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Practice English Mid-term Exam
Section 1 | Read “The Interlopers.”
Directions:
1. Please read “The Interlopers” on page 722 in the
hardback textbook and 134 in the soft cover
textbook.
2. Answer the following questions based on your
reading of “The Interlopers.”
Questions:
1. The major reason for the conflict between Ulrich
and Georg is that each of them
a. needs the land to survive.
b. values the beauty of the land.
c. believes that, by right, the land is his.
d. wants the social status that owning the land
provides.
2. Which of the following were personified in the
story?
a. The wolves
b. Nature
c. Ullrich’s and Georg’s men
d. Their guns
3. Which of the sentences below BEST sets the tone
of the text?
a. In a forest of mixed growth somewhere on
the eastern spurs of the Carpathians, a man
stood one winter night watching and
listening, as though he waited for some beast
of the woods to come within the range of his
vision and, later, of his rifle.
b. the narrow strip of precipitous woodland that
lay on its outskirt was not remarkable for the
game it harbored or the shooting it afforded,
but it was the most jealously guarded of all
its owner’s territorial possessions.
c. “I’m caught in my own forest land,” retorted
Ulrich. “When my men come to release us,
you will wish, perhaps, that you were in a
better plight than caught poaching on a
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neighbor’s land, shame on you.”
d. Ulrich von Gradwitz patrolled the dark forest
in a quest of a human enemy.
4. Read the excerpt below and determine what the
underlined word means.
For a space both men were silent, turning
over in their minds the wonderful changes
that this dramatic reconciliation would bring
about. In the cold, gloomy forest… they lay
and waited for the help that would now bring
release and succor for both parties.
a. accident
b. a friendly end to a fight or disagreement
c. warring between enemies
d. disagreement
5. Think about what the characters experienced in
the story. Now select the BEST universal theme
that this story presents.
a. Humans desire and defend their territory.
b. There will always be wolves to attack.
c. Humans sometimes let arguments send them
down destructive paths.
d. It is better for humans to stubbornly hold
their ground than appear weak.
6. Read the excerpt below and determine what the
underlined word means.
And what peace there would be among the
forester folk if we ended our feud tonight.
And if we choose to make peace among our
people, there is none other to interfere, no
interlopers from outside.
a. a type of rare animal in the forest usually
found on stormy nights
b. outsiders
c. dangerous aggressors
d. a person or thing that intrudes where they are
not wanted
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Rifts Happen, Repairs Happen
Jen Klein
While many of us count “family” as an area of primary importance in our lives, many of us also may have a
little secret: a rift with a member of that family. Whether over something “little” or “big,” mistakes are made
and feelings get hurt in even the most loving and tight-knit of extended families. Rifts happen, sadly, and
whether they are short-lived or of longer duration, it takes some effort to repair and rebuild the relationship.
No one is proud of rifts in the extended
family. These rifts can cause stress not only for you
and the family member on the other side, but also for
the rest of the family not involved in the rift at all.
What happens at family gatherings? Does one go but
not the other? Is this kind of behavior fair to the rest
of the family? And what about messages you are
sending to your children? Do they miss this family
member? And do they then think it's okay to have
rifts like this in the family? Do they think such
conflict is normal?
Make the Decision
If there is a rift in your extended family, the
first thing to do is decide that you want to repair that
rift. You have to decide whether the effort -- and
possibly difficult effort at that -- is worth it to you
and that you want to make it happen.
If you decide that repairing this rift is
important to you -- and the comfort of other family
members and the example to your children is
important -- make the decision to try to repair the
rift. It may not be easy, and it may be slow going, but
you'll know you did the right thing and your
extended family will appreciate your effort.
Let Go of Your Ego
No matter the core issue of the rift, you and
the other family member likely made some mistakes
in handling things. Sure, it's embarrassing to make
mistakes. But for the sake of repair, let go of your
ego -- put your tail between your legs -- and reach
out to the other side. Send an email or make a phone
call and let this family member know you want to try
to mend the fence for yourself and for the sake of
your whole family.
Take Some Heat
You might have to take some heat in this
process. The family member on the other side of the
conflict might well have some residual anger that he
or she "needs" to throw at you. If repairing the rift is
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what is important, you can take a little bit of heat for
the greater good. Make apologies if appropriate and
express a desire to work through that anger to a
better place.
Take the High Road
It would be oh-so-easy to shoot back an
insult or two during this process. Don't.
If the family member in question is still
angry and you've made the decision to take some
heat in the interest of family unity and harmony, you
can't fire back. It may be unfair, but if you do, you
risk making the rift wider and that much harder to
mend later. If you do need to vent, make sure it's
with someone well outside the family dynamic.
Keep Trying
If the family rift is deep and long-standing, it
may take more than one try to start mending fences.
It may take more than two or three or even four tries.
