Student Name:
2015-2016
English II
Benchmark
Louisiana
Published by TE21, Inc. August 2014
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CASE English II
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DIRECTIONS:

Read each of the passages, and answer the questions that follow.

You will choose the best answer for some questions, but you will have to choose more
than one answer for others. Choose the best answer or answers from the choices given.

At the end of each task, you will also be asked to write a response based on the
passages.

Stop when you see the words “STOP. END OF ENGLISH II BENCHMARK.”
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Read and analyze passages from two short stories. As you read these passages, pay
attention to the characters. You will answer questions about each passage individually and
about the relationship between the passages. You will also write an analytical essay about
the passages.
The first passage is from “My Old Home,” a short story by the Chinese writer Lu Hsun that
describes the narrator’s return to his childhood home. Read the passage, and answer the
questions.
from
“My Old Home”
by Lu Hsun
1
One very cold afternoon, I sat drinking tea after lunch when I was aware of someone coming in, and
turned my head to see who it was. At the first glance I gave an involuntary start, hastily stood up
and went over to welcome him.
2
The newcomer was Jun-tu. But although I knew at a glance that this was Jun-tu, it was not the Juntu I remembered. He had grown to twice his former size. His round face, once crimson, had become
sallow, and acquired deep lines and wrinkles; his eyes too had become like his father’s, the rims
swollen and red, a feature common to most peasants who work by the sea and are exposed all day
to the wind from the ocean. He wore a shabby felt cap and just one very thin padded jacket, with
the result that he was shivering from head to foot. He carried a paper package and a long pipe, nor
was his hand the plump red hand I remembered, but coarse and clumsy and chapped, like the bark
of a pine tree.
3
Delighted as I was, I did not know how to express myself, and could only say:
4
“Oh! Jun-tu—so it’s you?”
5
After this there were so many things I wanted to talk about, they should have poured out like a
string of beads: woodcocks, jumping fish, shells, zha…. But I was tongue-tied, unable to put all I
was thinking into words.
6
He stood there, mixed joy and sadness showing on his face. His lips moved, but not a sound did he
utter. Finally, assuming a respectful attitude, he said clearly:
7
“Master!”
8
I felt a shiver run through me; for I knew then what a lamentably thick wall had grown up between
us. Yet I could not say anything.
9
He turned his head to call:
10 “Shui-sheng, bow to the master.” Then he pulled forward a boy who had been hiding behind his
back, and this was just the Jun-tu of twenty years before, only a little paler and thinner, and he had
no silver necklet.
11 “This is my fifth,” he said. “He’s not used to company, so he’s shy and awkward.”
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12 Mother came downstairs with Hung-erh, probably after hearing our voices.
13 “I got your letter some time ago, madam,” said Jun-tu. “I was really so pleased to know the master
was coming back….”
14 “Now, why are you so polite? Weren’t you playmates together in the past?” said mother gaily. “You
had better still call him Brother Hsun as before.”
15 “Oh, you are really too…. What bad manners that would be. I was a child then and didn’t
understand.” As he was speaking Jun-tu motioned Shui-sheng to come and bow, but the child was
shy, and stood stock-still behind his father.
16 “So he is Shui-sheng? Your fifth?” asked mother. “We are all strangers, you can’t blame him for
feeling shy. Hung-erh had better take him out to play.”
17 When Hung-erh heard this he went over to Shui-sheng, and Shui-sheng went out with him, entirely
at his ease. Mother asked Jun-tu to sit down, and after a little hesitation he did so; then leaning his
long pipe against the table he handed over the paper package, saying:
18 “In winter there is nothing worth bringing; but these few beans we dried ourselves, if you will
excuse the liberty, sir.”
19 When I asked him how things were with him, he just shook his head.
20 “In a very bad way. Even my sixth can do a little work, but still we haven’t enough to eat…and then
there is no security…all sorts of people want money, there is no fixed rule…and the harvests are
bad. You grow things, and when you take them to sell you always have to pay several taxes and
lose money, while if you don’t try to sell, the things may go bad….”
21 He kept shaking his head; yet, although his face was lined with wrinkles, not one of them moved,
just as if he were a stone statue. No doubt he felt intensely bitter, but could not express himself.
After a pause he took up his pipe and began to smoke in silence.
22 From her chat with him, mother learned that he was busy at home and had to go back the next day;
and since he had had no lunch, she told him to go to the kitchen and fry some rice for himself.
23 After he had gone out, mother and I both shook our heads over his hard life: many children,
famines, taxes, soldiers, bandits, officials and landed gentry, all had squeezed him as dry as a
mummy. Mother said that we should offer him all the things we were not going to take away, letting
him choose for himself.
24 That afternoon he picked out a number of things: two long tables, four chairs, an incense burner
and candlesticks, and one balance. He also asked for all the ashes from the stove (in our part we
cook over straw, and the ashes can be used to fertilize sandy soil), saying that when we left he
would come to take them away by boat.
25 That night we talked again, but not of anything serious; and the next morning he went away with
Shui-sheng.
