her trivial, irrelevant gossip, to pestering
demands for payment, threats and complaints, and to rack his brains for excuses, to prevaricate,
to lie—no, rather than that, he would creep down the stairs like a cat and slip out unseen.
1
The excerpt from this novel is
narrated from which point of
view?
2
The narrator characterizes the
young man as
F
cowardly and ashamed.
A
third-person limited
G
cunning and miserly.
B
first person
H
proud and aloof.
C
third-person omniscient
J
humble and shy.
D
interior monologue
Exercises
27
Exercise 6
Exercise
6
Literature: Author’s Purpose
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about an author’s purpose
for writing a selection. Learn how to answer questions about the author’s
purpose by completing the sample question that follows the selection.
from The Story of My Life
by HELEN KELLER
The most important day I remember in all my life is the one on which my
teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to me. I am filled with wonder when I
consider the immeasurable contrasts between the two lives which it connects. It was
the third of March, 1887, three months before I was seven years old. . . .
28
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
One day, while I was playing with my new doll, Miss Sullivan put my big rag
doll into my lap also, spelled “d-o-l-l,” and tried to make me understand that
“d-o-l-l” applied to both. Earlier in the day we had had a tussle over the words
“m-u-g” and “w-a-t-e-r.” Miss Sullivan had tried to impress it upon me that
“m-u-g” is mug and that “w-a-t-e-r” is water, but I persisted in confounding the two.
In despair she had dropped the subject for the time, only to renew it at the first
opportunity. I became impatient at her repeated attempts and, seizing the new doll, I
dashed it upon the floor. I was keenly delighted when I felt the fragments of the
broken doll at my feet. Neither sorrow nor regret followed my passionate outburst. I
had not loved the doll. In the still, dark world in which I lived there was no strong
sentiment or tenderness. I felt my teacher sweep the fragments to one side of the
hearth, and I had a sense of satisfaction that the cause of my discomfort was
removed. She brought me my hat, and I knew I was going out into the warm
sunshine. This thought, if a wordless sensation may be called a thought, made me
hop and skip with pleasure.
Exercise 6
1 The author probably wrote this selection to
Step
1
A
show how disobedient she was as a child.
B
show how her meeting with Miss Sullivan was the turning point
in her life.
C
show how much she hated spelling lessons and playing with dolls.
D
show how she preferred outdoor activities to indoor activities.
Read the selection carefully. Then write down what you think the author’s
purpose was in writing the selection.
Step
2
Test Tip
Step
3
Which answer choice best explains the reason that
the author wrote this selection? Why?
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Look at the key words you
underlined while reading
the selection. These words
can give you clues about
how the author feels about
the subject and about
why the author wrote the
selection.
On the basis of what you wrote in Step 1, which
answer choices are definitely incorrect? Eliminate
them.
Exercises
29
Exercise 6
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
Elena
by PAT MORA
30
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
My Spanish isn’t enough.
I remember how I’d smile
listening to my little ones,
understanding every word they’d say,
their jokes, their songs, their plots.
Vamos a pedirle dulces a mamá. Vamos.
But that was in Mexico.
Now my children go to American high schools.
They speak English. At night they sit around
the kitchen table, laugh with one another.
I stand by the stove and feel dumb, alone.
I bought a book to learn English.
My husband frowned. . . .
My oldest said, “Mamá, he doesn’t want you
to be smarter than he is.” I’m forty,
embarrassed at mispronouncing words,
embarrassed at the laughter of my children,
the grocer, the mailman. Sometimes I take
my English book and lock myself in the bathroom,
say the thick words softly,
for if I stop trying, I will be deaf
when my children need my help.
Exercise 6
1
Why does the speaker in this
poem feel alienated from her
children?
A
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2
because her children attend
American schools
B
because she locks herself in
the bathroom
C
because she wants to
return to Mexico
D
F
because he thinks that
Spanish is enough
G
because he will be jealous
if his wife can speak to the
grocer and the mailman
J
What is the speaker’s biggest
fear?
A
that she is losing her
hearing
B
that she will not
understand her children
when they need her help
C
that she is growing old
D
that her children will laugh
at her when she speaks
Spanish
because she can’t
communicate with her
children in English
Why doesn’t the speaker’s
husband want her to learn
English?
H
3
because he doesn’t want
his wife to have more
knowledge than he does
because English books are
too expensive
4
The author’s main purpose in
writing this poem is to
F
demonstrate one of the
difficulties of moving from
one culture to another.
G
argue for bilingual
education in schools.
H
express the opinion that
life is better in Mexico than
in the United States.
J
show how difficult it is to
be a parent.
Exercises
31
Exercise 7
Exercise
7
Literature: Theme
The English II OCCT may ask you to identify the theme of a selection. The
theme is the central message of a work of literature. Learn how to answer
questions about the theme by completing the sample question that follows
the selection.
The Road Not Taken
by ROBERT FROST
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
32
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back
Exercise 7
1 Which of the following is the best statement of the theme of this
poem?
Step
1
A
Life is confusing and troubling.
B
One should make sure not to get lost in the woods.
C
One should be willing to choose a path in life that is unpopular.
D
One will probably regret making an impulsive decision.
Read the poem carefully. Write down the message that you think the speaker is
trying to convey to the reader.
Step
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Test Tip
When trying to
determine the theme of
a selection, ask yourself
the question, “What is
the author trying to tell
me that I can apply to
my own life, the lives of
others, and the world?”
Look for details and
examples that convey
the author’s message.
2
Step
3
On the basis of what you wrote in Step 1, which
answer choices are definitely incorrect?
Of the remaining answer choices, which one is the best
statement of the theme of the poem? Why?
Exercises
33
Exercise 7
Practice
D
irections
Read the selections and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
Those Winter Sundays
by ROBERT HAYDEN
Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueback cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
1
34
Which of the following is the best statement of the theme of this poem?
A
Children often don’t appreciate their parents until the children become
adults.
B
Hard work can make parents angry and depressed.
C
Poverty in the home can cause children to resent their parents.
D
Some people are glad to work hard without being thanked for it.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love’s austere and lonely offices?
Exercise 7
Purchase
by NAOMI LONG MADGETT
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
I like the smell of new clothes,
The novel aroma of challenge.
This dress has no past
Linked with regretful memories
To taint it,
Only a future as hopeful
As my own.
I can say of an old garment
Laid away in a trunk:
“This lace I wore on that day when. . . .”
But I prefer the new scent
Of a garment unworn,
Untainted like the new self
That I become
When I first wear it.
2
3
What does the speaker mean when she says, “This dress has no past /
Linked with regretful memories / To taint it?”
A
The speaker does not have a past that could be spoiled by the dress.
B
The speaker does not know anything about the person who made the dress.
C
New clothes are good because they do not remind us of the past.
D
A new dress is good because it has never been worn by another person.
Which of the following is the best statement of the theme of this poem?
F
New clothes are a sign of hope and prosperity.
G
One should welcome change and not dwell on the past.
H
Wearing new clothes can change one’s identity.
J
Old clothes are always associated with sadness and regret.
Exercises
35
Exercise 8
Exercise
8
Literature: Literary Elements and
Techniques
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about literary elements and
techniques. Learn how to answer questions about literary elements and
techniques by completing the sample question that follows the selection.
from The Real Life of Sebastian Knight
by VLADIMIR NABOKOV
36
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
IN NOVEMBER of 1918 my mother resolved to flee with [my brother]
Sebastian and myself from the dangers of Russia. Revolution was in full
swing, frontiers were closed. She got in touch with a man who had made
smuggling refugees across the border his profession, and it was settled
that for a certain fee, one half of which was paid in advance, he would get
us to Finland. We were to leave the train just before the frontier, at a place
we could lawfully reach, and then cross over by secret paths, doubly, trebly
secret owing to the heavy snowfalls in that silent region. At the startingpoint of our train journey, we found ourselves, my mother and I, waiting
for Sebastian, who, with the heroic help of Captain Belov, was trundling
the luggage from house to station. The train was scheduled to start at
8:40 A.M. Half past and still no Sebastian. Our guide was already in the train
and sat quietly reading a newspaper; he had warned my mother that in no
circumstance should she talk to him in public, and as the time passed and
the train was preparing to leave, a nightmare feeling of numb panic began
to come over us. We knew that the man in accordance with the traditions
of his profession, would never renew a performance that had misfired at
the outset. We knew too that we could not again afford the expenses of
flight. The minutes passed and I felt something gurgling desperately in
the pit of my stomach. The thought that in a minute or two the train
would move off and that we should have to return to a dark cold attic (our
house had been nationalised some months ago) was utterly disastrous. On
our way to the station we had passed Sebastian and Belov pushing the
heavily burdened wheelbarrow through the crunching snow. This picture
now stood motionless before my eyes (I was a boy of thirteen and very
imaginative) as a charmed thing doomed to its paralysed eternity. My
mother, her hands in her sleeves and a wisp of grey hair emerging from
beneath her woolen kerchief, walked to and fro, trying to catch the eye of
our guide every time she passed by his window. Eight forty-five, eight-fifty
Exercise 8
. . . The train was late in starting, but at last the whistle blew, a rush of warm white
smoke raced its shadow across the brown snow on the platform, and at the same time
Sebastian appeared running, the earflaps of his fur cap flying in the wind. The three
of us scrambled into the moving train.
1 Which element of fiction is used in this selection?
A
foreshadowing
B
flashback
C
suspense
D
dialogue
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Test Tip
To answer questions
about literary elements,
you must understand
the terminology and the
concepts that govern
them. Look up such
terms as plot, point
of view, tone, and
characterization and
discuss them with
your classmates.
Step
3
Step
4
Step
1
Step
2
Read the selection carefully. Are there any choices that
are definitely incorrect? Eliminate them.
Make a brief list of the major events in the story.
Now study the list you made in Step 2 to see if you can see a pattern in the way
that the events are told by the narrator. If you detect any incorrect answer choices,
eliminate them.
Which answer choice is the best choice? Why?
Exercises
37
Exercise 8
Practice
D
irections
Read the selections and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
from The Fall of the House of Usher
by EDGAR ALLAN POE
1
2
38
What narrative point of view does the author use in this selection?
A
interior monologue
B
third-person limited
C
third-person omniscient
D
first person
Which group of words from the selection best reflects the author’s tone?
F
oppressively, unnerved, desolate
G
imagination, heavens, sublime
H
dull, white, iciness
J
soundless, evening, poetic
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year,
when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on
horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as
the shades of evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know
not how it was; but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom
pervaded my spirit. I say insufferable; for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that
half-pleasurable, because poetic, sentiment, with which the mind usually receives even
the sternest natural images of the desolate or terrible. I looked upon the scene before
me—upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain—upon the
bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a
few white trunks of decayed trees—with an utter depression of soul. . . . There was an
iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart—an unredeemed dreariness of thought
which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime. What was
it—I paused to think—what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the
House of Usher?
Exercise 8
from The Horned Toad
by GERALD HASLAM
“Expectoran su sangre!” exclaimed Great-grandma when-I-showed her the small
horned toad I had removed from my breast pocket. I turned toward my mother, who
translated: “They spit blood.”
“De los ojos,” Grandma added. “From their eyes,” Mother explained, herself
uncomfortable in the presence of the small beast.
I grinned, “Awwwwwww.”
But my great-grandmother did not smile. “Son muy tóxicos,” she nodded with finality.
Mother moved back an involuntary step, her hands suddenly busy at her breast. “Put
that thing down,” she ordered.
“His name’s John,” I said.
“Put John down and not in your pocket, either,” my mother nearly shouted. “Those
things are very poisonous. Didn’t you understand what Grandma said?”
I shook my head.
“Well . . .” Mother looked from one of us to the other—spanning four generations of
California, standing three feet apart—and said, “Of course you didn’t. Please take him
back where you got him, and be careful. We’ll all feel better when you do.” The tone of
her voice told me that the discussion had ended, so I released the little reptile where
I’d captured him.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1
The main conflict in this story
concerns
2
A
animal rights.
