English III Interim Assessment #2
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SCHOLAR OATH
I understand that I may receive a zero on this exam if I: give or receive help during the test; copy another student’s anwers or allow another student to copy my answers; use notes, books, or other aids, including cell phones and other electronic devices; do not follow the instructions given; cause a disturbance of any kind; remove test materials from the room.
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English III Interim Assessment #2
Assessment Breakdown Cumulative Predictive
Strand/Bucket # of Qs Percentage
Writing (Essay) 8 15
Language (Essay) 4 7
Reading Literature 14 25
Writing (Language Section) 2 4
Language (Language Section) 5 9
Reading Information 13 24
Writing (Research) 9 16
TOTAL 55 100
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
Section 1: Writing Task
Here are two sources that present views on whether there should be a federal law against cyberbullying: the use of information and communication technologies to harm others in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. Source 1 is from a 2008 proposed bill to amend Title 18 of the United States criminal code. Source 2 is a response to the bill. As you read both sources, reflect on your own views about whether cyberbullying should be a federal crime. After reading the sources, write a well-developed, multiparagraph essay that discusses whether you think cyberbullying should become part of the United States criminal code. Use specific details from both Source 1 and Source 2 to support your response. Write your final draft on the lined pages that follow the two sources.
Source 1—from the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act (HR 6123)
In 2008, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of the United States House of Representatives introduced a bill to amend Title 18 of the federal criminal code to impose criminal penalties on perpetrators of cyberbullying. Below are two sections of the bill: the findings on which the bill was based and the language the bill proposed be added to the United States code.
Sec. 2. FINDINGS
Congress finds the following:
1) Four out of five of United States children aged 2 to 17 live in a home where either they or their parents access the Internet. 2) Youth who create Internet content and use social networking sites are more likely to be targets of cyberbullying. 3) Electronic communications provide anonymity to the perpetrator and the potential for widespread public distribution, potentially making them severely dangerous and cruel to youth. 4) Online victimizations are associated with emotional distress and other psychological problems, including depression. 5) Cyberbullying can cause psychological harm, including depression; negatively impact academic performance, safety, and the well-being of children in school; force children to change schools; and in some cases lead to extreme violent behavior, including murder and suicide. 6) Sixty percent of mental health professionals who responded to the Survey of Internet Mental Health Issues report having treated at least one patient with a problematic Internet experience in the previous five years; 54 percent of these clients were 18 years of age or younger.
Sec. 3. CYBERBULLYING
(a) In General- Chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: Sec. 881. CYBERBULLYING
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
(a) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both...
Source 2—from the response to the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act
“Citizens Opposed to HR 6123”
The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” The Supreme Court has written that this freedom is “the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every other form of freedom.” Without it, other fundamental rights would wither and perish. We consider the menace of cyberbullying to be of great relevance to “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness,” especially for young persons. Cyberbullying is a grave matter that warrants thoughtful attention and a thoroughgoing solution. However, it is our belief that the proposed bill seeks to address the problem of cyberbullying in a wrongheaded and unproductive way. We feel that HR 6123 will not prove an effective means for combating cyberbullying, but that it will provide the means for the federal government to prosecute citizens for exercising their rights to freedom of speech in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes that have nothing to do with cyberbullying. HR 6123 defines cyberbullying as “using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior.” However, it is unclear what “severe, repeated, and hostile behavior” means. If a news reporter writes a number of scathing articles criticizing the misconduct of an elected official, can that be considered repeated, hostile behavior? We think the language of the bill is too vague to protect citizens against such interpretations. We should not waive our constitutional freedoms in order to stop cyberbullying, especially since the causes of cyberbullying cannot be stopped through legislation. Perpetrators and victims of cyberbullying often suffer from profound social, emotional, and psychological disturbances that can only be remedied through social, emotional, and psychological solutions. Proposing laws and attacking social networking sites are both weak approaches with negative results. Dr. Boyd, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, says, “There are lots of kids hurting badly online. And they’re hurting badly offline, too. Because it’s more visible online, people are blaming technology rather than trying to solve the underlying problems of the kids that are hurting.” Like Dr. Boyd, we think the issue is better addressed through state and community programs. Indeed, all fifty states have existing harassment statutes that deal with the problem of cyberbullying. Let us build on those efforts to stamp out cyberbullying at the source, not through censorship nor through the institution of an unconstitutional law.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