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26 After another nine days it was time for us to leave. Jun-tu came in the morning. Shui-sheng did not
come with him—he had just brought a little girl of five to watch the boat. We were very busy all day,
and had no time to talk. We also had quite a number of visitors, some to see us off, some to fetch
things, and some to do both. It was nearly evening when we left by boat, and by that time
everything in the house, however old or shabby, large or small, fine or coarse, had been cleared
away.
27 As we set off, in the dusk, the green mountains on either side of the river became deep blue,
receding towards the stern of the boat.
28 Hung-erh and I, leaning against the cabin window, were looking out together at the indistinct scene
outside, when suddenly he asked:
29 “Uncle, when shall we go back?”
30 “Go back? Do you mean that before you’ve left you want to go back?”
31 “Well, Shui-sheng has invited me to his home….”
32 He opened wide his black eyes in anxious thought.
33 Mother and I both felt rather sad, and so Jun-tu’s name came up again. Mother said that ever since
our family started packing up, Mrs. Yang from the beancurd shop had come over every day, and the
day before in the ash-heap she had unearthed a dozen bowls and plates, which after some
discussion she insisted must have been buried there by Jun-tu, so that when he came to remove the
ashes he could take them home at the same time. After making this discovery Mrs. Yang was very
pleased with herself, and flew off taking the dog-teaser with her. (The dog-teaser is used by poultry
keepers in our parts. It is a wooden cage inside which food is put, so that hens can stretch their
necks in to eat but dogs can only look on furiously.) And it was a marvel, considering the size of her
feet, how fast she could run.
34 I was leaving the old house farther and farther behind, while the hills and rivers of my old home
were also receding gradually ever farther in the distance. But I felt no regret. I only felt that all
round me was an invisible high wall, cutting me off from my fellows, and this depressed me
thoroughly. The vision of that small hero with the silver necklet among the watermelons had
formerly been as clear as day, but now it suddenly blurred, adding to my depression.
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Part A
1.
What is the meaning of lamentably as it is used in paragraph 8?
A defiantly
B inexcusably
C surprisingly
D unfortunately
Part B
2.
Which phrase from the passage helps to clarify the meaning of lamentably ?
A “…went over to welcome him.” (paragraph 1)
B “He wore a shabby felt cap…” (paragraph 2)
C “Delighted as I was…” (paragraph 3)
D “…mixed joy and sadness showing on his face.” (paragraph 6)
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Part A
3.
Which statement clarifies the relationship between the narrator and his childhood
friend, Jun-tu, upon the narrator’s return home?
A The narrator desires to repair his relationship with Jun-tu.
B The narrator feels estranged from Jun-tu.
C The narrator is frustrated by Jun-tu’s complaints.
D The narrator is embarrassed by his friendship with Jun-tu.
Part B
4.
Which two paragraphs from the passage support the answer in Part A?
A paragraph 2
B paragraph 13
C paragraph 20
D paragraph 22
E
paragraph 25
F
paragraph 34
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Select one central idea and two supporting details for this passage to complete the
graphic organizer.
Central Idea
Supporting Details
1.
2.
Part A
5.
Select the statement that reflects a central idea of the passage.
A Childhood is associated with a joyfulness that is lost in adulthood.
B Children need to demonstrate greater respect for their elders.
C It is difficult for people to overcome barriers between social classes.
D Wealthy people should be encouraged to show generosity towards the poor.
Part B
6.
Select two sections from the passage that act as supporting details to the answer in
Part A.
A paragraphs 6-8
B paragraphs 9-11
C paragraphs 13-15
D paragraphs 18-20
E
paragraphs 23-24
F
paragraphs 29-32
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The second passage is from “The Homecoming Stranger,” a short story written by the
Chinese writer Bei Dao. The narrator, a young girl named Lanlan, is reunited with her
father, a former actor who was imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution in China. Read
the passage, and answer the questions.
from
“The Homecoming Stranger”
by Bei Dao
1
Papa was back.
2
After exactly twenty years of reform through labor, which took him from the Northeast to Shanxi,
and then from Shanxi to Gansu, he was just like a sailor swept overboard by a wave, struggling
blindly against the undertow until miraculously he is tossed by another wave back onto the same
deck.
3
The verdict was: it was entirely a misjudgment, and he has been granted complete rehabilitation.
That day, when the leaders of the Theater Association honored our humble home to announce the
decision, I almost jumped up: when did you become so clever? Didn’t the announcement that he
was an offender against the people come out of your mouths too? It was Mama’s eyes, those calm
yet suffering eyes, that stopped me.
4
Next came the dress rehearsal for the celebration: we moved from a tiny pigeon loft into a threebedroom apartment in a big building: sofas, bookcases, desks, and chrome folding chairs appeared
as if by magic (I kept saying half-jokingly to Mama that these were the troupe’s props); relatives
and friends came running in and out all day, until the lacquer doorknob was rubbed shiny by their
hands, and even those uncles and aunts who hadn’t shown up all those years rushed to offer
congratulations…all right, cheer, sing, but what does all this have to do with me? My Papa died a
long time ago, he died twenty years ago, just when a little four or five-year old girl needed a father’s
love—that’s what Mama, the school, kind-hearted souls, and the whole social upbringing that starts
at birth told me. Not only this, you even wanted me to hate him, curse him. It’s even possible you’d
have given me a whip so I could lash him viciously! Now it’s the other way around, you’re wearing a
different face. What do you want me to do? Cry or laugh?