Which pair of words best
describes the character of the
boy in the story?
B
parental discipline.
F
skeptical but obedient
C
the generation gap.
G
amused and disrespectful
D
the rights of the elderly.
H
hostile and rebellious
J
kind but stubborn
Exercises
39
Exercise 9
Exercise
9
Literature: Figurative Language
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about figurative language.
Figurative language expresses an idea that is beyond the literal level of
meaning. Learn how to answer questions about figurative language by
completing the sample question that follows the selection.
The Black Snake
by MARY OLIVER
When the black snake
flashed onto the morning road,
and the truck could not swerve—
death, that is how it happens.
2
Now he lies looped and useless
as an old bicycle tire.
I stop the car
and carry him into the bushes.
3
He is as cool and gleaming
as a braided whip, he is as beautiful and quiet
as a dead brother.
I leave him under the leaves
4
and drive on, thinking
about death: its suddenness,
its terrible weight,
its certain coming. Yet under
5
reason burns a brighter fire, which the bones
have always preferred.
It is the story of endless good fortune.
It says to oblivion: not me!
6
It is the light at the center of every cell.
It is what sent the snake coiling and flowing forward
happily all spring through the green leaves before
he came to the road.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
40
1
Exercise 9
1 In the second stanza, the speaker describes the snake as being
“looped and useless / as an old bicycle tire.” This is an example of
Step
1
A
metaphor.
B
simile.
C
oxymoron.
D
symbol.
Read the poem carefully, especially the second stanza.
Test Tip
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
To answer questions
about figurative
language, you need to
know the terms used
for the various types
and their definitions.
Look up such terms
as imagery, metaphor,
simile, symbol, and
personification and
discuss them with
your classmates.
Step
2
Now consider each answer choice.
(A): Is metaphor used in the second stanza? If so, how?
(B): Is simile used in the second stanza? If so, how?
(C): Is oxymoron used in the second stanza? If so, how?
(D): Is symbol used in the second stanza? If so, how?
Step
3
Step
4
On the basis of your answers to step 2, which answer choices can be eliminated?
Which answer choice is the best choice? Why?
Exercises
41
Exercise 9
Practice
D
irections
Read the selections and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
Morning at the Window
by T.S. ELIOT
They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,
And along the trampled edges of the street
I am aware of the damp souls of housemaids
Sprouting despondently at area gates.
The brown waves of fog toss up to me
Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,
And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts
An aimless smile that hovers in the air
And vanishes along the level of the roofs.
42
“They are rattling breakfast
plates in basement kitchens” is
an example of
2
A
metonymy.
“I am aware of the damp souls
of housemaids / Sprouting
despondently at area gates” is
an example of
B
metaphor.
F
hyperbole.
C
imagery.
G
synecdoche.
D
understatement.
H
simile.
J
metaphor.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1
Exercise 9
Making a Fist
by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE
For the first time, on the road north of
Tampico,
I felt the life sliding out of me,
a drum in the desert, harder and harder
to hear
I was seven, I lay in the car
watching palm trees swirl a sickening
pattern past the glass.
My stomach was a melon split wide inside
my skin.
“How do you know if you are going
to die?”
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
4
5
I begged my mother.
We had been travelling for days.
With strange confidence she answered,
“When you can no longer make a fist.”
Years later I smile to think of that journey,
the borders we must cross separately,
stamped with our unanswerable woes.
I who did not die, who am still living,
still lying in the backseat behind all my
questions,
clenching and opening one small hand.
“A drum in the desert, harder and harder / to hear” is an example of
A
metaphor.
B
alliteration.
C
oxymoron.
D
rhyme.
“Years later I smile to think of that journey, / the borders we must cross
separately” is an example of
F
symbol.
G
onomatopoeia.
H
assonance.
J
imagery.
Exercises
43
Exercise 10
Exercise
10
Literature: Comparing Two
Selections
The English II OCCT may ask you to answer questions based on the
comparison of two selections. Learn how to answer these questions by
completing the sample questions that follow the selections.
A Blessing
by JAMES WRIGHT
44
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her mane falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.
Exercise 10
The Peace of Wild Things
by WENDELL BERRY
When despair grows in me
and I wake in the middle of the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Test Tip
When answering
comparison questions,
look for subjects,
themes, and literary
techniques that link
the two selections. Ask
yourself the following
questions: “What do
these two authors agree
on?” “How do they view
the world in the same
way?” “How do they
express themselves
in similar language?”
As you read, jot down
these key points in
the margins of both
selections.
1
Which of the following is the best statement
of the theme that these two poems have in
common?
A
Wild animals are more beautiful than domestic
animals.
B
Humans should not trespass upon animal habitats.
C
Humans can derive joy and comfort from being with
animals.
D
Living in the midst of nature is better than living in
the city.
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
Read both poems carefully. Write down the theme that
you think both poems share.
On the basis of your answer to Step 1, are there any
answer choices that are definitely incorrect? Eliminate them.
Of the remaining answer choices, which one is the best? Why?
Exercises
45
Exercise 10
Practice
D
irections
Read both selections and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
I, Too
miss rosie
by LANGSTON HUGHES
by LUCILLE CLIFTON
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed–
I, too, am America.
46
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
When I watch you
wrapped up like garbage
sitting, surrounded by the smell
of too old potato peels
or
when I watch you
in your old man’s shoes
with the little toe cut out
sitting, waiting for your mind
like next week’s grocery
I say
when I watch you
you wet brown bag of a woman
who used to be the best looking gal in
Georgia
used to be called the Georgia Rose
I stand up
through your destruction
I stand up
Exercise 10
1
2
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
3
4
What is the implied subject of both poems?
A
the civil rights movement
B
hunger and poverty
C
political power
D
revolution
What is the predominant tone of both poems?
F
anger
G
optimism
H
defiance
J
despair
What literary technique is employed in both poems?
A
first-person point of view
B
oxymoron
C
personification
D
refrain
Which of the following is the best statement of the common theme in
both poems?
F
African Americans will eventually achieve political power.
G
African Americans will conquer discrimination with pride and dignity.
H
African Americans will one day wear fine clothes and eat in the
dining room.
J
African Americans will no longer be ashamed to eat in the kitchen.
Exercises
47
Exercise 11
Exercise
11
Research: Accessing Information
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about accessing information.
Learn how to answer questions about accessing information by completing
the questions that follow each selection.
Mary Shelley was the well-known English author who wrote the
terrifying novel Frankenstein.
Shelley was born Mary Godwin in London, England, in 1797. When
she was sixteen, she met Percy Bysshe Shelley, a talented poet. They
married in 1816. The Shelleys developed a friendship with another
famous poet, Lord Byron. This friendship influenced Shelley’s writings,
and in 1818 she published Frankenstein.
In 1822 Percy Shelley drowned in Italy. To support herself and her
children, Mary wrote and published novels. These works included
Valperga, The Last Man, and an autobiographical work, Lodore. She
also edited poetry written by her late husband.
Mary Shelley died in 1851. Of her works, Frankenstein stands as
her greatest contribution to literature. The story continues to haunt
readers today.
When accessing
information, make sure
to get your facts straight.
Pay particular attention
to dates and the order of
events.
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
48
1
Which of the following did Mary Shelley do
after 1822?
A
She met the poet Lord Byron.
B
She married Percy Bysshe Shelley.
C
She published her famous novel Frankenstein.
D
She wrote the autobiographical work Lodore.
Write down the events that occurred in Mary Shelley’s life after 1822.
Which answer choices can be eliminated?
Which answer choice best states what Mary Shelley did after 1822? __
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Test Tip
Exercise 11
Wilmington Summer History Camp
Where you learn about history outside the classroom!
Schedule for Monday, June 25
• Arrival time: 10:00 A.M.—Cabins are assigned. Campers have two hours to
unpack and become acquainted with one another.
• Lunch: 12:00 P.M.—Lunch in the mess hall
• Badminton: 1:00 P.M.—A re-creation of the Battle of Gettysburg on field 2
• Dinner: 6:00 P.M.—Dinner in the mess hall
• Hike by starlight: 8:00 P.M.—Campers ages 15–18 take a guided nighttime
hike on the Jefferson Memorial Trail.
• Lights out: 10:00 P.M.—Campers retire for the night.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2 What are the campers expected to do at 10:00 P.M.?
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
A
arrive
B
sleep
C
unpack
D
wake up
Read the schedule carefully. What time is the question asking about? Scan the
schedule for information about that time and write down the information.
On the basis of your answer to Step 1, which answer choices can be eliminated?
Which answer choice best states what campers are expected to do at 10:00 P.M.?
Exercises
49
Exercise 11
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answers to the questions
that follow.
Simsdale Botanical Gardens: Internship Opportunity
Simsdale Botanical Gardens, one of the most widely recognized centers for
the study and appreciation of native botanical growth, is offering summer
internships for the first time. Five positions will be awarded to the most
qualified applicants. Internships will begin during the second week in June
and run through the last week in August. Interns will be required to live at the
Environment House Project, which is located on the garden grounds.
This opportunity is available to high school students who plan to enroll in a
botany program at either a two-year or a four-year college or university. Each
application must include a copy of the applicant’s transcript. (Students entering
their senior year of high school will be given priority.)
Requirements
An overall 3.0 (B) grade-point average
Three letters of recommendation from teachers or peers
An essay (no longer than two pages) explaining why you would like to be
chosen and why you would make a good intern
Job Description
•
•
•
Interns will live in the conservation dwelling at the Environment House
Project and will be responsible for collecting relevant data. Because of
the nature of this project, interns will be expected to remain in residence
for the duration of the internship, though two days out of every ten will be
considered “off” days.
Interns will be expected to participate daily in groundskeeping, pruning,
transplanting, and garden maintenance. Interns will take directions from
the Gardens director.
Each intern will work in conjunction with the Gardens director on a
personal project. All project subjects will be determined during the first
week of the program and will involve experimentation in growing
techniques, breeding techniques, or conservation of resources. All
projects should be completed by the end of the internship.
Applications must be received no later than February 1.
50
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
•
•
•
Exercise 11
1
2
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
3
How many internships will be
awarded?
4
Where will the interns be
staying?
A
five
F
at a summer camp
B
four
G
in their own homes
C
three
H
at a hotel
D
two
J
in a conservation dwelling
How long will the internships
last?
5
How often are interns expected
to be on duty?
F
nearly five months
A
two days out of ten
G
nearly four months
B
four days out of ten
H
nearly three months
C
eight days out of ten
J
nearly two months
D
every day
Internships are available to
A
high school students.
B
college students.
C
high school graduates.
D
college graduates.
6
What is the deadline for
submitting applications to the
internship program?
A
June 2
B
February 1
C
August 15
D
April 10
Exercises
51
Exercise 12
Exercise
12
Research: Interpreting Information
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about interpreting information.
Learn how to answer questions about interpreting information by completing
the sample question that follows the selection.
Radiocarbon Dating
Imagine that you have discovered a fossil and want to know its
age. Radiocarbon dating is one of the most reliable methods used
to figure out the age of organic materials such as wood, shells,
bones, and plants. Using this method, scientists measure the
amount of carbon-14 in the organic material. Because carbon-14
deteriorates at a known rate from the time of an organism’s
death, how long ago the organism died can be determined by
measuring the amount of carbon-14 left in its remains.
Radiocarbon dating has been tested on ancient fossils whose
dates were already known, and the results were accurate.
However, there are limitations to radiocarbon dating—fossils that
are more than 50,000 years old cannot be dated because of the
miniscule amounts of carbon-14 that remain in them.
1
When reading for
interpretation, pay
attention to transition
words such as therefore
and however.
52
Pros:
one of the
most reliable
methods
for dating
organic
materials
Cons:
A
There is no way to test the accuracy of radiocarbon dating.
B
Organic material includes only wood, shells, bones, and
plant remains.
C
Fossils that are more than 50,000 years old cannot be dated.