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Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
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Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
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Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
Section 2: Reading
Read the passage and the poem that follows, then answer questions 1-14. excerpt from “Where I Lived, and What I Lived for” by Henry David Thoreau
1 At a certain season of our life we are accustomed to consider every spot as the possible site of a house . . .Wherever I sat, there I might live, and the landscape radiated from me accordingly. What is a house but a sedes, a seat?—better if a country seat. I discovered many a site for a house not likely to be soon improved, which some might have thought too far from the village, but to my eyes the village was too far from it. Well, there I might live, I said; and there I did live, for an hour, a summer, and a winter life; saw how I could let the years run off, buffet the winter through, and see the spring come in. The future inhabitants of this region, wherever they may place their houses, may be sure that they have been anticipated. An afternoon sufficed to lay out the land into orchard, wood- lot, and pasture, and to decide what fine oaks or pines should be left to stand before the door, and whence each blasted tree could be seen to the best advantage; and then I let it lie, fallow, perchance, for a man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone ...
2 The real attractions of the Hollowell farm, to me, were: its complete retirement, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, and separated from the highway by a broad field; its bounding on the river, which the owner said protected it by its fogs from the frosts in the spring, though that was nothing to me; the gray color and ruinous state of the house and barn, and the dilapidated fences, which put such an interval between me and the last occupant; the hollow and lichen-covered apple trees, gnawed by rabbits, showing what kinds of neighbors I should have; but above all, the recollection I had of it from my earliest voyages up the river, when the house was concealed behind a dense grove of red maples, through which I heard the house-dog bark. I was in haste to buy it, before the proprietor finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the hollow apple trees, and grubbing up some young birches which had sprung up in the pasture, or, in short, had made any more of his improvements . . .
3 When first I took up my abode in the woods, that is, began to spend my nights as well as days there, which, by accident, was on Independence Day, or the Fourth of July, 1845, my house was not finished for winter, but was merely a defence against the rain, without plastering or chimney, the walls being of rough, weather-stained boards, with wide chinks, which made it cool at night. The upright white hewn studs and freshly planed door and window casings gave it a clean and airy look, especially in the morning, when its timbers were saturated with dew, so that I fancied that by noon some sweet gum would exude from them. To my imagination it retained throughout the day more or less of this auroral [1] character, reminding me of a certain house on a mountain which I had visited a year before. This was an airy and unplastered cabin, fit to entertain a traveling god, and where a goddess might trail her garments. The winds which passed over my dwelling were such as sweep over the ridges of mountains, bearing the broken strains, or celestial parts only, of terrestrial music.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
The morning wind forever blows, the poem of creation is uninterrupted; but few are the ears that hear it. Olympus is but the outside of the earth everywhere.
4 The only house I had been the owner of before, if I except a boat, was a tent, which I used occasionally when making excursions in the summer, and this is still rolled up in my garret [2]; but the boat, after passing from hand to hand, has gone down the stream of time. With this more substantial shelter about me, I had made some progress toward settling in the world. This frame, so slightly clad, was a sort of crystallization around me, and reacted on the builder. It was suggestive somewhat as a picture in outlines. I did not need to go outdoors to take in the air, for the atmosphere within had lost none of its freshness. It was not so much within doors as behind a door where I sat, even in the rainiest weather . . .
5 Though the view from my door was still more contracted, I did not feel crowded or confined in the least. There was pasture enough for my imagination. The low shrub oak plateau to which the opposite shore arose stretched away toward the prairies of the West, affording ample room for all the roving families of men . . .