5
Yesterday at dinner time, Mama was even more considerate than usual, endlessly filling my bowl
with food. After the meal, she drew a telegram from the drawer and handed it to me, showing not
the slightest sign of any emotion.
6
“Him?”
7
“He arrives tomorrow, at 4:50 in the afternoon.”
8
I crumbled the telegram, staring numbly into Mama’s eyes.
9
“Go and meet him, Lanlan.” She avoided my gaze.
10 “I have a class tomorrow afternoon.”
11 “Get someone to take it for you.”
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12 I turned toward my room. “I won’t go.”
13 “Lanlan.” Mama raised her voice. “He is your father, after all!”
14 “Father?” I muttered, turning away fiercely, as if overcome with fear at the meaning of this word.
From an irregular spasm in my heart, I realized it was stitches from the old wound splitting open
one by one.
15 I closed the composition book spread in front of me: Zhang Xiaoxia, 2nd Class, 5th Year. A spirited
girl, her head always slightly to one side in a challenging way, just like me as a child. Oh yes,
childhood. For all of us life begins with those pale blue copybooks, with those words, sentences, and
punctuation marks smudged by erasers; or, to put it more precisely, it begins with a certain degree
of deception. The teachers delineated life with halos, but which of them does not turn into a smoke
ring or an iron hoop?
16 Shadows flowed in from the long old-fashioned windows, dulling the bright light on the glass
desktop. The entire staff-room was steeped in drowsy tranquility. I sighed, tidied my things, locked
the door and crossing the deserted school grounds walked toward home.
17 The apartment block with its glittering lights was like a huge television screen, the unlit windows
composing an elusive image. After a little while some of the windows lit up, and some went dark
again. But the three windows on the seventh floor remained as they were: one bright and two dark.
I paced up and down for a long time in the vacant lot piled with white line and fir poles. On a
crooked, broken signboard were the words: “Safety First.”
18 Strange, why is it that in all the world’s languages, this particular meaning comes out as the same
sound: Papa. Fathers of different colors, temperaments, and status all derive the same satisfaction
from this sound. Yet I still can’t say it. What do I know about him? Except for a few surviving old
photographs retaining a childhood dream (perhaps every little girl would have such dreams): him,
sitting on an elephant like an Arab sheik, a white cloth wound round his head, a resplendent man on
the elephant’s back, golden tassels dangling to the ground….
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Part A
7.
How do the phrases turning away, overcome with fear, spasm in my heart, and stitches
from the old wound in paragraph 14 contribute to the tone of the passage?
A They bring attention to the narrator’s anxiety about her father’s return.
B They emphasize the narrator’s unwillingness to forgive her father for his crimes.
C They highlight the narrator’s inability to cope with change.
D They illustrate the narrator’s opposition to authority figures.
Part B
8.
Select two paragraphs that reinforce the tone created in paragraph 14.
A paragraph 2
B paragraph 3
C paragraph 4
D paragraph 8
E
paragraph 15
F
paragraph 16
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CASE English II
9.
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Complete the graphic organizer by selecting one choice that describes Lanlan’s
attitude towards her childhood and one piece of evidence from the passage to support
the answer.
A
B
Lanlan’s Attitude
Towards Her Childhood
Evidence from the Passage
?
?
Lanlan’s Attitude
Towards her Childhood
(choose one )
Evidence from the Passage
(choose one )
bitter and traumatic
oppressive and shameful
E
“That day, when the leaders of the Theater
Association honored our humble home to announce
the decision, I almost jumped up: when did you
become so clever?” (paragraph 3)
F
“A spirited girl, her head always slightly to one side
in a challenging way, just like me as a child.”
(paragraph 15)
C
shocking and intolerable
G
“For all of us life begins with those pale blue
copybooks, with those words, sentences, and
punctuation marks smudged by erasers; or, to put it
more precisely, it begins with a certain degree of
deception.” (paragraph 15)
D
unpredictable and tragic
H
“Strange, why is it that in all the world’s languages,
this particular meaning comes out as the same
sound: Papa.” (paragraph 18)
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Part A
10. What impact does paragraph 18 have on the passage?
A It affirms Lanlan’s cold and detached behavior towards her family.
B It develops suspense by foreshadowing the difficulties facing Lanlan.
C It emphasizes the sense of mystery regarding the father and his imprisonment.
D It reinforces the feeling of tension that is built throughout the passage.
Part B
11. Which paragraphs from the text support the answer in Part A?
A paragraphs 1-2
B paragraphs 3-4
C paragraphs 12-13
D paragraphs 16-17
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Literary Analysis Task—Prose Constructed Response
You read two passages, one from Lu Hsun’s “My Old Home” and one from Bei Dao’s “The
Homecoming Stranger.” Both passages develop complex characters reuniting with people
from their pasts. However, there is a difference in the ways in which the authors develop
their characters.
On a separate sheet of paper, write an essay in which you analyze the different approaches
the authors take to develop these characters and their internal conflicts. Use specific
evidence from both passages to support your analysis.