D
Radiocarbon dating can be used for dating organic material
only.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Test Tip
Which information belongs in the box labeled
Cons?
Exercise 12
Step
1
Step
2
Read the selection carefully. Scan the selection for details that could be considered
a “con” to radiocarbon dating. Write them down.
Now look at the answer choices.
(A): Is this statement accurate? If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(B): Is this statement a “con?” If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(C): Is this statement a “con?” If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(D): Is this statement a “con?” If not, eliminate this answer choice.
Step
3
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Step
4
On the basis of your answers to Steps 1 and 2, which answer choices can be
eliminated?
Which answer choice is the best choice? Why?
Exercises
53
Exercise 12
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
Herman Melville
You may have heard of the book Moby Dick, written by the American author
Herman Melville. You may also know that Moby Dick is considered one of the
greatest novels ever written. Nonetheless, it might surprise you to find out that
Herman Melville was not always a highly regarded author.
Melville’s first two novels, Typee and Omoo, were widely read and financially
successful. They were both exciting tales of adventures at sea and experiences with
people in foreign lands. Melville became quite famous. However, upon the publication
of his third book, Mardi, Melville’s popularity began to wane. He was no longer
interested in telling tales of pure adventure, and his writing took on a philosophical
tone that alienated the general reading public of his time.
Melville’s next book, Pierre, was almost completely disregarded by the public.
Debt, frustration, and ill health finally forced Melville to take a low-paying job as a
customs inspector. Eventually, Melville abandoned prose and began to write poetry.
The Civil War is the principal subject of Melville’s poetry. He and his brother
made a trip to the front lines, and he published a book of poems, Battle-Pieces and
Aspects of the War, based on this experience.
Melville died in 1891 at the age of seventy-two. At this point, his work had been
completely forgotten by the public. His genius was to go unrecognized for the next
thirty years. Then, in the 1920s, his reputation began to improve as critics and
readers rediscovered his work. Today Moby Dick is one of the best-known novels
ever penned by an American author.
54
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
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Melville published Moby Dick in October of 1851. It was an original novel,
incorporating aspects of sociology and philosophy, which confused readers by its
complex symbolism. The book sold poorly.
Exercise 12
Which of the following is
the best summary of this
selection?
1
A
Herman Melville’s Moby
Dick is one of the most
famous novels ever written
by an American author.
B
Herman Melville stopped
writing prose after his books
Moby Dick and Pierre were
considered to be failures.
C
D
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2
3
Herman Melville published
Moby Dick in 1851, but it
was not well received by
readers or critics.
Herman Melville is famous
today, but he was not
appreciated during his
own time.
Moving chronologically from
left to right, the following
chart presents the order of
Melville’s novels that received
an initially poor response from
the public.
Mardi
4
Which of the following is the
best summary of the final
paragraph of this selection?
A
Melville received little
recognition before he died,
but his work was
rediscovered in the 1920s
and has experienced a
resurgence in popularity.
B
When Melville died in 1891
at the age of seventy-two, his
work had been completely
forgotten by the public.
C
Melville’s only successes
occurred after his death
in 1891.
D
Melville is considered to be
one of the greatest novelists,
but he was not always as
highly regarded as he is
today and his genius went
unrecognized for thirty
years.
What is the most important
fact about Moby Dick in the
selection?
F
It is primarily a tale of
adventure.
G
It was published in October
of 1851.
H
It is about a white whale
and a ship’s captain.
J
It was initially considered a
failure.
Pierre
Which of the following titles
belongs in the center box?
F
Typee
G
Omoo
H
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of
the War
J
Moby Dick
Exercises
55
Exercise 13
Exercise
13
Usage
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about word usage. Learn how
to answer questions about word usage by completing the following sample
questions.
Everyone wanted to express their opinions at the student council
meeting.
1
Step
1
Which of the following is the best change, if any, to make to
the above sentence?
A
Change Everyone to Everybody.
B
Change their opinions to his or her opinion.
C
Change at to in.
D
Make no change.
Read the sentence carefully. Write down any errors that you find in
the sentence.
Test Tip
2
Asking yourself why
you think an answer
choice is correct may
help you avoid answer
choices that seem
correct but are not.
Step
3
Step
4
56
Think of a rule that applies to this kind of error. Write it.
How would you correct this error?
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices do not correct
the error detected in Steps 1 and 2? Eliminate them.
Which answer choice is the best change to make to the above
sentence? Why?
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Step
Exercise 13
At the movie theater on Friday night, Lidia accepted Raphael’s invitation to go
to the school dance.
2
Step
1
Step
2
Which of the following is the best change, if any, to make to the above
sentence?
A
Change At to To.
B
Change school dance to School Dance.
C
Change accepted to excepted.
D
Make no change.
Read the sentence carefully. Write down any errors that you find in the sentence.
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices do not follow the rules of
usage? Eliminate them.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
(A): Should At be changed to To? If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(B): Should school dance be changed to School Dance? If not, eliminate this
answer choice.
(C): Should accepted be changed to excepted? If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(D): Should changes be made to the sentence? If so, eliminate this answer choice.
Step
3
Which answer choice is the best choice? Why?
Exercises
57
Exercise 13
Practice
D
irections
Read the following selection and identify the best answers to the
questions that follow.
Hoover Dam
During the Great Depression, the American public was not optimistic about
the ability of humankind to create positive change. In 1931, in the midst of this
dismal time in American history, construction began on a project that would
give Americans something to celebrate. In the barren desert that lays along the
border of Arizona and Nevada, a dam would be built that could control the
Colorado River.
2
By taming the river, the dam would eliminate the devastation of floods.
Additionally, it would create a water and power source. A year-round water
supply was needed to inshure agricultural success in the area. The
anticipation of urban growth along the Pacific Coast meant a growing need for
power. Hoover Dam would meet those needs and make modern living possible
in the Southwestern and Pacific regions of the United States.
3
The building of the dam was a monumental effort that required the expertise
of the most knowledgeable engineers and the sweat of many laborers. The river
itself first had to be diverted so that the concrete foundation could be laid.
Tunnels to divert the water were dug on either side of the river. Miners drilled
into the bedrock of the Black Canyon, which lines the sides of the river. Then
the water was directed into four diversion tunnels. Once workers exposed the
bedrock on the floor of the river, he could lay the concrete. Engineers took great
pains to ensure proper pouring of the concrete to prevent future cracking that
could ruin the dam. Upon his completion in 1935, Hoover Dam was declared
“an engineering victory of the first order” by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
4
Today, Hoover Dam blocks the waters of the Colorado River and forms Lake
Mead, the largest man-made reservoir in the United States. Water is carried
from Lake Mead to farms and cities in Nevada, Arizona, and California. There
are seventeen turbines at Hoover Dam, each capable of providing hydroelectric
power to 100,000 homes. Additionally, Hoover Dam has become a source of
inspiration for all people and has increased there hope for the future.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
58
1
Exercise 13
1
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the first sentence of the first
paragraph?
4
(During the . . . positive change.)
2
(Once workers . . . the concrete.)
A
Change ability to abilities.
F
Change workers to worker.
B
Change to to too.
G
Change he to they.
C
Change was to were.
H
Change the to this.
D
Make no change.
J
Make no change.
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the last sentence in the first
paragraph?
5
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
(In the . . . Colorado River.)
3
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the sixth sentence of the third
paragraph?
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
last sentence of the third
paragraph?
F
Change lays to lies.
(Upon his . . . Franklin D.
Roosevelt.)
G
Change desert to dessert.
A
H
Change along to among.
Change completion to
completions.
J
Make no change.
B
Change Hoover Dam to
Hoover dam.
C
Change his to its.
D
Make no change.
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the third sentence of the
second paragraph?
(A year-round . . . the area.)
6
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the last sentence of the last
paragraph?
A
Change to to two.
B
Change inshure to insure.
C
Change supply to supplies.
(Additionally, Hoover . . . the
future.)
D
Make no change.
F
Change people to peoples.
G
Change has to have.
H
Change there to their.
J
Make no change.
Exercises
59
Exercise 14
Exercise
14
Mechanics: Capitalization and
Punctuation
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about capitalization and
punctuation. Learn how to answer questions about capitalization and
punctuation by completing the following sample questions.
Anthony could not wait to see the statue of liberty during his trip
to New York.
1
Step
1
Which of the following is the best change, if any, to make to
the above sentence?
A
Change New to new.
B
Add a comma after liberty.
C
Change statue of liberty to Statue of Liberty.
D
Make no change.
Read the sentence carefully. Write down any errors that you find in
the sentence.
Step
2
Find the capitalization
or punctuation error on
your own. Then use the
process of elimination
to confirm the answer
choice you selected.
Step
3
Step
4
60
Think of a rule that applies to this kind of error. Write it.
How would you correct this error?
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices do not follow
the rules for capitalization or punctuation?
Of the remaining answer choices, which one is the best change to
make to the above sentence? Why?
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Test Tip
Exercise 14
Jasmine and her brother wanted to see the babys room.
2
Step
1
Step
2
What is the best change, if any, to make to the above sentence?
A
Change babys to baby’s.
B
Add a comma after Jasmine.
C
Add a comma after brother.
D
Make no change.
Read the sentence carefully. Write down any errors that you find in the sentence.
Think of a rule that applies to this kind of error. Write it down.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
How would you correct this error?
Step
3
Step
4
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices do not follow the rules for
capitalization or punctuation?
Which answer choice is the best change to make to the above sentence? Why?
Exercises
61
Exercise 14
Practice
D
irections
Read the following selection and identify the best answers to the
questions that follow.
The Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is the name, of the effect that Earth’s lower
atmosphere has on temperatures at the surface of Earth. Atmospheric gases,
such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone, keep temperatures at
the surface of Earth warm. Without these gases, the average Global
temperature would be below the freezing point of water.
2
The surface of Earth gives off infrared radiation, or heat, which the
atmospheric gases trap and keep near ground level.
3
Environmental scientists are worried that pollution has affected the
atmospheric gases and that, as a result, these gases are trapping too much
radiation and making Earth’s surface too warm. Even a small increase in
average surface temperature could cause the partial melting of the polar ice
caps. This, in turn, could cause a major rise in the sea level, damaging coastal
habitats and causing other serious environmental problems.
4
Consider our twin planet, venus. Because of the thick atmosphere
surrounding Venus, its surface is extremely hot. This is an example of the
greenhouse effect.
5
As a result of the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, the amount of
carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere has increased. This increase
could end up raising the average temperature of Earth’s surface.
6
Studies of the greenhouse effect sometimes produce indefinite results
because scientists have difficulty comparing Earth’s present temperature with
Earth’s temperature in the past. Scientists do not have hundreds of years of
information about Earth’s temperature, because scientists of the past did not
have the technology to record the temperature of the entire planet’s.
Nonetheless, many scientists firmly believe that the rise in global
temperatures during the last three decades is a direct result of the
greenhouse effect.
62
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1
Exercise 14
1
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the first sentence in the first
paragraph?
4
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the first sentence of the fourth
paragraph?
(The greenhouse . . . of Earth.)
2
A
Add a comma after effect.
F
B
Change greenhouse to
green-house.
Remove the comma after
planet.
G
Change venus to Venus.
C
Remove the comma after
name.
H
Change twin planet to
twin-planet.
D
Make no change.
J
Make no change.
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the last sentence in the first
paragraph?
(Without these . . . of water.)
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
5
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the second sentence in the last
paragraph?
(Scientists do . . . entire planet’s.)
Change Without to
without.
A
Change have to had.
B
Change planet’s to planet.
G
Change average Global to
Average Global.
C
Add a comma after past.
H
Change Global to global.
D
Make no change.
J
Make no change.
F
3
(Consider our . . . planet, venus.)
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the second paragraph?
(The surface . . . ground level.)
A
Change surface to Surface.
B
Change atmospheric to
Atmospheric.
C
Remove the commas before
and after or heat.
D
Make no change.
Exercises
63
Exercise 15
Exercise
15
Spelling
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about spelling. Learn how to
answer questions about spelling by completing the following sample
questions.