6 Both place and time were changed, and I dwelt nearer to those parts of the universe and to those eras in history which had most attracted me. Where I lived was as far off as many a region viewed nightly by astronomers. We are wont to imagine rare and delectable places in some remote and more celestial corner of the system, behind the constellation of Cassiopeia’s Chair, far from noise and disturbance. I discovered that my house actually had its site in such a withdrawn, but forever new and unprofaned, part of the universe. If it were worth the while to settle in those parts near to Pleiades or the Hyades, to Aldebaran or Altair, then I was really there, or at an equal remoteness from the life which I had left behind, dwindled and twinkling with as fine a ray to my nearest neighbor, and to be seen only in moonless nights by him . . .
7 I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout[3] all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion...
[1] auroral: shining, bright [2] garret: loft, attic [3] rout: to root out or get rid of
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
Woods in Winter by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
When winter winds are piercing chill, And through the hawthorn blows the gale, With solemn feet I tread the hill, That overbrows the lonely vale.
O’er the bare upland, and away Through the long reach of desert woods, The embracing sunbeams chastely[1] play, And gladden these deep solitudes.
Where, twisted round the barren oak, The summer vine in beauty clung, And summer winds the stillness broke, The crystal icicle is hung.
Where, from their frozen urns, mute springs Pour out the river’s gradual tide, Shrilly the skater’s iron rings, And voices fill the wooden side.
Alas! How changed from the fair scene, When birds sang out their mellow lay, And winds were soft, and woods were green, And the song ceased not with the day!
But still wild music is abroad, Pale, desert woods! within your crowd; And gathering winds, in hoarse accord, Amid the vocal reeds pipe loud.
Chill airs and wintry winds! my ear Has grown familiar with your song; I hear it in the opening year, I listen, and it cheers me long.
[1] chastely: innocently, purely
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
1. Based on the information in “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” what does Thoreau believe to be the MOST important requirement for a house?
A. a sturdy foundation B. a prime location C. a spacious interior D. a tidy appearance
2. Which excerpt from the essay BEST explains Thoreau’s decision to live in the location he did?
A. . . . I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, . . . B. . . . a man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone . . C. With this more substantial shelter about me, I had made some progress toward settling in the world. D. At a certain season of our life we are accustomed to consider every spot as the possible site of a house . . .
3. Read this excerpt from the essay.
Wherever I sat, there I might live, and the landscape radiated from me accordingly. . . . I discovered many a site for a house not likely to be soon improved, which some might have thought too far from the village, but to my eyes the village was too far from it.
Which sentence states the difference between some villagers’ perspective and Thoreau’s?
A. Some wanted to leave the village, but Thoreau did not want to leave his house. B. Some needed materials from outside the village, but Thoreau had all he needed at his house. C. Some saw the village as the center of their world, but Thoreau saw the house as the center of his. D. Some would travel out from the village to the house, but Thoreau would not travel in from the house to the village. Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
4. In the essay, how did Thoreau describe the daily activities that comprised the lives of most people?
A. “its lowest terms” B. “all that was not life” C. “my next excursion” D. “the essential facts of life”
5. Which is a theme of “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”?
A. Love turns a house into a home. B. Hard work pays off in the end. C. There is more to life than society offers. D. People are attracted to humble people.
6. Which line from the text BEST expresses a celebration of rugged self-reliance?
A. “I did not need to go outdoors to take in the air, for the atmosphere within had lost none of its freshness.” B. “to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life” C. “The winds which passed over my dwelling were such as sweep over the ridges of mountains…” D. “The future inhabitants of this region, wherever they may place their houses, may be sure that they have been anticipated.”
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
7. In Paragraph 3 of the essay, Thoreau uses allusion to
A. describe the cabin he is building. B. mark the date on which he moved. C. explain the purpose for his solitary life. D. honor the natural surroundings of his home.