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Read and analyze three passages connected to the civil rights movement in the United
States during the 1960s: “An Open Letter to Dr. King from Birmingham Clergymen,” “Letter
from a Birmingham Jail,” and “The Cause He Died For.” As you review these passages,
answer questions and gather information so that you can write an essay synthesizing what
you have learned.
The first passage is “An Open Letter to Dr. King from Birmingham Clergymen” written by
eight community religious leaders. The letter appeared in the Birmingham News on April
12, 1963. Read the passage, and answer the questions.
“An Open Letter to Dr. King from Birmingham
Clergymen”
1
We clergymen are among those who, in January, issued “an Appeal for Law and Order and
Common Sense,” in dealing with racial problems in Alabama. We expressed understanding that
honest convictions in racial matters could properly be pursued in the courts, but urged that
decisions of those courts should in the meantime be peacefully obeyed.
2
Since that time there has been some evidence of increased forbearance and a willingness to face
facts. Responsible citizens have undertaken to work on various problems which cause racial friction
and unrest. In Birmingham, recent public events have given indication that we all have opportunity
for a new constructive and realistic approach to racial problems.
3
However, we are now confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens,
directed and led in part by outsiders. We recognize the natural impatience of people who feel that
their hopes are slow in being realized. But we are convinced that these demonstrations are unwise
and untimely.
4
We agree rather with certain local Negro leadership which has called for honest and open
negotiation of racial issues in our area. And we believe this kind of facing of issues can best be
accomplished by citizens of our own metropolitan area, white and Negro, meeting with their
knowledge and experiences of the local situation. All of us need to face that responsibility and find
proper channels for its accomplishment.
5
Just as we formerly pointed out that “hatred and violence have no sanction in our religious and
political traditions,” we also point out that such actions as incite to hatred and violence, however
technically peaceful those actions may be, have not contributed to the resolution of our local
problems. We do not believe that these days of new hope are days when extreme measures are
justified in Birmingham.
6
We commend the community as a whole, and the local news media and law enforcement officials
in particular, on the calm manner in which these demonstrations have been handled. We urge the
public to continue to show restraint should the demonstrations continue, and the law enforcement
officials to remain calm and continue to protect our city from violence.
7
We further strongly urge our own Negro community to withdraw support from these demonstrations,
and to unite locally in working peacefully for a better Birmingham. When rights are consistently
denied, a cause should be pressed in the courts and in negotiations among local leaders, and not in
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the streets. We appeal to both our white and Negro citizenry to observe the principles of law and
order and common sense.
Signed by,
C. C. J. Carpenter, D.D., LL.D., Bishop of Alabama
Joseph A. Durick, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop, Diocese of Mobile, Birmingham
Rabbi Hilton L. Grafman, Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, Alabama
Bishop Paul Hardin, Bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference
Bishop Nolan B. Harmon, Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the Methodist Church
George M. Murray, D.D., LL.D., Bishop Coadjutor, Episcopal Diocese of Alabama
Edward V. Ramage, Moderator, Synod of the Alabama Presbyterian Church in the United States
Earl Stallings, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama
Part A
12. What does the phrase proper channels mean as it is used in paragraph 4?
A correct procedures
B formal meetings
C honest discussion
D speedy resolution
Part B
13. Which phrase helps to clarify the meaning of proper channels ?
A “…evidence of increased forbearance and a willingness to face facts.” (paragraph 2)
B “…confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens…” (paragraph 3)
C “…when extreme measures are justified in Birmingham.” (paragraph 5)
D “…should be pressed in the courts and in negotiations among local leaders…” (paragraph 7)
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Part A
14. How do the authors use structure to provide further support for their initial “Appeal for
Law and Order and Common Sense” in paragraph 1?
A They use cause and effect to emphasize the positive outcome of past, peaceful responses to
civil unrest.
B They use comparison to highlight the shared desire of local leaders to resolve the existing racial
tension quickly.
C They use description to illustrate how the demonstrations have exacerbated conditions in
Birmingham.
D They use sequential order to explain the next steps that the people must take in response to
continued civil unrest.
Part B
15. Which quotation from the text supports the answer in Part A?
A “In Birmingham, recent public events have given indication that we all have opportunity for a
new constructive and realistic approach to racial problems.” (paragraph 2)
B “We agree rather with certain local Negro leadership which has called for honest and open
negotiation of racial issues in our area.” (paragraph 4)
C “Just as we formerly pointed out that ‘hatred and violence have no sanction in our religious and
political traditions,’ we also point out that such actions as incite to hatred and violence,
however technically peaceful those actions may be, have not contributed to the resolution of
our local problems.” (paragraph 5)
D “We urge the public to continue to show restraint should the demonstrations continue, and
the law enforcement officials to remain calm and continue to protect our city from violence.”
(paragraph 6)
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Part A
16. Which statement reflects a central idea of the letter?
A This letter, written by community religious leaders, advises people to show more respect for
the legal system because it is infallible and always right.
B This letter, written by community religious leaders, argues that public demonstrations will not
resolve the existing racial tension.
C This letter, written by community religious leaders, criticizes outsiders who are responsible for
the current racial problems.