Sean suddenly hurryed back into the house when he realized that
he had left the water running.
1
Step
1
A
Change suddenly to suddenlly.
B
Change hurryed to hurried.
C
Change running to runing.
D
Make no change.
Read the sentence carefully. Write down any errors that you find in
the sentence.
Step
2
Sometimes there is
no spelling rule that
explains why a word
is spelled as it is. The
more you read, the
more familiar you will
be with these unusual
words.
Step
3
Step
4
Think of a rule that applies to this kind of error. Write it.
How would you correct this error?
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices
do not follow the rules of spelling?
Which answer choice is the best change to make to the above
sentence? Why?
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Test Tip
64
Which of the following is the best change, if any, to make to
the above sentence?
Exercise 15
The children were sitting on a bench in the shoping mall.
2 Which of the following is the best change, if any, to make to the above
sentence?
Step
1
Step
2
A
Change children to childs.
B
Change sitting to siting.
C
Change shoping to shopping.
D
Make no change.
Read the sentence carefully. Write down any errors that you find in the sentence.
Think of a rule that applies to this kind of error. Write it down.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
How would you correct this error?
Step
3
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices do not follow the rules of
spelling?
(A): Should children be changed to childs? If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(B): Should sitting be changed to siting? If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(C): Should shoping be changed to shopping? If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(D): Should changes be made to the sentence? If so, eliminate this answer choice.
Step
4
Which answer choice is the best change to make to the above sentence? Why?
Exercises
65
Exercise 15
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
Summer Art Classes
1
My heart pounded. As excited as I was about going to special summer classes for
young artists, I felt a bit lost and lonely. As I stepped into the flood of people arriving
at the local college, I was suddenly a timid sixteen-year-old and not the sophisticated
artist that I had pictured myself to be.
2
I tried to walk quickly and confidentlly to my dormitory room, but I accidentally
walked into the boys’ shower room. Fortunately, it was empty. I found my room
without any further embarrassments. I passed some other students along the way.
They seemed so comfortable with each other and confident about themselves. I
wondered how I could ever get to know other students.
3
When I got to class the folowing morning, I chose a seat near the back of the
room and quietly responded “here” when the instructor called my name. Then I
rechecked the supplies in my tote bag—brushes, palette, pastel crayons, watercolor
paints, and a drawing pad.
The art instructor seemed enthusiastic and said, “I see some of you have come
prepared to draw, and that’s great. But first, I’m going to tell you what you can
expect from my class. I think it would be great if you took some notes.”
5
My heart sank. I hadn’t brought a simple pen! I wondered who I should ask to
borrow a pen from. The only people I recognized were the two students I had seen
the day before. I didn’t know them, but I decided to take a chance. I asked one if I
could borrow a pen.
6
“To be honest with you,” she replied, “I didn’t bring any pens. I just brought my
art supplys.” She turned to the other student to see if he had any extra pens. “Sorry,
Danielle,” he replied, “I didn’t bring any.”
7
8
66
“Well,” I said, “that’s three in a row. In hockey, they call that a hat-trick.”
We all giggled and then proceeded to take our notes with pastel crayons. All of
our notes were completely illegible, and we laughed about that later in the day. I
guess it wasn’t that hard to get to know new people.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
4
Exercise 15
1
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make
to the second sentence of the
first paragraph?
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the first sentence of the fourth
paragraph?
4
(As excited . . . and lonely.)
2
A
Change excited to excitted.
F
Change seemed to seemmed.
B
Chance special to speciel.
G
Change come to came.
C
Change lonely to lonly.
H
D
Make no change.
Change prepared to
preparred.
J
Make no change.
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make
to the first sentence of the
second paragraph?
(I tried . . . shower room.)
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
5
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the underlined portion of the
sixth paragraph?
Change confidentlly to
confidently.
(“I didn’t . . . art supplys.”)
A
Change didn’t to did’nt.
G
Change accidentally to
accidentaly.
B
Change brought to
bringed.
H
Change boys’ to boy’s.
C
J
Make no change.
Change supplys to
supplies.
D
Make no change.
F
3
(The art . . . that’s great.)
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the first sentence of the third
paragraph?
(When I . . . my name.)
A
Change folowing to
following.
B
Change chose to choosed.
C
Change instructor to
instructer.
D
Make no change.
Exercises
67
Exercise 16
Exercise
16
Grammar: Verb Form and Tense
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about verbs. Learn how to
answer questions about verbs by completing the following sample practice
questions.
Today everyone was arrived on time to begin working on the
science experiment.
1
Which of the following is the best change, if any, to make to
the above sentence?
A
Change begin to began.
B
Change was arrived to arrived.
C
Change working to worked.
D
Make no change.
Step
Test Tip
Read the sentence carefully. Write down any errors that
you find in the sentence.
Step
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices
do not use verbs correctly?
2
(A): Should begin be changed to began? If not, eliminate this
choice.
(B): Should was arrived be changed to arrived? If not, eliminate this
choice.
(C): Should working be changed to worked? If not, eliminate this
choice.
(D): Should changes be made to the sentence? If so, eliminate this
choice.
Step
3
68
Which answer choice is the best change to make to the above
sentence? Why?
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Pay close attention to
the context in which
each verb is used to
determine its correct
tense.
1
Exercise 16
I run home because I forgot to turn off the oven.
2
Step
1
Step
2
Which of the following is the best change, if any, to make to the
sentence?
A
Change I to they.
B
Change run to runs.
C
Change run to ran.
D
Make no change.
Read the sentence carefully. Write down any errors that you find in the sentence.
Now look at each answer choice. Which answer choices do not use verbs
correctly?
(A): Should I be changed to they? If not, eliminate this answer choice.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
(B): Should run be changed to runs? If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(C): Should run be changed to ran? If not, eliminate this answer choice.
(D): Should changes be made to the sentence? If so, eliminate this answer choice.
Step
3
Which answer choice is the best change to make to the above sentence? Why?
Exercises
69
Exercise 16
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
Instant News
Today’s instant news industries was gearing toward speed. Accuracy is the
first-victim of this quest to report a story quickly. The second victim is complexity.
News media are competed not only against each other but also against soap
operas and talk shows. Audiences are generally not interested in a subtle,
detailed analysis of an issue. Audiences want good guys and bad guys. They
want-drama. They want action. Instant news gives it to them.
2
Compared to instant news, newspapers has the great advantage of time.
Most newsworthy events occur during the day. Newspapers are compiled at
night. This allows newspapers to weed through the heated accusations and
erroneous assumptions that have polluted instant news media all day long. A
newspaper usually will replace these instant reports with a researched news
story: a deliberate, measured consideration of the issues and events.
3
Consider the following story. I am an enthusiastic baseball fan with a
particular passion for the Oklahoma Redhawks. One day I was happening
to tune in to one of the sports-news networks, only to be informed that my
favorite player might soon be traded to a rival team.
4
An hour later, a reporter stated that my favorite player was now destined for
a different rival team. Two hours later, another reporter confidently explained
that the player was, in fact, to be traded to a third team not previously named.
5
After four hours, I turned off the television. The next day’s newspaper revealed
that, contrary to the rumors, the player was staying with the Redhawks. I was
disillusioned, realizing that I had wasted most of the previous evening.
6
Even worse, I realized that I had allowed the hype to convince me that I
needed to keep watching the television. And even if something had happened,
did I really need to know about it before the next day’s newspaper arrived?
News is worth waiting for if waiting means that the story is true and accurate
by the time you read it.
70
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
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1
Exercise 16
1
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the first sentence of the first
paragraph?
4
(Today’s instant . . . toward speed.)
(A newspaper . . . and events.)
Change was gearing to are
geared.
F
Change will to will be.
G
Change was gearing to
were gearing.
Change measured to
measuring.
H
Change issues to issued.
C
Change speed to speeding.
J
Make no change.
D
Make no change.
A
B
5
2
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the fourth sentence of the first
paragraph?
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
(News media . . . talk shows.)
3
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the last sentence of the second
paragraph?
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the last sentence of the third
paragraph?
(One day . . . rival team.)
A
Change tune to tuned.
F
Change are to is.
B
G
Change each other to
everyone.
Change was happening to
happened.
C
Remove to be.
D
Make no change.
H
Change are competed to
compete.
J
Make no change.
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the first sentence of the second
paragraph?
(Compared to . . . of time.)
A
Change Compared to Has
compared.
B
Change has to will be.
C
Change has to have.
D
Make no change.
Exercises
71
Exercise 17
Exercise
17
Sentence Structure
The English II OCCT may ask you questions about sentence structure.
Learn how to answer questions about sentence structure by completing the
following practice questions.
Daniel strained to row the oars through the water. The
water was thick with moss and dead branches from trees that
surrounded the lake.
1
Which of the following is the best way to combine these
two sentences?
A
Daniel strained to row the oars through the water, with moss
and dead branches from trees that surrounded the lake.
B
Daniel strained to row the oars through the water, moss, and
dead branches from trees that surrounded the lake.
C
Daniel strained to row the oars through the water, which
was thick with moss and dead branches from trees that
surrounded the lake.
D
Daniel strained to row the oars through the moss and dead
branches from trees that surrounded the lake.
1
When answering
questions about
sentence structure,
words or sentences that
disrupt meaning should
be deleted or moved.
Step
3
72
Step
2
Read the selection carefully.
Now read each answer choice. Do any answer choices
alter the meaning of the original two sentences? Eliminate
them.
Which answer choice is the best choice? Why?
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
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Step
Test Tip
Exercise 17
Peta and her mother placed the oak end table that Peta’s mother bought at the
furniture store next to the sofa in the living room.
2
Step
1
Step
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2
Step
3
Which of the following is the best revision of the sentence?
A
Peta’s mother bought an oak end table at the furniture store. Peta and her
mother placed the table next to the sofa in the living room.
B
Peta’s mother bought an oak end table at the furniture store. She placed
the table next to the sofa in the living room.
C
Next to the sofa in the living room, Peta and her mother placed the oak
end table. Peta’s mother had bought it at the furniture store.
D
Peta and her mother bought an oak end table at the furniture store. They
placed them next to the sofa in the living room.
Read the sentence carefully. Write down what you think is wrong with the sentence.
Now read each answer choice. Eliminate any answer choices that do not convey
the writer’s intended meaning or that contain style problems, such as awkwardness
or needless repetition.
Which answer choice is the best choice? Why?
Exercises
73
Exercise 17
Practice
D
irections
Read the selection and identify the best answers to the questions that
follow.
Wild Animal Preserve Internship
I wanted to get a good internship this past summer. I never thought the
internship would be at a wild animal preserve. I was one of fifteen kids who were
chosen to help out at Blanchard State Preserve, an institution that was established
to help endangered species. I was delighted to be working at such an exciting place.
However, I soon found out that working with wild animals is a difficult job.
2
As an intern, I had to ride along with a veterinarian and observe some of the
preserve’s residents—a litter of wildcat kittens—as they romped around. It was
difficult for us to get close enough to give them the medicine that they needed,
they romped around so much. It took several tries to inject each of the kittens.
While we tried to inject them, they would not keep still. I got pretty tired and achy
from carrying equipment for the vet, and sometimes I got tired just from waiting.
We often had to wait over an hour for just the right moment to make contact with
a kitten.
3
Hard work and waiting weren’t the only difficult things about my internship.
The general working conditions were pretty uncomfortable. We were outdoors in
the hot summer sun every day. We frequently had to wear special padded jackets
and leather gloves in case we came in contact with a young wildcat that wanted
to cut its baby teeth on us as we tried to hold it down. We had to wear long pants
tucked into our boots because there were ticks in the tall grass that we walked
through. You can imagine how comfortable that was in the hot weather.
4
Even though my wild animal preserve internship turned out to be more difficult
than I had expected, I’m really glad that I got the chance to work there. The people
I worked with were really terrific, and watching the animals taught me a great
deal. I even earned credit that I will be able to use in college. It was the first step in
my veterinary training, which was the best thing about my internship.