8. Which word in Paragraph 2 of the essay is used ironically?
A. Attractions B. Highway C. Improvements D. neighbor
9. Read the sentence from the passage.
The morning wind forever blows, the poem of creation is uninterrupted; but few are the ears that hear it.
Which statement BEST expresses the world view in this sentence?
A. materialistic B. spiritual C. nonchalant D. naive
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
10. Thoreau and Longfellow wrote about the music found in nature. What is the source of music in both selections?
A. the birds B. the wind C. the river D. the rain
11. What is the purpose of Paragraph 6 in the Thoreau essay?
A. to insinuate that the woods he has moved to are actually very far away B. to suggest that, by comparison, his house may not be as special a place C. to demonstrate his wide knowledge of astronomy and constellations D. to show that his house is as remarkable as celestial and legendary places
12. Which word BEST describes Thoreau’s likely attitude toward American life today?
A. critical B. supportive C. disinterested D. enraged
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
13. Which word BEST describes the meaning the woods have for Thoreau?
A. mystery B. abundance C. fantasy D. purity
14. What does Paragraph 5 of the essay indicate about the era in which Thoreau wrote?
A. Land in the West was still largely unsettled. B. Farming was the primary means of earning a living. C. Boat travel was an important mode of transportation. D. Cities in the eastern United States were overpopulated.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
Section 3: Language
The following is a rough draft of a student’s report. It contains errors.
Karen Yakey English III Mr. Brister May 21, 2013
Ernest Hemingway’s Life
1 Ernest Hemingway was a sportsman, an adventurer, and one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. Born in Oak Park Illinois in 1899 Hemingway grew up hunting, fishing, and playing games in the countryside surrounding his home. In school, he was good in sports, but as he grew older, he found out that writing was his thing.
2 After graduating high school, Hemingway embarked on a monumental and perillous adventure. He traveled to Europe in 1917, where he enlisted in the Italian Ambulance Corps during World War I. He was stationed at the front lines on the Italian-Austrian border, where he aided wounded soldiers and transported them to field hospitals. Hemingway wanted to become involved in the action so much that he once even rushed onto the battlefield to aid a comrade. He was so badly injured in the rescue that he had to be transported to the hospital himself. After recovering, a medal for valor was awarded to him by the Italian government, but for the rest of his life, he bore the scars of war.
3 In his writing, Hemingway incorporated his adventures on the Italian front into his short stories and into one of his greatest novels, A Farewell to Arms. After World War I ended, Hemingway moved to Paris where he lived and worked among other eminent artists and writers of the time. There he began writing under the tutelage of American-born author Gertrude Stein. Without using ornamental language that might detract from the essential meaning of his stories, to write she taught Hemingway. Hemingway later based his memoir, A Moveable Feast, on this period of his life. He claimed that once people have lived in Paris, it becomes a place they take with them, or as he said, “Paris is a moveable feast.”
4 Hemingway achieved celebrity status as a writer in both Europe and the United States. He did not, however, became complacent or cease to seek out new adventures in life. He was an avid sports fan, or as he called himself, a sports “aficionado,” a term that denotes an especially enthusiastic follower. Many of his stories involve horse racing, bicycling, hunting, and bullfighting. Between 1936 and 1939, he lived and worked as a journalist in Spain covering the Spanish Civil War. The novel For Whom the Bell Tolls arose from Hemingway’s experiences in that country. He spent several months on an African safari. The experience later inspired his nonfiction work, The Green Hills of Africa.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
5 As Hemingway aged and became more prominent as a writer, he became more philosophical in his writing. In his most famous work, The Old Man and the Sea, for example, the protagonist faces a seemingly insurmountable challenge. His only thought, however, is “I don’t know what I will do, but I will do something. There are a lot of things I can do.” This form of reserved stoicism is common among the heroes of Hemingway’s later stories and no doubt reflects the author’s personal beliefs, since Hemingway himself endured a tremendous amount of pain and anguish throughout his life. Despite the hardships Hemingway faced, his work exhibits a powerful belief in the strength of the human character to overcome any hardship and to maintain a sense of grace and dignity, even in the face of the most horrendous struggle. As Hemingway once wrote, “The world is a fine place, and worth the fighting for.”