D This letter, written by community religious leaders, laments that African Americans have been
denied their civil rights for too long.
Part B
17. Choose two details to support the answer in Part A.
A “We expressed understanding that honest convictions in racial matters could properly be
pursued in the courts, but urged that decisions of those courts should in the meantime be
peacefully obeyed.” (paragraph 1)
B “Responsible citizens have undertaken to work on various problems which cause racial friction
and unrest.” (paragraph 2)
C “In Birmingham, recent public events have given indication that we all have opportunity for a
new constructive and realistic approach to racial problems.” (paragraph 2)
D “However, we are now confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens,
directed and led in part by outsiders.” (paragraph 3)
E
“But we are convinced that these demonstrations are unwise and untimely.” (paragraph 3)
F
“And we believe this kind of facing of issues can best be accomplished by citizens of our own
metropolitan area, white and Negro, meeting with their knowledge and experiences of the local
situation.” (paragraph 4)
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The second passage is from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King’s response to the
clergymen, written on April 16, 1963. Read the passage, and answer the questions.
from
“Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
by Dr. Martin Luther King
My Dear Fellow Clergymen:
1
While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my
present activities “unwise and untimely.” Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and
ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little
time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no
time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your
criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be
patient and reasonable terms.
2
I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view
which argues against “outsiders coming in.” I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with
headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty five affiliated organizations across the
South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share
staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in
Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were
deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So
I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I
have organizational ties here.
3
But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth
century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of
their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of
Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of
freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call
for aid.
4
Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by
in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat
to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single
garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to
live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States
can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.
5
You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say,
fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am
sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that
deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that
demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city’s white
power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.
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6
In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether
injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these
steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this
community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its
ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the
courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham
than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of
these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently
refused to engage in good faith negotiation.
7
Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham’s economic
community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants—for
example, to remove the stores’ humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the
Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that
we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others
remained. As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep
disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby
we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local
and the national community. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process
of self-purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked
ourselves: “Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?” “Are you able to endure the ordeal of
jail?” We decided to schedule our direct action program for the Easter season, realizing that except
for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economicwithdrawal program would be the byproduct of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time
to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change.
8
Then it occurred to us that Birmingham’s mayoral election was coming up in March, and we speedily
decided to postpone action until after election day. When we discovered that the Commissioner of
Public Safety, Eugene “Bull” Connor, had piled up enough votes to be in the run off, we decided
again to postpone action until the day after the run off so that the demonstrations could not be used
to cloud the issues. Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end we
endured postponement after postponement. Having aided in this community need, we felt that our
direct action program could be delayed no longer.
9
You may well ask: “Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better
path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action.
Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community
which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize
the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of
the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the
word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive,
nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to
create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths
to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for
nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark
depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The
purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably
open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has
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our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than
dialogue.
10 One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in
Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: “Why didn’t you give the new city administration time to
act?” The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must
be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel
that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham. While Mr.
Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both segregationists, dedicated to
maintenance of the status quo. I have hope that Mr. Boutwell will be reasonable enough to see the
futility of massive resistance to desegregation. But he will not see this without pressure from
devotees of civil rights. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil
rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that
privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and
voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to
be more immoral than individuals.
11 We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it
must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that
was “well timed” in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation.
For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing
familiarity. This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see, with one of our
distinguished jurists, that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”
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Part A
18. Which word is a synonym for affiliate as it is used in paragraph 2?
A associate
B citizen
C employee
D sponsor
Part B
19. Which phrase from paragraph 2 helps the reader to determine the meaning of affiliate ?
A “…in every southern state…”
B “…nonviolent direct action program…”
C “…we lived up to our promise.”
D “…organizational ties here.”
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Part A
20. How does King develop his claim in paragraph 9 that “there is a type of constructive,
nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth”?
A He supports the claim by explaining the flaws in resolving disputes through negotiations.
B He supports the claim by stating what would happen if action is postponed.
C He supports the claim by connecting the problems of the past to those facing society today.
D He supports the claim by outlining the steps enacted in a nonviolent campaign.
Part B
21. Select two quotations that provide evidence for the answer in Part A.
A “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine
whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action.” (paragraph 6)
B “On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers.”
(paragraph 6)
C “Then it occurred to us that Birmingham’s mayoral election was coming up in March, and we
speedily decided to postpone action until after election day.” (paragraph 8)
D “Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end we endured
postponement after postponement.” (paragraph 8)
E
“The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must
be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act.” (paragraph 10)
F
“While Mr. Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both
segregationists, dedicated to maintenance of the status quo.” (paragraph 10)
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Part A
22. How does Dr. King’s opinion of national involvement in the Birmingham dispute differ
from the one presented in “An Open Letter to Dr. King from Birmingham Clergymen”?
A King believes that people must be patient in order to obtain equal rights, while the clergymen
believe that local leaders are already working to resolve the dispute.
B King believes that the events in Birmingham are of national concern, while the clergymen
believe the dispute is a local problem that should be resolved by its residents.
C King believes that there are many different methods to resolve the dispute in Birmingham,
while the clergymen believe it is up to the courts to decide.
D King believes that national involvement poses great risk, while the clergymen believe there is
little threat to those parties involved.