74
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1
Exercise 17
1
What is the best way to
combine the first two
sentences of this selection?
2
(I wanted . . . animal preserve.)
A
I wanted to get a good
internship this past summer,
because I never thought the
internship would be at a
wild animal preserve.
B
C
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
D
What is the best way to
rewrite the third sentence of
the first paragraph?
(I was . . . endangered species.)
F
I wanted to get a good
internship this past summer,
but I never thought the
internship would be at a
wild animal preserve.
I was one of fifteen kids that
were chosen to help
out at Blanchard State
Preserve, and this preserve
is an institution that was
established to help
endangered species.
G
I wanted to get a good
internship this past
summer, I never thought
the internship would be at a
wild animal preserve.
I was one of fifteen kids that
were chosen to help out at
Blanchard State Preserve,
that was established to help
endangered species.
H
I was one of fifteen kids
that was chosen to help out
at, an institution that was
established to help endangered
species, Blanchard State
Preserve.
J
Make no change.
I wanted to get a good
internship this past
summer I never thought the
internship would be at a
wild animal preserve.
3
What is the best way to
rewrite the second sentence of
the second paragraph?
(It was . . . so much.)
A
Eliminate the comma after
needed.
B
Replace the comma after
needed with a period.
C
Put the word because
between the comma and
they.
D
Make no change.
Exercises
75
Exercise 18
Exercise
18
The Writing Process: Prewriting
The English II OCCT will ask you to write a short essay in response to a
writing prompt.
Prewriting is the first stage in the writing process. Learn prewriting skills by
completing the following exercises. The prompt below is linked to the
excerpt from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller, which appears on
page 30 of this book.
1
Step
1
Writing Prompt:
In The Story of My Life, Helen Keller writes about a very
important day in her life. Write about a very important day
in your life. Tell what happened on that day and explain
why it was so important to you.
Read the prompt carefully. Make sure you understand what the
prompt is asking you to do.
Test Tip
76
2
Step
3
Step
4
Write down notes about a very important day in your life.
Decide which details best explain why this day is so
important to you. A good topic is one that you can
support with interesting details.
Now place the information that you gathered from
brainstorming into a web, list, outline, or other
organizational tool. Try using the web below.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Brainstorming is
intended to generate
ideas for writing. Graphic
organizers afford a quick
way of organizing your
ideas. When planning a
short essay, you can’t
afford to spend more
than approximately
five minutes on the
prewriting stage of the
writing process.
Step
Exercise 18
2 Writing Prompt:
Some high school students work at part-time jobs after school. Think
about the positive and negative aspects of this practice.
Then write an essay discussing the pros and cons of combining
schoolwork with a part-time job.
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Step
4
Read the prompt carefully. Make sure you understand what the prompt is asking
you to do.
Write down notes about the pros and cons of combining schoolwork with a parttime job.
Decide which points present a balanced view of the issue. A good topic is one that
you can develop fully and fairly.
Now place the information that you gathered from brainstorming into a web, list,
outline, or other organizational tool. Try listing your main points below.
Pros
Cons
Exercises
77
Exercise 18
Practice
D
irections
While your teacher reads aloud each of the following two writing
prompts, read along silently. Then brainstorm answers to the questions
and write them on the lines provided. Finally, transfer the answers to the
graphic organizers printed at the bottom of this page and the next page.
Writing Prompt:
Everyone has a favorite childhood memory. Describe your memory in
detail. Then explain what your memory means to you.
I.
My favorite childhood memory
B.
II.
What my favorite memory means to me
A.
B.
78
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A.
Exercise 18
Writing Prompt:
Think about yourself when you were a high school freshman. Explain
how you are different now and how you are the same.
Myself
today
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Myself as
a freshman
How
I am the
same
Exercises
79
Exercise 19
Exercise
19
The Writing Process: Drafting
Drafting is the second stage of the writing process. When you draft, you
write the actual essay while using the graphic organizer you created in the
prewriting stage of the writing process. Learn drafting skills by studying the
guidelines below and by doing the exercises that follow.
Drafting Guidelines
•
Make sure to respond fully to the writing prompt.
•
Make sure to include an introductory and a concluding paragraph.
•
Make sure that your introductory paragraph contains your thesis, or
main idea.
•
Make sure that your ideas are presented in a logical and orderly
manner.
•
Make sure that your ideas are supported by details and examples.
Writing Prompt:
In The Story of My Life, Helen Keller writes about a very
important day in her life. Write about a very important day in
your life. Tell what happened on that day and explain why it was
so important to you.
The purpose of drafting
is to compose your
essay as carefully as
you possibly can. Using
your graphic organizer
as a guide, make
sure that your draft is
organized, coherent, and
well developed. At this
stage, don’t worry too
much about mistakes in
mechanics or spelling.
You will have a chance
to correct these mistakes
during the final stage of
the writing process.
80
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
This is the prompt that you used for the prewriting
exercise on page 76. Read it again.
Look at your prewriting exercise on page 76. Have you
written down enough ideas to fully respond to the
prompt? If not, add more ideas so that you can develop
your essay adequately.
Using the expanded web on page 81, reorganize the
information in your prewriting exercise on page 78.
Decide what information should be placed in the
beginning, middle, and end of your essay.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
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Test Tip
Exercise 19
Step
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
4
Using the ideas you organized in Step 3, write your thesis statement.
Practice
Now draft your essay. Make sure that you include your thesis statement in your
introductory paragraph.
Exercises
81
Exercise 19
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82
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Exercise 19
Exercises
83
Exercise 20
Exercise
20
The Writing Process: Revising and
Editing
Revising and editing is the final stage of the writing process. Learn revising
and editing skills by consulting the checklist below and then by doing the
practice exercise that follows.
Writer’s Checklist
Is the topic addressed in my writing?
❏
Are my ideas expressed in complete sentences?
❏
Do I explain or support my ideas with enough details?
❏
Are the details I included directly related to my topic?
❏
Are my ideas arranged in a clear order for the reader to follow?
❏
Do my paragraphs have topic sentences when appropriate?
❏
Do I start each sentence with a capital letter and capitalize other
appropriate words?
❏
Have I used correct punctuation at the end of each sentence and
within each sentence?
❏
Is my spelling correct throughout my writing?
❏
Will the reader be able to read my handwriting?
Practice
D
irections
Test Tip
Using the above checklist, revise and edit the draft you
wrote on pages 81–83. Make your changes by crossing
out errors and neatly writing corrections in the
margin or between lines of text.
Write clearly and neatly.
You will score your best
if your teacher can
understand your
thoughts and read your
writing.
84
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❏
Practice
Test
Practice Test
Section 1
Writing Task
Use the lined pages provided on pages 116 through 118 of your
answer document to respond to the prompt.
When scorers assess your writing, they will look for evidence that
you can
❒ address the prompt;
❒ develop your ideas thoroughly;
❒ organize your ideas;
❒ stay focused on your purpose for writing;
❒ make your writing thoughtful and interesting; and
❒ use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar,
usage, and sentence structure.
Read this quotation from William Shakespeare:
Think about the above quotation and what it suggests about the
power of friendship.
Write an essay about the importance of friendship in your life. You
can describe an existing friend, or you can explain the qualities
that you look for in a friend. Be sure to include an introduction, a
body, and a conclusion in your writing.
STOP
86
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
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“But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.”
Practice Test
Section 2
D
irections
Read this short story by O. Henry. Then answer the questions
that follow.
After Twenty Years
by O. HENRY
The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. The impressiveness was habitual and not for show, for spectators were few. The time was barely
10 o’clock at night, but chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them had well
nigh depeopled the streets.
Trying doors as he went, twirling his club with many intricate and artful
movements, turning now and then to cast his watchful eye adown the pacific
thoroughfare, the officer, with his stalwart form and slight swagger, made a fine
picture of a guardian of the peace. The vicinity was one that kept early hours. Now
and then you might see the lights of a cigar store or of an all-night lunch counter;
but the majority of the doors belonged to business places that had long since been
closed.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
When about midway of a certain block the policeman suddenly slowed his walk.
In the doorway of a darkened hardware store a man leaned, with an unlighted
cigar in his mouth. As the policeman walked up to him, the man spoke up quickly.
“It’s all right, officer,” he said reassuringly. “I’m just waiting for a friend. It’s an
appointment made twenty years ago. Sounds a little funny to you, doesn’t it? Well,
I’ll explain if you’d like to make certain it’s all straight. About that long ago there
used to be a restaurant where this store stands—‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant.”
“Until five years ago,” said the policeman. “It was torn down then.”
The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light showed a
pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a little white scar near his right
eyebrow. His scarfpin was a large diamond, oddly set.
“Twenty years ago tonight,” said the man, “I dined here at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with
Jimmy Wells, my best chum, and the finest chap in the world. He and I were
raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together. I was eighteen and Jimmy
was twenty. The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune. You
couldn’t have dragged Jimmy out of New York; he thought it was the only place
on earth. Well, we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty
years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from
what distance we might have to come. We figured that in twenty years each of us
ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they were
going to be.”
Practice Test
87
Practice Test
“It sounds pretty interesting,” said the policeman. “Rather a long time between
meets, though, it seems to me. Haven’t you heard from your friend since you
left?”
“Well, yes, for a time we corresponded,” said the other. “But after a year or two
we lost track of each other. You see, the West is a pretty big proposition, and I kept
hustling around over it pretty lively. But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he’s
alive, for he always was the truest, staunchest old chap in the world. He’ll never
forget. I came a thousand miles to stand in this door tonight, and it’s worth it if
my old partner turns up.”
The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch, the lids of it set with small
diamonds.
“Three minutes to ten,” he announced. “It was exactly ten o’clock when we
parted here at the restaurant door.”
“Did pretty well out West, didn’t you?” asked the policeman.
“You bet! I hope Jimmy has done half as well. He was kind of a plodder, though,
good fellow as he was. I’ve had to compete with some of the sharpest wits going to
get my pile. A man gets in a groove in New York. It takes the West to put a razor
edge on him.”
The policeman twirled his club and took a step or two.
“I’ll be on my way. Hope your friend comes around all right. Going to call time
on him sharp?”
“I should say not!” said the other. “I’ll give him half an hour at least. If Jimmy is
alive on earth he’ll be here by that time. So long, officer.”
There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling, and the wind had risen from its
uncertain puffs to a steady blow. The few foot passengers astir in that quarter
hurried dismally and silently along with coat collars turned high and pocketed
hands. And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand
miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to absurdity, with the friend of his
youth, smoked his cigar and waited.
About twenty minutes he waited, and then a tall man in a long overcoat, with
collar turned up to his ears, hurried across from the opposite side of the street. He
went directly to the waiting man.
“Is that you, Bob?” he asked, doubtfully.
“Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” cried the man in the door.
“Bless my heart!” exclaimed the new arrival, grasping both the other’s hands
with his own. “It’s Bob, sure as fate. I was certain I’d find you here if you were still
in existence. Well, well, well!—twenty years is a long time. The old restaurant’s
gone, Bob; I wish it had lasted, so we could have had another dinner there. How
has the West treated you, old man?”
88
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“Good night, sir,” said the policeman, passing on along his beat, trying doors as
he went.
Practice Test
“Bully; it has given me everything I asked it for. You’ve changed lots, Jimmy. I
never thought you were so tall by two or three inches.”
“Oh, I grew a bit after I was twenty.”
“Doing well in New York, Jimmy?”
“Moderately. I have a position in one of the city departments. Come on, Bob;
we’ll go around to a place I know of, and have a good long talk about old times.”
The two men started up the street arm in arm. The man from the West, his
egotism enlarged by success, was beginning to outline the history of his career.
The other, submerged in his overcoat, listened with interest.
At the corner stood a drug store, brilliant with electric lights.
When they came into this glare each of them turned simultaneously to gaze
upon the other’s face.
The man from the West stopped suddenly and released his arm.