Works Cited Green, John. Hemingway: The Man. New York: Sun Publishing, 2000. Strauss, Diane. “A Collaboration of Genius: The Friendship of Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway.”American Writers Journal 15 (2001): 34–45.
Van, Steven. “Hemingway.” American Voices 9.2 (2002). 18 May 2003 http://www.writers/american.hemingway/index.htm
15. Read these sentences from Paragraph 4 of the report.
He spent several months on an African safari. The experience later inspired his nonfiction work, The Green Hills of Africa.
Which is the BEST way to combine these sentences?
A. He spent several months on an African safari, because the experience later inspired his nonfiction work, The Green Hills of Africa. B. He spent several months on an African safari, which later inspired his nonfiction work, The Green Hills of Africa. C. He spent several months on an African safari; however, the experience later inspired his nonfiction work, The Green Hills of Africa. D. He spent several months on an African safari, thus inspiring his nonfiction work, The Green Hills of Africa.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
16. Read the sentence from Paragraph 1 of the report.
Born in Oak Park Illinois in 1899 Hemingway grew up hunting, fishing, and playing games in the countryside surrounding his home.
Which sentence shows the correct way to punctuate this sentence?
A. Born in Oak Park Illinois in 1899, Hemingway grew up hunting, fishing, and playing games in the countryside surrounding his home. B. Born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1899, Hemingway grew up hunting, fishing, and playing games in the countryside surrounding his home. C. Born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1899, Hemingway grew up hunting, fishing, and playing games in the countryside, surrounding his home. D. Born in Oak Park Illinois, in 1899, Hemingway grew up hunting, fishing, and playing games in the countryside, surrounding his home.
17. Read this sentence from Paragraph 2 of the report.
After graduating high school, Hemingway embarked on a monumental and perillous adventure.
Which underlined word in the sentence is spelled incorrectly?
A. graduating B. embarked C. monumental D. perillous
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
NOTE: Questions 18-21 are not related to any reading passage.
18. Which sentence demonstrates correct parallel sentence structure?
A. The university will offer new opportunities, spur economic growth, and provide numerous resources to the community. B. The house down the street was rundown, it looked vacant, and the lawn needed to be cut. C. I am planning on taking challenging classes, participating in many activities, and to spend time with my friends. D. Tedious assignments, working in the heat, and his inexperience prevented him from accepting the job.
19. Read the sentence.
Before a marathon, many runners adjust their daily workouts but diets are being overlooked.
What is the BEST way to write the underlined part of this sentence?
A. overlook their diets B. are overlooking their diets C. having overlooked their diets D. Leave as is.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
20. Read the sentence.
The animals at the zoo are fed each day by the zoo employees and eat vegetables, fish and meat three times each day.
How should the sentence BEST be revised?
A. The zoo employees are fed each day three times and eat vegetables, fish, and meat. B. The zoo employees feed the animals vegetables, fish, and meat three times each day. C. Vegetables, fish, and meat are fed each day three times to the zoo animals by the zoo employees. D. Three times each day the zoo animals by the employees at the zoo eat vegetables, fish, and meat.
21. Read the sentence.
To study Mars, NASA needed a crew of six people each with special skills.
What is the correct way to punctuate the underlined part of the sentence?
A. NASA needed a crew of six people each with, B. NASA needed a crew of six people, each with C. NASA, needed a crew of six people each, with D. NASA needed a crew, of six people each, with
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
Section 4: Reading Informational Texts
Read the following excerpt from John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1961, then answer the following questions.