If you have decided that mending this family rift is
important to you, you may have to keep trying until
it happens. Be patient and persistent in your repair
efforts.
It Might Not Happen
All this said, repairing a rift is a two-way
effort. While it takes just one to initiate efforts, it
does take both (or more) sides to actually make the
repair. If the other side of the conflict is absolutely
unwilling, even after repeated efforts and patience,
you might need to drop it for a while. Perhaps after a
little more time has passed you can try again.
If family is one of your life priorities,
mending fences with family members when possible
should be a priority, too. It may not be easy, but it is
possible in many situations, and it's the best kind of
example to your kids about the importance of such
relationships in your lives. Your extended family
may even become stronger for your efforts.
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Directions: Answer the following questions based on your reading of the article “Rifts Happen, Repairs
Happen.”
7. What is the primary reason given to repair family rifts?
a. Both sides made mistakes and must look passed them to reconcile.
b. Family members on one side of a conflict might need to vent their anger at the other side.
c. Anxiety is suffered by the entire family, not just the ones involved in the conflict.
d. Mending fences sometimes takes years.
8. Select the BEST alternative title for this text.
a. Family Stinks… Sometimes!
b. Steps to Reconciliation
c. The Stresses of Large Family Gatherings
d. Family: A Life Priority
9. Reread the section in italics. What is the purpose of this section?
a. to define the topic of the text: rifts in the family
b. to persuade the reader to repair the rifts in the family
c. to define the topic of the text: family is a priority
d. to compare and contrast“little” and “big” mistakes made during a family fight
Directions: Answer the following questions based on your reading of the short story “The Interlopers”
and the article “Rifts Happen, Repairs Happen.”
10.Which of the following statements would each author agree with?
a. Humans only have arguments if outside forces cause them.
b. It is never too late to reconcile with some you fight with.
c. Arguments between family members are worse than between non-relatives.
d. Prolonged arguments between people or groups of people can have devastating consequences.
11. What advice would both author’s give to their readers?
a. Making peace is more important than winning a dispute, so reconcile before it’s too late.
b. If reconciliation is your goal, you must avoid anymore encounters with the person.
c. Make loyalty to your family the priority.
d. Don’t show weakness in an argument by making the first move toward peace.
Directions: Select two of the questions to respond to in a written response. Use evidence from the text to
support your claims. Your responses should be at least 6-8 sentences.
12. What is/are the interloper(s) in the short story “The Interlopers”?
13. What is the universal theme shared by both “The Interlopers” and “Rifts Happen, Repairs Happen”?
14. Compare and contrast how the family is presented in both “The Interlopers” and “Rifts Happen, Repairs
Happen.”
15. What is the role of Nature in the short story “The Interlopers”?
16. What causes Ulrich and Georg to reconcile their differences in the short story “The Interlopers”?
17. One piece of advice from “Rifts Happen, Repairs Happen” is to “let go of your ego.” How does ego
influence the events in “The Interlopers”?
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12.
In the short story “The Interlopers” Nature interrupts or intrudes on the conflict between Georg and
Ulrich, becoming the story’s interloper. At the start of the story, it is revealed that both Georg and Ulrich claim a
forest as belonging to their separate families. On a stormy night both men hunt on the land, and upon running
into each other, they stand face to face prepared to end a conflict between their families that has gone on for a
long time. At this point, Nature interrupts the conflict. The text states, “And before the moment of hesitation had
given way to action a deed of Nature's own violence overwhelmed them both. A fierce shriek of the storm had
been answered by a splitting crash over their heads, and ere they could leap aside a mass of falling beech tree
had thundered down on them” (Saki, #). Before the men could begin their own vengeful violence, Nature
interrupts with the clash of a storm and the crash of a tree upon both men. The men are left to suffer each other’s
company, unable to kill the other.
Nature played the part of interloper once more in the story. As both men laid under the tree, bleeding,
and thinking of death, they began to reconcile. The text states, “‘Neighbour,’ he said presently, ‘do as you please
if your men come first. It was a fair compact. But as for me, I've changed my mind. If my men are the first to
come you shall be the first to be helped, as though you were my guest. We have quarreled like devils all our
lives over this stupid strip of forest… Lying here to-night thinking I've come to think we've been rather fools...
Neighbour, if you will help me to bury the old quarrel I - I will ask you to be my friend" (Saki, #). They share a
drink from Ulrich’s flask and promise each other salvation if their men arrived; their familial grudge is broken.
Before this reconciliation could be made public Nature interrupts in the form of wolves bearing down on their
position. Both men hear movement in the distance, and having seen the identity of the coming figures, Ulrich
tells Georg what comes: “Wolves” (#). In both situations, Nature is the interloper. It interrupts indifferent to
humanity’s conflict or reconciliation.
13.
The theme shared by “The Interlopers” and “Rifts Happen, Repairs Happen” is that prolonged conflict
between families or family members can have harmful consequences.