“You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he snapped. “Twenty years is a long time, but not
long enough to change a man’s nose from a Roman to a pug.”
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
“It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one,” said the tall man. “You’ve
been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago thinks you may have
dropped over our way and wires us she wants to have a chat with you. Going
quietly, are you? That’s sensible. Now, before we go on to the station, here’s a note
I was asked to hand you. You may read it here at the window. It’s from Patrolman
Wells.”
The man from the West unfolded the little piece of paper handed him. His hand
was steady when he began to read, but it trembled a little by the time he had
finished. The note was rather short.
Bob:
I was at the appointed place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I
saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I
went around and got a plain clothes man to do the job.
—Jimmy
Practice Test
89
Practice Test
1
Trying doors as he went, twirling
his club with many intricate and
artful movements, turning now and
then to cast his watchful eye adown
the pacific thoroughfare, the officer,
with his stalwart form and slight
swagger, made a fine picture of a
guardian of the peace.
3
In this sentence from the story,
what does the word stalwart
mean?
A
frightening
B
large
C
strong
D
nimble
4
2
The waiting man pulled out a
handsome watch, the lids of it set
with small diamonds.
90
F
warn readers that the
waiting man’s friend will not
show up for the meeting.
G
inform readers that the
waiting man is wealthy.
H
suggest that the waiting
man is about to offer the
police officer a bribe.
J
show that the waiting man
is impatient and will soon
leave if his friend doesn’t
arrive.
A
He is a fugitive who is
waiting for a bus to take him
out of town.
B
He is an undercover police
officer waiting for a crime to
be committed.
C
The restaurant where he is
waiting does not open until
10 o’clock at night.
D
He is waiting to meet a
friend whom he has not seen
for twenty years.
From the many details in the
story we can infer that Bob is
F
unfamiliar with New York
City.
G
an unsuccessful
businessperson.
H
a well-known gangster.
J
a victim of circumstances.
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The author includes this detail
from the story mostly to
Why is Bob waiting on the
street corner at night?
Practice Test
5
6
Does Bob ever meet his old
friend Jimmy Wells in the
story?
Which of the following best
states the theme of the story?
A
It is a mistake to try to
recapture one’s past life.
A
No, they never meet.
B
Yes, Jimmy is the first police
officer that Bob meets.
B
Wealthy people are usually
criminals.
C
Yes, Jimmy is the plain
clothes officer who hands
Bob a note.
C
People and events are not
always what they appear to
be.
D
Yes, Jimmy owns the
hardware store where Bob is
waiting.
D
It is difficult to recognize a
person whom one has not
seen in twenty years.
What inference can be drawn
from Jimmy’s reluctance to
arrest Bob?
F
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
7
Jimmy does not feel good
about arresting an old
friend.
G
Jimmy is afraid of Bob.
H
Jimmy wants his superior
officer to get credit for the
arrest.
J
Jimmy does not believe that
Bob is a criminal.
8
Which of the following
elements of fiction is used in
this story?
F
stream of consciousness
G
surprise ending
H
flashback
J
unreliable narrator
Practice Test
91
Practice Test
D
irections
Read this passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
Mysterious Towns
1
In the Four Corners region, of the southwestern United States, there are
countless abandoned towns built into canyon walls and under rock overhangs.
The dwellings, called pueblos, are built into the sides of flat-topped plateaus
known as mesas. The buildings, some of which are several stories high, are
built of sandstone.
Discovery
2
Empty dwellings of this type can be found throughout the Southwest. These
now-vacant dwellings were once the homes of people known as the Anasazi,
who lived in the region from A.D. 1000 to 1350. Scientists have long wondered
where these people came from and why they seem to have disappeared.
Careful examination of the region surrounding the pueblos has provided
scientists with an answer to the first question. Atop the mesas, the foundations
of brick houses dating from A.D. 500 to 1000—and the remains of campfires
from even earlier dates—have been discovered. This evidence was not
previously known to scientists. Unlike the homes safely sheltered under
overhangs, these mesa-top houses and hearths nearly wore away because they
were exposed to the extreme weather conditions native to the Southwest.
4
Because of this latest discovery, scientists have developed the theory that the
pueblo dwellers lived in simple brick farmhouses atop the mesas before they
moved into the pueblos. They farmed the land at the base of the mesas. And
grew beans, corn, cotton, and squash. Prior to that, they were nomads who
wandered the Southwest in search of food.
5
About A.D. 1000, though, these peoples suddenly began building elaborate
homes on the sides of canyons and under rock ledges. The question is, why did
they move these dwellings from the tops of the mesas?
Moving from the Mesa
6
92
They know that the Southwest experienced a severe drought from about A.D.
1100 to 1350. They have also unearthed evidence of fighting in this region from
about this time. The drought, which would have drastically decreased the food
and water supplies in the area, most likely contributed to the hostilities.
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3
Practice Test
7
It seems probable that these people moved into the cliff dwellings, many of
which had no doors at ground level, in response to an increasingly threatening
atmosphere. The evidence of violence might also explain why these people
eventually disappeared. If the level of violence continued to escalate as the
drought worsened, moving to a safer location would have been wise.
8
The Anasazi may have left their pueblo homes for reasons of safety and food
shortages. But where did they go? The Hopi people of Arizona, who even today
live in pueblos, have always said that the cliff dwellers were their ancestors.
Other Anasazi groups were probably the ancestors of the Zuni, Acoma, and
Pueblo people, who live today in New Mexico.
9
Thus, the mystery of the beautiful cliff dwellings has finally been solved. The
vacant towns of the Southwest were populated by people who moved south in a
time of hardship.
9
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make in
the first sentence in the first
paragraph?
A
have provided
B
will have provided
B
Add a comma after towns.
C
provides
C
Change overhangs to over
hangs.
D
Make no change.
D
Make no change.
12
10
What is the best change, if any,
to make to has provided in
the first sentence in the third
paragraph?
Delete the comma after
region.
A
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
11
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make
in the first sentence in the
second paragraph?
F
Add a comma after type.
G
Change Southwest to
southwest.
H
Change throughout to
through out.
J
Make no change.
What is the best way, if any,
to rewrite the underlined
sentences in paragraph 4?
F
Farming the land at the base
of the mesas and growing
beans, corn, cotton, and
squash.
G
They farmed the land at
the base of the mesas and
grew beans, corn, cotton, and
squash.
H
They farmed the land at the
base of the mesas. Grew beans,
corn, cotton, and squash.
J
Make no change.
Practice Test
93
Practice Test
13
Which of the following is
the best way to rewrite the last
sentence in the fifth paragraph?
A
B
The question is, why did they
move from the tops of the
mesas to the sides of canyons?
The question is, from the tops
of mesas, why did they move to
the sides of canyons?
C
The question is, to the sides of
the mesas, why did they move
from the tops of canyons?
D
The question is, from the tops
of mesas to the sides of them,
why did they move?
14
To improve the meaning of
the first sentence in the sixth
paragraph, the word They could
be changed to
F
Cave builders.
G
Archaeologists.
H
The Anasazi.
J
People.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
94
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Practice Test
D
irections
Read this passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
Genes and You
Have you ever been told that you look just like one of your parents? Have you
ever wondered how your physical appearance was determined? Have you ever
worried that you may become ill because of some mysterious predisposition that
is out of your control? The answers to these questions and many more can be
found in genetics. Genetics is the study of genes and heredity.
Genes: The Building Blocks of Chromosomes
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
What are genes? Genes are made up of deoxyribonucleic acid, the DNA
molecule. Every gene is like a tiny messenger carrying a code that determines
a trait. Each human being has somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 genes
working to create the whole person. DNA is wrapped and folded into complex
units called chromosomes. Normal human cells have twenty-three pairs
of chromosomes. The twenty-third pair, which is made up of the X and Y
chromosomes, is responsible for determining an individual’s gender.
Almost every cell in your body has twenty-three pairs of chromosomes. The
exceptions are the cells responsible for reproduction, or gametes. The gametes,
the male sperm and the female egg, each contain twenty-three unpaired
chromosomes. When an egg and a sperm cell unite, a unique combination of
twenty-three pairs of chromosomes is formed. That combination becomes the
genetic code for a new human being.
How Did You Become You?
Most genes have partners. For example, you received a gene from your father
that held information to determine your eye color. You also received a gene
from your mother for eye color. This pair of genes worked together to determine
the color of your eyes.
Genetic Mutations
Most of the time, genes produce healthy bodies. However, when there are
mistakes in our genetic codes, we can become sick. Scientists have found that
some mutated genes, or changed genes, may be responsible for health
problems. For example, sickle-cell anemia is a blood disorder caused by a
mutation of the gene that controls red blood cell production.
Practice Test
95
Practice Test
Working with Your Genes
Scientists have long debated the influences of nature (genes) and nurture
(an individual’s life experiences) on human beings and their health, behavior,
and quality of life. It is becoming apparent through the study of genetics that
both nature and nurture play a part in determining human traits. Some
traits, such as eye color, are solely inherited through the genes and will not
change due to outside forces. Other traits, however, are clearly affected by an
individual’s experiences. Simply inheriting a gene for strong teeth, for
example, will not create a perfect smile. Proper oral hygiene and good diet
also play important roles. Similarly, genetic predisposition to heart disease
does not mean that a person will definitely develop an unhealthy heart.
Nutrition and exercise can have a great effect on whether that genetic
predisposition will cause a person trouble.
Scientists continue to study genes and the patterns of heredity that genes
determine. Many diseases have been linked to genetics. By understanding our
genetic makeup, scientists are becoming increasingly capable of promoting our
future health.
15
96
A
a science-fiction story
B
a political pamphlet
C
a scientific article
D
a mystery
Chromosomes are made up of
F
deoxyribonucleic acid
G
twenty-three pairs of cells
H
mutations
J
environmental factors
17
What is the main idea of this
selection?
A
Genes contain a wealth of
information.
B
Genes determine your eye
color.
C
Most genes have twentythree pairs of chromosomes.
D
Everyone should study
genetics.
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
16
The selection is written in
which of the following forms?
Practice Test
18
Information in this selection
suggests that
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The main purpose of this
selection is to
genes plays an insignificant
role in determining human
achievement.
F
debate the role of nature
versus nurture.
G
explain a scientific process.
G
the study of genetics will
someday lead to the
discovery of a cure for cancer.
H
compare and contrast
certain genetic traits.
H
genes are too difficult for
scientists to understand.
J
entertain an audience.
J
genes play an important role
in determining human
characteristics.
F
19
20
21
In this selection, sickle-cell
anemia is referred to as
“caused by a mutation of the
gene” because the presence of
the disease
A
is caused by a particular
mistake in a person’s genetic
code.
B
depends upon 50,000 to
100,000 genes.
C
depends upon a unique
combination of twenty-three
pairs of chromosomes.
D
is caused by a mysterious
predisposition.
22
Which of the following details
should be included in an
outline of the selection?
A
Heredity is the study of
genetics.
B
Good genes make beautiful
smiles.
C
Green eyes are less common
than blue eyes.
D
Some mutated genes result
in disease.
Which of the following best
describes the organization of
this selection?
F
question and answer
G
analysis of an argument
H
explanation
J
chronological order
STOP
Practice Test
97
Practice Test
D
irections
Read this passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
Student Tutoring Program: Stutor-Gram!
Become a Genius!
The Student Tutoring Program (Stutor-Gram!) is designed to help you succeed in
your classes. Research has shown that students who actively participate in
student-led tutoring can improve their grades by up to one full letter-grade over
the course of a semester. Stutor-Gram! can help you to earn your best possible
grade.
All tutors in Stutor-Gram! have earned As in the courses they tutor and have
undergone extensive training accredited by the National Tutoring Association
(NTA). Stutor-Gram! offers both individual and group tutoring.
Please Note: Tutoring works only if you work at it! To gain the full benefits from
tutoring, you must attend your weekly tutoring session. Consider your schedule
before requesting a tutor. You must commit to weekly tutoring sessions for the
entire semester.