Like the signers of the “Declaration of Independence,” John Kennedy believed that human rights are not given to us through the generosity of the government, but that we are all born with these rights. In his Inaugural Address, he called this the “revolutionary belief for which our forebears fought,” and noted that it was “still at issue around the globe.” The following excerpt begins with reference to this “first revolution.”
1 We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. 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 these human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
2 Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge—and more.
3 To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do, for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.
4 To those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom, and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.
5 To those peoples in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required, not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
6 To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge: To convert our good words into good deeds, in a new alliance for progress, to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know that this hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.
7 To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far out-paced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support: To prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective[1]; to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak; and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run . . .
8 So let us begin anew, remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.
9 Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.
10 Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms, and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.
11 Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce . . .
12 All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.
13 In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty . . .
14 In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility; I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
15 And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
[1] invective: insulting talk, slander
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
22. Which sentence BEST expresses Kennedy’s desire for nations to communicate peacefully?
A. We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. B. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. C. In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. D. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
23. In Paragraph 5, Kennedy suggests that poverty is analogous to
A. sickness. B. bondage. C. erosion. D. emptiness.
24. In Paragraph 7, what relationship does Kennedy pledge between the United States and the United Nations?
A. casual and friendly B. distant, but respectful C. strong and supportive D. cautious, yet hopeful
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
25. In Paragraph 1, the symbol of the torch is used to represent
A. the end of the Second World War. B. Kennedy’s economic policy. C. changes in the twentieth century. D. America’s commitment to human rights.
26. In Paragraph 1, why does Kennedy say, “We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution”?
A. to link himself personally to Revolutionary War heroes B. to give context and emphasis to his theme of liberty C. to remind Americans that they are at war D. to encourage citizens to learn about history
27. What is the intent of Kennedy’s use of the words “we” and “our” throughout his speech?
A. to create a sense of unity among all Americans B. to celebrate the triumph of his political party C. to show that America wants to have good foreign relations D. to acknowledge the people who will help him do his job
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
28. Read this excerpt from Paragraph 5.
To those peoples in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery . . .
The language Kennedy uses in this excerpt is primarily intended to
A. state specific facts. B. discuss historical events. C. evoke sympathy. D. convey irony.
29. Which assumption about America lies at the heart of Kennedy’s speech?
A. America should care most about events close to home. B. America must play a major role in world events. C. America needs to take pride in its humble beginnings. D. America will avoid going to war at any cost.
30. Read this excerpt from Paragraph 4.
. . . in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.
In the excerpt, Kennedy uses imagery to convey
A. an effective strategy for using military force. B. the possible consequences of governing by military force. C. the circumstances that require the use of military force. D. the characteristics of people who use military force.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
31. In Paragraph 6, Kennedy’s language shows unity with other nations by
A. describing revolution as peaceful. B. asserting that the South American states are the “master of [the] house” in the hemisphere C. identifying the hostile powers. D. using the term “sister republics”.
32. Kennedy’s use of repetition in Paragraph 2 BEST communicates a sense of
A. hope. B. fatigue. C. resolve. D. suspense.
33. On which premise does Kennedy base his inaugural speech?
A. Mankind has certain innate rights, and the American government should support those rights. B. The United States should do what is necessary to liberate countries from leaders who exercise tyranny. C. The United States will remain loyal to its allies who have been supportive through all of the nation’s many hardships. D. Americans must do everything within their power to support and uplift their country, or it will collapse.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
34. In Paragraph 15, Kennedy emphatically asks American people to demonstrate which trait?
A. patriotism B. courage C. patience D. optimism
Section 5: Research
35. Read this sentence.
Jorge has become very interested in honeybees and has decided to write a research paper about their important contributions to farming in our country.
Which of the following would be an appropriate thesis for Jorge’s paper?
