7.01 Semester Test: English 9 Semester A Test - Part 1

Select two sentences in the passage that best show how Mr. Auld appeals to Mrs. Auld's concern for the well-being of the narrator, Frederick Douglass.

"As to himself, it could do him no good , but a great deal of harm" "it would make him discontented and unhappy"

Read these sentences from paragraph 4.

The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the little white boys whom I met in the street. As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers. With their kindly aid, obtained at different times and in different places, I finally succeeded in learning to read.

How are the ideas organized in the sentences?

problem and solution

What would be the effect of an omniscient third-person narration?

The reader would have a better understanding of the thoughts and opinions of the Aulds.

Reread the first two paragraphs.

Which phrase best describes Douglass's purpose for including this particular experience in the narrative of his life?

to show the importance of education in changing his life

How does the conversation in paragraph 1 between Mr. and Mrs. Auld contribute to the central idea of this passage?

Douglass begins to understand the value of education for his future.

Part A

Read these sentences from Paragraph 2 of the passage.

These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought. It was a new and special revelation, explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty—....

Which definition best expresses the connotative meaning of the word youthful as the author uses it in the second sentence?

ignorant

Part B

What effect does the author's use of the word youthful have on the meaning of this passage?

It shows that Douglass's new awareness of how owners maintain control over slaves allows him to better understand how to improve his situation.

Reread the first two paragraphs of the passage.

How does this opening section develop the central idea of the passage?

It explains how Douglass comes to understand that white people take advantage of ignorance to keep black people enslaved.

Read these sentences from Paragraph 3 of the passage.

It gave me the best assurance that I might rely with the utmost confidence on the results which, he said, would flow from teaching me to read. What he most dreaded, that I most desired. What he most loved, that I most hated. That which to him was a great evil, to be carefully shunned, was to me a great good, to be diligently sought; and the argument which he so warmly urged, against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn.

Which statement best describes the effect of these sentences?

The sentences explain the cause of the events in Paragraph 4

Which statements would Roosevelt most likely agree with?

Select each correct answer.

Measures should be enacted to protect the agricultural sector.

The government should play an important role in the economic recovery.

Read these sentences from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Inaugural Address of March 4, 1933.

So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory.

Select from the drop-down menu to correctly identify the meaning of the words "dark hour."

"Difficult time"

What is the effect of formal language and word choice on the speaker's tone?

Select each correct answer

It creates a reassuring tone.

It creates a determined tone.

The structure of a written work—the way a work is built using sentences, paragraphs, chapters, or sections—can help an author develop and communicate ideas to the reader.

How does the structure of Paragraph 1 help develop the ideas in Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address?

Select each correct answer.

By beginning the paragraph with references to himself and the audience, the author makes his ideas more approachable.

By mixing shorter sentences among the long sentences, the author makes his ideas flow more smoothly and understandably.

Reread Paragraph 3.

Roosevelt's argument is that "our greatest primary task is to put people to work."

Which statements are claims made by Roosevelt in Paragraph 3?

Select each correct answer.

Lessening unemployment in America may come from using the nation's natural resources.

Solving unemployment in America requires completing much-needed national projects.

Relieving unemployment in America requires the help of the government.

Part A

Which quotation best expresses the central idea of Roosevelt's inaugural address?

"I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require."

Part B

Which details support the central idea of Roosevelt's speech?

Select each correct answer.

"There are many ways in which [our common economic distress] can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly."

"...taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen;.... [This] can be helped by insistence that the Federal, State, and local governments act forthwith on the demand that their cost be drastically reduced."

"...the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone .... Our greatest primary task is to put people to work."

Read this sentence from the passage.

I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our Nation impels.

Which concept does this sentence suggest?

People want a strong leader during tough times.

Read this sentence from the passage.

In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties.

What does this sentence most likely suggest?

All citizens, including the president, share the same concerns about the nation's problems

Read this sentence from the speech.

And, if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor -- not a new balance of power, but a new world of law -- where the strong are just, and the weak secure, and the peace preserved.

How does the word choice in this sentence affect the meaning of the speech?

It reinforces Kennedy's argument that change is possible when nations move beyond their differences to work for the common good.

Read Paragraphs 13-17 ("So let us begin anew . . . " and the four paragraphs that follow).

How do these paragraphs refine the claim that nations must work together to achieve world peace?

They describe current barriers to peace and suggest possible solutions.

Which key detail is included in the text version of the speech but not in the video presentation?

Kennedy warns that because of nuclear weapons, conflict with the Soviet Union could be catastrophic.

Which statement best explains how the experience of watching Kennedy speak is different from reading his words?

The positive reaction of the audience affirms support for Kennedy's argument.

Which response best describes a similarity between the video presentation and the text version of Kennedy's speech?

Both describe ways that the United States and the Soviet Union should work together to avoid conflict.

Read this paragraph from the speech.

Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans -- born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Which response best describes Kennedy's argument in the paragraph?

It is the responsibility of the United States to promote and defend human rights at home and abroad.

Part A

What is a theme in this passage?

The lifespan of human beings follows a cycle.

Part B

Which lines from the passage support the answer to Part A?

"And all the men and women merely players; / They have their exits and their entrances," (lines 2-3)

In the passage, Shakespeare uses many archetypal images: the infant, the soldier, and the old man.

How do these archetypal images add meaning to the passage?

They help readers recognize the stages that are described.

Read these lines from the passage.

Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth.

How does the sound of the alliteration "quick in quarrel" affect the meaning?

It reinforces the image of the soldier as ready to spring into action.

The Underground Railroad was a system of people, routes, and safe houses that enslaved persons used to escape to freedom.

What effect does Catherine's allusion to the Underground Railroad have on the mood of this passage?

It lends a more hopeful mood to the scene.

Part A

What does Justin learn from his interaction with the little boy at the card-making station?

Justin realizes that by being at Mitzvah Day, he is making a positive impact on others.

Part B

Which excerpt from the passage best supports the answer in Part A?

"He was about to shoot the kid a nasty look, when the boy placed a sticker on his own forehead and cautiously approached the table."

Which group of words from this sentence is a prepositional phrase?

Kwame Jones, celebrated writer and winner of three awards, recited his favorite poem.

of three awards

What is the appositive phrase in this sentence?

Casper, a foreign exchange student, has visited dozens of countries.

a foreign exchange student

What is the meaning of the word dissection in this sentence?

As she did an experiment, the researcher did a dissection on a small animal to see its organs.

a cutting apart