Stutor-Gram! will offer tutors for the following courses this semester:
SCI 101
SCI 102
SCI 103
MATH A
MATH 101
MATH 102
ENGLISH 101
ENGLISH 102
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Concepts in Mathematics
Algebra
Geometry
Writing Persuasive Essays
Writing College Application Essays
We look forward to helping you make the grade!
98
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
To Obtain a Tutor:
1. Report to the Tutoring Center, located in the administrative center.
2. Fill out a Request for Tutoring form for each course for which you desire a
tutor. Fill out this form as completely as possible so your request can be
handled promptly.
3. TUTORS ARE ASSIGNED ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS.
Come early to ensure that you will get the tutor you need.
4. The tutor will contact you to arrange a mutually agreeable tutoring time.
5. All tutoring will take place at the Tutoring Center.
Practice Test
23
24
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
25
Which of the following is the
main purpose of this selection?
What does the sentence
“Become a genius!” illustrate?
A
to inform readers
A
hyperbole
B
to relay historical facts
B
personification
C
to tell a story
C
metaphor
D
to convince readers
D
simile
This selection would be most
helpful to people who
28
What does the word accredited
mean in this selection?
F
attend a private high school.
F
offered
G
want better grades.
G
taught
H
have graduated high school.
H
certified
J
need a recommendation.
J
written
To obtain a tutor for more
than one class, students must
29
After requesting a tutor,
students should
A
call the tutoring office.
A
wait to be contacted.
B
notify their professors.
B
C
fill out separate forms for
each class.
arrive at the Tutoring Center
for the first session.
C
send a copy of their schedule
to the Tutoring Center.
D
begin work on the first
homework assignment.
D
26
27
pay extra money.
What do students gain from
participating in the tutoring
program?
30
The phrase “mutually
agreeable” indicates that the
tutoring time should
F
Tutors can help students
improve their grades.
G
Participation ensures a
passing grade.
F
fit the schedule of both the
student and the tutor.
H
Students receive extra credit
for participating in the
tutoring program.
G
fall within the operating
hours of the Tutoring Center.
H
remain the same each week.
Students become tutors the
following semester.
J
be arranged for the hour
before the scheduled class.
J
Practice Test
99
Practice Test
Section 3
D
irections
You will now read one poem and answer some qustions. Then you will
read a related poem and answer more questions.
Marked
by CARMEN TAFOLLA
5
10
20
1
m’ija is a contraction for the Spanish words
mi and hija, “my daughter”
100
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
15
Never write with pencil,
m’ija1
It is for those
who would
erase.
Make your mark proud
and open,
Brave,
beauty folded into
its imperfection,
Like a piece of turquoise
marked.
Never write
with pencil,
m’ija.
Write with ink
or mud,
or berries grown in
gardens never owned,
or, sometimes,
if necessary,
blood.
Practice Test
31
Why did Carmen Tafolla most
likely title her poem
“Marked”?
A
The poem expresses a feeling
of being singled out.
B
The poem expresses the
fact that people judge one
another.
C
D
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
32
33
What is the meaning of the
simile in lines 9–12 of
“Marked”?
A
A piece of marked turquoise
is an example of a beautiful,
imperfect object.
B
The word marked signifies
something bold and original.
The mineral turquoise has
imperfections, but it is worn
by proud people.
C
The short, simple word
marked parallels the poem’s
short, simple structure.
The greenish blue color of
turquoise inspires people to
pride and bravery.
D
The greenish blue color
of turquoise stands for
openness and honesty.
What dichotomy do the words
pencil and blood signify in
“Marked”?
F
nature vs. society
G
permanence vs.
impermanence
H
beauty vs. ugliness
J
perfection vs. imperfection
34
The speaker in “Marked” most
likely suggests writing with
“. . . berries grown in / gardens
never owned . . .” to emphasize
F
society.
G
innocence.
H
vulnerability.
J
individuality.
Practice Test
101
Practice Test
D
irections
Read this poem and answer the questions that follow.
For Poets
by AL YOUNG
5
10
Come on out into the sunlight
Breathe in trees
Knock out mountains
Commune with snakes
& be the very hero of birds
Don’t forget to poke your head up
& blink
think
Walk all around
Swim upstream
Don’t forget to fly
102
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
15
Stay beautiful
but don’t stay down underground too long
Don’t turn into a mole
or a worm
or a root
or a stone
Practice Test
35
Don’t turn into a mole / or a
worm / or a root / or a stone
38
These lines from “For Poets”
are an example of
A
end rhyme.
B
slant rhyme.
C
assonance.
D
consonance.
39
36
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
37
In “For Poets,” the line “&
be the very hero of birds” is
an example of
F
personification.
G
irony.
H
simile.
J
metaphor.
According to the speaker
in “For Poets,” poets should
resemble which of the
following animals?
40
Which of the following
literary devices is common
to both “Marked” and “For
Poets”?
F
rhyme
G
symbolism
H
dramatic monologue
J
oxymoron
What common advice do the
speakers in “Marked” and
“For Poets” give to writers?
A
Never use a pencil.
B
Be bold and free.
C
Always write outdoors.
D
Don’t be afraid to make
mistakes.
Both “Marked” and “For
Poets” are examples of
which of these styles of
poetry?
A
snakes
F
sonnet
B
moles
G
ballad
C
birds
H
rhymed verse
D
worms
J
free verse
Practice Test
103
Practice Test
D
irections
Read this passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
Lance Armstrong’s Triumphant Return
1
In 1991 a talented young bicyclist burst onto the competitive racing circuit
by winning the U.S. National Amateur Bicycling race. Within a few years, this
young athlete had become the world champion of bike racing. By 1996 this
racer seemed to be unstoppable. He was a famous athlete and a national
figure. He was the number-one-ranked cyclist in the world. He raced and won
at the world-class level time and time again. Nonetheless, at the young age of
twenty-five, this seemingly invincible young competitor, Lance Armstrong,
became gravely ill with cancer.
Almost Too Late
2
Unfortunately Armstrong had been ignoring symptom related to his disease
for some time. He kept telling himself he would visit a doctor “after the next
race.” After all, he was a world-class athlete, and all his awards seemed to
prove that he was in perfect health. Armstrong almost put off seeing a doctor
until it was too late.
A True Competitor
3
The Payoff
4
104
His hard work, the hard work of his doctors, and luck resulted in an
improvement in Armstrong’s health. Miraculously, Armstrong’s cancer went
into remission. Less than six months after he was diagnosed with cancer,
Armstrong found himself weakened and scarred but ready to begin again. He
threw himself back into cycling, and it wasn’t long before he became a member
of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. In race after race, Armstrong
continued to improve until he once again became a nationally ranked cyclist.
Then, in 1999, Armstrong won the most grueling of bicycle races, the Tour de
France. Then he won the tour six more times!
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
By the time Armstrong sought medical help, his cancer was in an advanced
stage. By waiting to see a doctor, his cancer had the chance to spread into his
lungs and brain. His situation was very serious. He certainly couldn’t race
anymore, and there was a good chance that he would die. At the pinnacle of his
success, Armstrong faced not only the sudden end of his beloved racing career
but also his possible imminent death. He was told that he had a 50 percent
chance of surviving his cancer. To try to increase his chances, he embarked
on a stringent medical regimen. Armstrong chose an aggressive course of
treatment as well as an exercise routine designed to keep him as healthy as
possible. He tried everything to beat the cancer within him.
Practice Test
A Winner
5
41
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
42
Lance Armstrong, once gravely ill with cancer, is now a five-time consecutive
Tour de France winner, and he remains, a healthy young man. With relentless
perseverance, his return to cycling constituted one of the greatest comebacks
known to any sport. His athletic skill and success, as well as the way that he
has faced his personal challenges with a positive attitude, are an inspiration
to many.
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make in
the first sentence of the first
paragraph?
43
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make in
the first sentence of the
second paragraph?
A
Add a comma after circuit.
A
B
Change burst to was
bursting.
Add the word But before
unfortunately.
B
Change symptom to
symptoms.
C
Change some to sum.
D
Make no change.
C
Change race to Race.
D
Make no change.
Which of the following is the
best combination of the fourth
and fifth sentences of the first
paragraph?
F
He was a famous athlete and
a national figure and the
number-one-ranked cyclist in
the world.
G
He was a famous athlete, and
he was a national figure, and
he was the number-oneranked cyclist in the world.
H
He was a famous athlete, a
national figure, and the
number-one-ranked cyclist in
the world.
J
He was a famous athlete and
a national figure, he was the
number-one-ranked cyclist in
the world.
44
Which of the following is the
best change, if any, to make to
the last sentence of the second
paragraph?
F
Add a comma after almost.
G
Change until to before.
H
Change was to had been.
J
Make no change.
Practice Test
105
Practice Test
45
What is the best way, if any, to
rewrite the second sentence in
paragraph 3?
46
What is the best change, if any,
to make to most grueling the
sixth sentence in paragraph 4?
By waiting to see a doctor,
Armstrong’s cancer had
spread into his lungs and
brain.
F
gruelingest
G
more gruelinger
H
most gruelingest
B
By waiting to see a doctor,
his lungs and brain had been
infected with cancer.
J
No change.
C
By waiting to see a doctor,
he had allowed his cancer
the chance to spread into his
lungs and brain.
D
Make no change.
A
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
106
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Practice Test
D
irections
Read this passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
Explorers Say There’s Still Lots to Look For
by Helen O’Neill
New York—The crickets were roasted to
perfection. Baby scorpions adorned points
of savory toast. And the saddle of beaver
simmered gently in a decorative silver tureen.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Oceanographer1 Sylvia Earle glided across
the room in a shimmering red gown and golden
shawl. She’d rather have been in her wet suit.
She’d rather have been diving to the darkest
corners of the abyss. Instead, “Her Deepness,”
as Earle is known, was busy in her role as
honorary president of the Explorers Club,
charming the cocktail crowd with her latest
exploit: dancing a solitary dance with a giant
octopus at the bottom of the Pacific.
Across the room, tuxedoed archaeologist2
Johan Reinhard clutched his wineglass and
chatted about his latest find—a 500-year-old
Inca mummy unearthed atop a remote Andean
peak. Next to him, Bertrand Piccard, first man
to circumnavigate3 earth in a balloon, engaged
in intense debate about the future of solarpowered planes.
All around were people who have
bushwhacked4 through jungles, trekked across
deserts, floated in space. Dripping medals and
jewels and tales from afar, they gathered in
the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria hotel for
the annual Explorers Club banquet. Once a
year they come here, to mingle with sponsors
and troll5 for support, to nibble on loin of
kangaroo and explain to the world that there
are still places to be discovered.
A Great Era of Exploration
“There is a popular illusion that all
corners of the earth have been explored,”
Earle says. “The greatest mountain ranges on
the planet are underwater, where there is a
whole continent waiting to be explored.”
In the past two years alone, Ian Baker
reported discovering the fabled ShangriLa waterfall on Tibet’s mighty Tsangpo River;
Reinhard recovered three frozen Inca mummies
from an Andean volcano; the body of English
climber George Mallory,6 who disappeared
in 1924, was discovered on Mount Everest;
and Robert Ballard located the world’s oldest
shipwrecks—two Phoenician cargo vessels in
the Mediterranean. The same trip led him to
uncover evidence of a giant flood about 7,000
years ago—perhaps the biblical flood of Noah.
Explorers still scale peaks that never
have been climbed, crawl through caves to
the insides of earth, hurtle into space to walk
among the stars. They find ancient tribes and
ancient cities. They dig up dinosaurs. They
journey to places where no one has reported
being before: the jungles of central Congo,
the Amazon and Peru, the deserts of Tibet and
China, vast underwater caves in Mexico and
Belize. They are only beginning to probe the
oceans: 5 percent has been explored, though
water covers 71 percent of the planet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
oceanographer: a scientist who studies oceans
archaeologist: a scientist who studies materials, such as fossils and pottery, from long ago to learn about earlier civilizations
circumnavigate: go completely around a geographic area, especially by water
bushwhacked: chopped through thick vegetation, especially in a forest, to clear a path
troll: In this usage, it means searching for and asking for money; in literal usage, it means luring a fish by trailing bait behind a
moving boat.