Part B
23. Which two quotations support the answer in Part A?
“Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
(choose one )
A
“Like Paul, I must constantly respond to
the Macedonian call for aid.”
(paragraph 3)
B
“Whatever affects one directly, affects
all indirectly.” (paragraph 4)
C
D
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“It is unfortunate that demonstrations
are taking place in Birmingham, but it is
even more unfortunate that the city’s
white power structure left the Negro
community with no alternative.”
(paragraph 5)
“We began a series of workshops on
nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked
ourselves: ‘Are you able to accept blows
without retaliating?’ ‘Are you able to
endure the ordeal of jail?’”
(paragraph 7)
E
“An Open Letter to Dr. King from
Birmingham Clergymen”
(choose one )
“We expressed understanding that honest
convictions in racial matters could
properly be pursued in the courts, but
urged that decisions of those courts
should in the meantime be peacefully
obeyed.” (paragraph 1)
F
“However, we are now confronted by a
series of demonstrations by some of our
Negro citizens, directed and led in part by
outsiders.” (paragraph 3)
G
“All of us need to face that responsibility
and find proper channels for its
accomplishment.” (paragraph 4)
H
“We commend the community as a
whole, and the local news media and law
enforcement officials in particular, on the
calm manner in which these
demonstrations have been handled.”
(paragraph 6)
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The final passage, “The Cause He Died For,” was written by Department of Labor Secretary
Tom Perez on April 4, 2014. Read the passage, and answer the questions.
“The Cause He Died For”
by Thomas E. Perez
1
It’s been 50 years since President Lyndon Johnson announced his “War on Poverty.” It was a time
when the nation redefined its values, extending to millions of people the chance at last to be a part
of the American Dream. A half century later, we have made enormous progress. But we still must do
more to extend opportunity to those who live on society’s margins. With patience, persistence and
partnership, we can create economic opportunity for every person willing to work hard for it.
2
The early years of the struggle were full of both tremendous achievements (the passage of
Medicare, Medicaid and the Civil Rights Act to name just a few), but also devastating setbacks.
Today in particular, I recall one of the most tragic. It was on this date—April 4, 1968—that Martin
Luther King Jr. was gunned down on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn.
3
The story of the events surrounding that day now serves as an inspiring lesson for me. It’s a story of
persecution and outright racism. It’s also a story about collective bargaining and how empowered,
organized workers can reduce inequality and bring about economic justice.
4
King had come to Memphis to lend his moral authority to the struggle of striking municipal sanitation
workers who were overwhelmingly African-American. They earned poverty wages, endured
degrading working conditions and faced brutal beatings when they tried to organize. “They felt a
garbage man wasn’t nothing,” said one of the workers. “And they figured they could treat us any
way they wanted to treat us.” When a hydraulic ram crushed sanitation workers Echol Cole and
Robert Walker to death in the back of a garbage truck, the situation came to a boiling point and
more than 1,000 workers walked off the job. By the time King arrived, the strike had dragged into
its third month, with workers rallying around their powerful slogan “I am a Man” and the municipal
government refusing to budge.
5
King’s assassination exacerbated existing tensions, not just in Memphis but around the country. This
is where the Labor Department becomes part of the story. Days after the assassination, President
Johnson dispatched James Reynolds, the assistant secretary of labor for labor-management
relations, into the eye of the storm. Reynolds’ clever negotiating tactics helped to clear the way for a
resolution. Two weeks after King’s death, the conflict was over, with the workers gaining recognition
of their union and wage increases.
6
To fulfill the promise of economic opportunity, we must remain true to the principle that collective
bargaining is a cornerstone of a free society and indispensable to a strong middle class. Everywhere
we look, there are new groups of workers beginning to organize at the grassroots level. Hospital
housekeepers, fast food workers, call center customer service representatives and autoworkers on
the assembly line are taking action and speaking up for their rights in the workplace. Where labor
rights are threatened, public sector workers like teachers and sanitation workers—channeling the
heroism of the Memphis strikers—are refusing to back down. These diverse groups of ordinary
workers are today’s extraordinary champions of civil rights and labor rights—two movements that
must be one and the same.
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It is King himself who articulated the spirit of collective bargaining better than anyone when he
wrote, in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,
tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Let us
remember the grievous loss we experienced on this day, but let us not forget the enduring cause
that brought King to that fateful balcony and the brave men and women who carry on his legacy.
Part A
24. The phrase collective bargaining is used in paragraphs 3, 6, and 7. Which statement
explains the meaning of the phrase?
A interference from an outside, secondary party
B confrontation between citizens and government
C decision making by a select few for the whole group
D negotiation between employers and employees
Part B
25. Which quotation from the passage helps to clarify the meaning of the phrase collective
bargaining ?
A “They earned poverty wages, endured degrading working conditions and faced brutal beatings
when they tried to organize.” (paragraph 4)
B “By the time King arrived, the strike had dragged into its third month, with workers rallying
around their powerful slogan ‘I am a Man’ and the municipal government refusing to budge.”