A. There are approximately 12,000 species of bees, but only the honeybee makes the honey we eat. B. The honeybee is a useful creature throughout the world. C. The honeybee plays an important part in crop pollination in the United States. D. Honeybee hives are often relocated from populated areas to places where the contributions of the bees can be appreciated.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
36. Read this excerpt from an informational text:
The United States Constitution was written to organize a strong national government for the American states. Previously, the nation’s leaders had established a national government under the Articles of Confederation. However, the Articles granted independence to each state. They lacked the authority to make the states work together to solve national problems.
This excerpt supplies information for answering which research question?
A. How were the Articles of Confederation approved? B. How did the United States Constitution bring the states together? C. Who was the author of the Articles of Confederation? D. What was the purpose of the United States Constitution?
37. The BEST evidence that an article on air pollution in United States national parks was written by a reliable source on the topic would be that the author
A. is a scientist at a major university who has published similar articles in scientific journals. B. lives on a piece of property adjacent to a national park and has protested new road construction in her area. C. has been camping in national parks since she was a child. D. is the daughter of one of the authors of the Clean Air Act.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
38. The BEST evidence that a book of Native American stories contains reliable retellings of the original stories would be that the collection was
A. distributed by students of Native American culture. B. illustrated by an artist from a Native American family. C. reviewed by a scholar of world mythology. D. edited by an elder from a Native American tribe.
39. Which source would be MOST helpful to a student conducting research about the writers who influenced the author John Steinbeck?
A. an anthology of stories by Steinbeck B. an autobiography by Steinbeck C. a bibliography of Steinbeck’s works D. a journal article about Steinbeck’s life
40. Which bibliography entry would appear first based on MLA style of formatting?
A. Williams, Mary. Life in Hawaii. Honolulu: Island Press, 2000. B. Anton, James. Aloha. New York: Times Square Press, 1998. C. Schmidt, Gary. “The Flight of the Eagle.” Nature Lives 22 Sept. 2001. D. Karols, Emma. “Behind the San Andreas Fault.” San Francisco Tribune 1 June 1999.
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
41. Which bibliographic citation is written in correct MLA format?
A. The World of Ice. Bailey, James. Knopf: New York, 1998. B. James Bailey. New York: Knopf, 1998. The World of Ice. C. 1998: Knopf, New York. The World of Ice. Bailey, James. D. Bailey, James. The World of Ice. New York: Knopf, 1998.
42. Read this excerpt.
According to the Encarta Encyclopedia, “The term ‘Renaissance’ was coined in 1855 by French historian Jules Michelet, to mean ‘rebirth.’ It refers to the ‘discovery of the world of man’ in the 16th century. The Renaissance was one of the few eras in history that emanated the true intellect of man. Genius developed from advances in art, science, philosophy, and mathematics. Never has there since been such a time in which an individual has been given ample opportunity and time to perfect and master his craft above all other societal pursuits and obligations.”
In this excerpt, why does the writer cite the Encarta Encyclopedia?
A. to lend validity to the information about the Renaissance B. to explain how the Renaissance first began in 1855 with the discovery of advanced forms of manufacture C. to describe specific advances in art, science, philosophy, and mathematics during the 16th century D. to suggest that Jules Michelet was responsible for bringing attention to new advances in education during the 16th century
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.
43. Which reference is written in correct MLA format?
A. Robert McMillan has noted that the goal of all Walt Whitman’s poetry was to “reflect and promote the spirit of American democracy.” (140, The Value of Whitman) B. One critic has noted that the goal of all Walt Whitman’s poetry was to “reflect and promote the spirit of American democracy” (McMillan 140). C. On page 140 of his book, Robert McMillan has noted that the goal of all Walt Whitman’s poetry was to reflect and promote the spirit of American democracy (The Value of Whitman). D. “One critic has noted that the goal of all Walt Whitman's poetry was to reflect and promote the spirit of American democracy (McMillan, Robert, 140).”
Note: This exam was constructed using released test items from a variety of state exams and websites.