6. George Mallory: a British mountain climber who disappeared in 1924 when attempting to reach the top of Mount Everest; his
frozen body was found in 1999
Practice Test
107
Practice Test
All of which makes Earle say, “I think the
great era of exploration has just begun.”
What Sets Them Apart
“Men wanted for hazardous journey.
Small wages, bitter cold, long months of
complete darkness, constant danger, safe
return doubtful. Honor and recognition in
case of success.” —Ernest Shackleton’s
1914 advertisement for crew members for
Endurance.
The ship was aptly named. Although
Shackleton failed in his quest to cross the
Antarctic,7 his journey became one of the
great epics of survival. Marooned for months
on an ice floe, his ship crushed by pack ice,
Shackleton managed to sail a lifeboat 800
miles, scale an unmapped mountain range,
reach a Norwegian whaling station, and return
to rescue all of his men.
Seventy-five years later, Robert Ballard
wants to dig through ice and find his hero’s
ship.
Ballard is one of the most famous living
explorers, and not just because he discovered
the world’s most famous shipwreck. Long
before the lights of his little roaming robot lit
up Titanic’s ghostly bow in 1985, the former
naval officer and oceanographer dedicated
his life to exploration. Bismarck. U.S.S.
Yorktown. Lusitania.8 Ballard has explored
them all.
“When I die,” Ballard says, “I want one
word on my tombstone: Explorer.”
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
7. Antarctic: the region near the South Pole
8. Bismarck, U.S.S. Yorktown, Lusitania: the Bismarck—a German warship the British sank during World War II; the U.S.S.
Yorktown—an American aircraft carrier the Japanese sank during World War II; the Lusitania—a British passenger ship the
Germans sank during World War I
108
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Practice Test
47
Read the following sentences
from the passage.
49
“There is a popular illusion that
all corners of the earth have been
explored,” Earle says. “The greatest
mountain ranges on the planet are
underwater, where there is a whole
continent waiting to be explored.”
Which of the following
ideas from the passage is an
opinion?
A
Robert Ballard has explored
the Lusitania.
B
Shackleton’s ship was named
Endurance.
C
Shackleton’s journey to save
his crew is one of the great
epics of survival.
D
A 500-year-old Inca mummy
has been discovered.
In this context the word
illusion means
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
48
A
magic trick.
B
truth.
C
false belief.
D
reference.
The author includes the
headings “A Great Era of
Exploration” and “What Sets
Them Apart” to help readers to
F
understand how ideas are
organized.
G
recognize nonessential
information.
H
identify challenging
information.
J
distinguish fact from
opinion.
50
What is the main idea of the
passage?
F
Robert Ballard, a noteworthy
oceanographer, discovered
the remains of the Titanic in
1985.
G
At their annual banquet, the
members of the Explorers
Club eat scorpions and
kangaroo meat and swap
tales of adventure.
H
Members of the Explorers
Club believe we have only
just begun to explore the
planet.
J
Exploring is dangerous and
should be undertaken only
by trained scientists.
Practice Test
109
Practice Test
51
52
This passage can best be
described as
A
a piece of narrative fiction.
B
a newspaper article.
C
a persuasive essay.
D
a science fiction tale
The author includes testimony
from experts to make the
passage
F
more credible.
G
more entertaining.
H
more dramatic.
J
easier to imagine.
53
If you wanted to find out more
information about Ernest
Shackleton, which of these
books would be most helpful?
A
The Crystal Desert: Summers
in Antarctica
B
Antarctica: A Guide to the
Wildlife
C
Into Thin Air: A Personal
Account of the Mt. Everest
Disaster
D
Let Heroes Speak: Antarctica
Explorers, 1772–1922
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110
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Practice Test
D
irections
Read this passage by Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave who became
Mrs. Lincoln’s dressmaker and friend. Then answer the questions
that follow.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
from Behind the Scenes: The Assassination of
President Lincoln
At 11o’clock at night I was awakened by an old friend and neighbor,
Miss M. Brown, with the startling intelligence that the entire Cabinet had been
assassinated, and Mr. Lincoln shot, but not mortally wounded. When I heard
the words I felt as if the blood had been frozen in my veins, and that my lungs
must collapse for the want of air. Mr. Lincoln shot! The Cabinet assassinated!
What could it mean? The streets were alive with wondering, awe-stricken
people. Rumors flew thick and fast, and the wildest reports came with every
new arrival. The words were repeated with blanched cheeks and quivering lips.
I waked Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, and told them that the President was shot, and
that I must go to the White House. I could not remain in a state of uncertainty.
I felt that the house would not hold me. They tried to quiet me, but gentle
words could not calm the wild tempest. They quickly dressed themselves, and
we sallied out into the street to drift with the excited throng. We walked rapidly
towards the White House, and on our way passed the residence of Secretary
Seward, which was surrounded by armed soldiers, keeping back all intruders
with the point of the bayonet. We hurried on, and as we approached the White
House, saw that it too was surrounded with soldiers. Every entrance was
strongly guarded, and no one was permitted to pass. The guard at the gate told
us that Mr. Lincoln had not been brought home, but refused to give any other
information. More excited than ever, we wandered down the street. Grief and
anxiety were making me weak, and as we joined the outskirts of a large crowd,
I began to feel as meek and humble as a penitent child. A gray-haired old man
was passing. I caught a glimpse of his face, and it seemed so full of kindness
and sorrow that I gently touched his arm, and imploringly asked:
“Will you please, sir, to tell me whether Mr. Lincoln is dead or not?”
“Not dead,” he replied, “but dying. God help us!” and with a heavy step he
passed on.
“Not dead, but dying! Then indeed God help us!”
Practice Test
111
Practice Test
We learned that the President was mortally wounded—that he had been shot
down in his box at the theatre, and that he was not expected to live till morning;
when we returned home with heavy hearts. I could not sleep. I wanted to go to
Mrs. Lincoln, as I pictured her wild with grief; but then I did not know where to
find her, and I must wait till morning. Never did the hours drag so slowly. Every
moment seemed an age, and I could do nothing but walk about and hold my
arms in mental agony.
Morning came at last, and a sad morning was it. The flags that floated so
gayly yesterday now were draped in black, and hung in silent folds at half-mast.
The President was dead, and a nation was mourning for him. Every house was
draped in black, and every face wore a solemn look. People spoke in subdued
tones, and glided whisperingly, wonderingly, silently about the streets.
About eleven o’clock on Saturday morning a carriage drove up to the door, and
a messenger asked for “Elizabeth Keckley.”
“Who wants her?” I asked.
“I come from Mrs. Lincoln. If you are Mrs. Keckley, come with me immediately
to the White House.”
I hastily put on my shawl and bonnet, and was driven at a rapid rate to the
White House. Everything about the building was sad and solemn. I was quickly
shown to Mrs. Lincoln’s room, and on entering, saw Mrs. L. tossing uneasily
about upon a bed. . . .
No common mortal had died. The Moses of my people had fallen in the hour of
his triumph.
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She was nearly exhausted with grief, and when she became a little quiet, I
asked and received permission to go into the Guests’ Room, where the body of
the President lay in state. . . .
Practice Test
54
What is this passage mostly
about?
F
Mrs. Lincoln’s ordeal in the
days after Lincoln’s death
G
the effects of the
Emancipation Proclamation
H
J
56
the author’s memories of
events surrounding Lincoln’s
death
Americans’ manifestations of
grief for the slain president
57
55
Read the following sentence
from the passage.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
At 11 o’clock at night I was
awakened by an old friend and
neighbor, Miss M. Brown, with
the startling intelligence that
the entire Cabinet had been
assassinated, and Mr. Lincoln
shot, but not mortally wounded.
Which of these events can you
infer must have occurred first?
F
Keckley hears that the
members of the Cabinet have
been assassinated.
G
The White House is
surrounded with soldiers.
H
Keckley tries to find
Mrs. Lincoln.
J
President Lincoln is shot.
When Keckley refers to
Lincoln as “the Moses of my
people,” she means that he
A
was a lawgiver like Moses.
B
freed enslaved Africans in
the South.
C
was nicknamed “Moses”
because of his dignity.
D
died before achieving his
goal of preserving the Union.
The word intelligence means
A
espionage
B
wisdom
C
intellect
D
news
Practice Test
113
Practice Test
58
Read the following sentence
from the passage.
They tried to quiet me, but gentle
words could not calm the wild
tempest.
60
What does this passage reveal
about the death of President
Lincoln?
F
Leaders of foreign nations
shared America’s grief.
G
Terrible rumors and
wild speculation gripped
Washington, D.C.
H
The government sought
revenge against Lincoln’s
killer.
J
Lincoln died immediately
after being shot.
In this sentence, the phrase
“wild tempest” refers to
59
the narrator’s distraught
mental state.
G
the steady rain that fell on
Washington, D.C.
H
Mrs. Lincoln’s anguish.
J
the preparations to capture
Lincoln’s assassin.
The author conveys the theme
that
A
Lincoln was a great leader.
B
the Civil War was Lincoln’s
supreme test.
C
Mrs. Lincoln grieved for her
slain husband.
D
Lincoln’s greatest act
was the Emancipation
Proclamation.
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114
F
Practice Test
Section 1 Answer Form
Name:______________________________
P
Date:___________________________
lanning
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Use this page to plan your writing. You might consider using a graphic
organizer, such as a web, cluster, list, or outline. Then write your essay
on the lined pages that follow. Only your writing on the lined pages will
be scored.
Practice Test
115
Practice Test
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116
End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Practice Test
For an example of a good response to English II writing prompt, see the model
provided in the English II Guide for Parents, Students, and Teachers, which is
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
available on the Oklahoma Department of Education Web site.
Practice Test
117
Practice Test
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End-of-Instruction English II OCCT Preparation and Practice Workbook
Practice Test
Section 2 Answer Form
Name:______________________________
Genes and You
After Twenty Years
1
A
B
C
D
15
A
B
C
D
2
F
G
H
J
16
F
G
H
J
3
A
B
C
D
17
A
B
C
D
4
F
G
H
J
18
F
G
H
J
5
A
B
C
D
19
A
B
C
D
6
F
G
H
J
20
F
G
H
J
7
A
B
C
D
21
A
B
C
D
8
F
G
H
J
22
F
G
H
J
Mysterious Towns
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Date:___________________________
Student Tutoring Program:
Stutor-Gram!
9
A
B
C
D
10
F
G
H
J
23
A
B
C
D
11
A
B
C
D
24
F
G
H
J
12
F
G
H
J
25
A
B
C
D
13
A
B
C
D
26
F
G
H
J
14
F
G
H
J
27
A
B
C
D
28
F
G
H
J
29
A
B
C
D
30
F
G
H
J
Practice Test
119
Practice Test
Section 3 Answer Form
Name:______________________________
“Marked” and “For Poets”
Explorers Say There’s Still Lots to
Look For
31
A
B
C
D
32
F
G
H
J
47
A
B
C
D
33
A
B
C
D
48
F
G
H
J
34
F
G
H
J
49
A
B
C
D
35
A
B
C
D
50
F
G
H
J
36
F
G
H
J
51
A
B
C
D
37
A
B
C
D
52
F
G
H
J
38
F
G
H
J
53
A
B
C
D
39
A
B
C
D
40
F
G
H
J
Lance Armstrong’s Triumphant Return
41
A
B
C
D
42
F
G
H
J
43
A
B
C
D
44
F
G
H
J
45
A
B
C
D
46
F
G
H
J
from Behind the Scenes: The
Assassination of President Lincoln
54
F
G
H
J
55
A
B
C
D
56
F
G
H
J
57
A
B
C
D
58
F
G
H
J
59
A
B
C
D
60
F
G
H
J
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120
Date:___________________________
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