(paragraph 4)
C “Days after the assassination, President Johnson dispatched James Reynolds, the assistant
secretary of labor for labor-management relations, into the eye of the storm.” (paragraph 5)
D “Hospital housekeepers, fast food workers, call center customer service representatives and
autoworkers on the assembly line are taking action and speaking up for their rights in the
workplace.” (paragraph 6)
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Part A
26. According to the author, what was an indirect result of the sanitation workers’ strike in
Memphis?
A Tensions between African Americans and whites increased.
B The strike became a source of inspiration to future generations.
C People began to rely on the Department of Labor to resolve conflicts.
D Martin Luther King penned a letter in response to the Birmingham clergymen.
Part B
27. Which quotation from the passage supports the answer in Part A?
A “When a hydraulic ram crushed sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker to death in
the back of a garbage truck, the situation came to a boiling point…” (paragraph 4)
B “Days after the assassination, President Johnson dispatched James Reynolds, the assistant
secretary of labor for labor-management relations, into the eye of the storm.” (paragraph 5)
C “Where labor rights are threatened, public sector workers like teachers and sanitation
workers—channeling the heroism of the Memphis strikers—are refusing to back down.”
(paragraph 6)
D “It is King himself who articulated the spirit of collective bargaining better than anyone when
he wrote, in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail…” (paragraph 7)
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You have read three passages about the same topic, but each passage emphasizes certain
details more than others. For questions 27-29, select one detail that is emphasized in each
passage.
Passage
28.
29.
30.
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“Open Letter to
Dr. King from
Birmingham
Clergymen”
“Letter from a
Birmingham Jail”
“The Cause He
Died For”
Detail Emphasized
(choose one )
Possible Details
A commitment to maintaining peace
and order
B necessity of force in order to effect
social change
C resolving conflict through dialogue
and discussion
D the disconnect between leaders
and the people they govern
E
rights will not be voluntarily
bestowed upon the oppressed
F
memorializing leaders who have
improved the country
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Research Simulation Task—Prose Constructed Response
You read three passages pertaining to the civil rights movement, “An Open Letter to Dr.
King from Birmingham Clergymen,” an excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Dr.
Martin Luther King, and “The Cause He Died For” by Thomas E. Perez.
On a separate sheet of paper, write an essay that compares the primary argument in the
passages regarding how people should address civil rights violations. Your essay should
explain how effectively each passage uses evidence and/or reasoning to support the
primary argument. Be sure to support your answer using evidence from each of the three
passages.
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Read the excerpt from the poem “The Gaucho Martin Fierro” written by Jose Hernandez. As
you read, pay attention to the development of the gaucho character so that you can write a
narrative story.
Published in 1879, “The Gaucho Martin Fierro” is a classic epic poem about the life of a
gaucho, the archetypal Argentinian cowboy. Read the poem, and answer the questions.
from
“The Gaucho Martin Fierro”
by Jose Hernandez
No one speak of sorrows to me because I live sorrowing;
and nobody should give himself airs even though he’s got a foot in the stirrup—
even the gaucho with most sense often finds himself left on foot.
5
You gather experience in life, enough to lend and give away,
if you have to go through with it between tears and suffering—
because nothing teaches you so much as to suffer and cry.
Man comes blind into the world with hope tugging him on,
and within a few steps, misfortunes have caught him and beat him down...
the hard lessons Time with its changes brings!
10
15
I have known this land when the working-man lived in it
and had his little cabin and his children and his wife...
It was a delight to see the way he spent his days.
Then...when the morning star was shining in the blessed sky,
and the crowing of the cocks told us that day was near,
a gaucho would make his way to the kitchen…it was a joy.
And sitting beside the fire waiting for day to come,
he’d suck at the bitter mate1 till he was glowing warm,
while his girl was sleeping tucked up in his poncho.
20
And just as soon as the dawn started to turn red,
and the birds to sing and the hens come down off their perch,
it was time to get going, each man to his work.
One would be tying on his spurs, someone else go out singing;
one choose a supple sheepskin, one a lasso, someone else a whip—
and the whinnying horses calling them from the hitching rail.
25
The one whose job was horse-breaking headed for the corral,
where the beast was waiting, snorting fit to burst—
wild and wicked as they come and tearing itself to bits.
1
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mate—strong green tea
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30
And there the skillful gaucho, soon as he’d got a rein on the colt,
would settle the leathers on his back and mount him straight away...
A man shows, in this life, the craft God gave to him.
And plunging around the clearing, the brute would tear itself up
while the man was playing him with the round spurs, on his shoulders
and he’d rush out squirming with the leathers squeaking loud.
35
Ah, what times they were! you felt proud to see how a man could ride.
When a gaucho really knew his job, even if the colt went right over backward,
not one of them wouldn’t land on his feet with the halter-rein in his hand.
And while some were breaking-in, others went out on the land
and rounded up the cattle and got together the horse-herds—
and like that, without noticing, they’d pass the day, enjoying themselves.
40
45
And as night fell, you’d see them together again in the kitchen,
with the fire well alight and a hundred things to talk over—
they’d be happy, chatting together till after the evening meal.
And with your belly well filled it was a fine thing
to go to sleep the way things should be, in the arms of love—
and so to next day, to begin the work from the day before.
I remember—ah, that was good! how the gauchos went around,
always cheerful and well mounted and willing for work...
But these days—curse it! you don’t see them, they’re so beaten down.
50
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Even the poorest gaucho had a string of matching horses,
he could always find some amusement, people were ready for anything...
Looking out across the land you’d see nothing but cattle and sky.
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Part A
31. What is the speaker’s point of view towards the gaucho’s way of life?
A He believes it was civilized and pure.
B He believes it was demeaning and naive.
C He believes it was humble and gratifying.
D He believes it was intense and difficult.
Part B
32. Which lines from the poem support the answer in Part A?
A “and had his little cabin and his children and his wife...
It was a delight to see the way he spent his days.” (lines 11-12)
B “One would be tying on his spurs, someone else go out singing;
one choose a supple sheepskin, one a lasso, someone else a whip—” (lines 22-23)
C “And while some were breaking-in, others went out on the land
and rounded up the cattle and got together the horse-herds—” (lines 37-38)
D “And as night fell, you’d see them together again in the kitchen,
with the fire well alight and a hundred things to talk over—” (lines 40-41)
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Part A
33. How are the details about horse-breaking in lines 25-36 important to the development
of gauchos?
A They emphasize the fears that plagued the daily existences of gauchos.
B They illustrate the strength and expertise required of gauchos.
C They reinforce the freedom and independence that gauchos once enjoyed.
D They suggest the animosity between gauchos and their horses.
Part B
34. Which phrase from the poem supports the answer in Part A?
A “…headed for the corral,” (line 25)
B “And plunging around the clearing…” (line 31)
C “…with the leathers squeaking loud…” (line 33)
D “not one of them wouldn’t land on his feet…” (line 36)
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35. Which choice does the author make regarding structure, and how does it affect the
poem?
Author’s Choice Regarding Structure
(choose one )
How Structure Affects the Poem
(choose one )
A
The author uses flashback to reminisce
on the camaraderie displayed around the
campfire.
E
The author creates a feeling of anger.
B
The author uses foreshadowing to
forewarn of the misfortunes that befall
people in life.
F
The author creates a feeling of nostalgia.
C
The author uses pacing to describe the
gauchos’ process of horse-breaking.
G
The author creates a feeling of remorse.
D
The author uses parallel plots to focus on
the differences between the gauchos’
existences in the past and present.
H
The author creates a feeling of tension.
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Part A
36. How does the use of personification in line 44 impact the meaning and tone of the
poem?
A The use of personification highlights the speaker’s feelings of acceptance and remorse.
B The use of personification highlights the speaker’s feelings of ease and relaxation.
C The use of personification highlights the speaker’s feelings of peace and contentment.
D The use of personification highlights the speaker’s feelings of solace and introspection.
Part B
37. Which additional line from the poem produces the same effect?
A “Man comes blind into the world with hope tugging him on,” (line 7)
B “Then...when the morning star was shining in the blessed sky,” (line 13)
C “and so to next day, to begin the work from the day before.” (line 45)
D “he could always find some amusement, people were ready for anything...” (line 50)
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Part A
38. Which statement summarizes a central theme of the poem?
A Be prepared to experience disappointment and loss.
B Close friendship will provide solace during difficult times.
C Embrace and appreciate today’s realities.
D Find the positive in a negative situation.
Part B
39. Select two lines from the poem that support the answer in Part A.
A “and within a few steps, misfortunes have caught him and beat him down...” (line 8)
B “I have known this land when the working-man lived in it” (line 10)
C “they’d be happy, chatting together till after the evening meal.” (line 42)
D “But these days—curse it! you don’t see them, they’re so beaten down.” (line 48)
E
“Even the poorest gaucho had a string of matching horses,” (line 49)
F
“Looking out across the land you’d see nothing but cattle and sky.” (line 51)
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Narrative Writing Task—Prose Constructed Response
This passage is written as a first-person narrative told from the perspective of a gaucho.
Using what you know about the gaucho, write a fictional, narrative story on a separate
sheet of paper from the point of view of a gaucho about what happened that caused him to
become “so beaten down” (line 48).
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This is the end of the English II Benchmark.
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Look back over the answers you selected for the questions for the passages and reread your written responses. This will be your only opportunity to make changes or
corrections.
2.
Put all of your papers inside your test book, and close your test book.
3.
Stay quietly in your seat until your teacher tells you that testing is finished.
END OF ENGLISH II BENCHMARK
Acknowledgements
Excerpt from “My Old Home” by Lu Hsun from Selected Works of Lu Hsun. Copyright 1960 by Foreign Languages Press.
Excerpt from “The Homecoming Stranger” by Bei Dao from Waves. Copyright 1985 by The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
“An Open Letter to Dr. King from Birmingham Clergymen.” http://teachingamericanhistory.org (5/16/14).
Excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King. http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/kingweb/popular_requests
/frequentdocs/ birmingham.pdf (5/16/14).
“The Cause He Died For” by Thomas E. Perez. http://social.dol.gov/blog/the-cause-he-died-for (6/2/14).
Excerpt from “The Gaucho Martin Fierro” by Jose Hernandez. http://sparrowthorn.com/part1.pdf (6/5/14).
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