1. Recall that a participle is a verb form that is used as an adjective. A participial phrase is a participle with its modifiers and complements used as an adjective.
Read the following sentence.
Frosted with gooey icing, the cinnamon rolls were impossible to resist.
Identify the present participle in the sentence. (1 point)
icing
were
resist
Frosted
2. Read the following sentence.
Hunter pushed his motorcycle for three miles before he finally quit, exhausted from the effort.
Identify the participial phrase in the sentence. (1 point)
pushed his motorcycle
for three miles
before he finally quit
exhausted from the effort
3. Read the following sentence.
Hearing the footsteps of its owner, the cat jumped down from the kitchen countertop.
Which word does the participial phrase modify? (1 point)
cat
owner
footsteps
countertop
4. Read the following sentence.
The woman standing next to my sister is her karate instructor.
Which of the following statements about the bolded participial phrase is true? (1 point)
It needs commas because the participial phrase is essential.
It needs commas because the participial phrase is nonessential.
It does not need commas because the participial phrase is essential.
It does not need commas because the participial phrase is nonessential.
5. Identify the gerund phrase in the sentence below.
Becoming a movie star is a difficult goal for most actors to achieve. (1 point)
Becoming a movie star
is a difficult goal
for most actors
to achieve
6. Decide whether the sentence below contains a misplaced and/or dangling modifier or no error.
Having flipped the canoe, all the camping gear was lost in the river. (1 point)
dangling
misplaced
both misplaced and dangling
no error
7. Identify the underlined portion of the following sentence.
After getting a part-time job, Alyssa had little time for socializing. (1 point)
noun clause
adjective clause
subordinate clause
independent clause
8. Identify the underlined portion of the following sentence.
The children built a sandcastle while their father read a book. (1 point)
adverb clause
adjective clause
subordinate clause
independent clause
9. In the beginning, modernist writers were mainly reacting to the (1 point)
horrors of slavery.
violence of World War I.
unequal treatment of women.
effects of industrialism on nature.
10. How does the narrator in Ernest Hemingway's short story "In Another Country" view himself in comparison to the other soldiers? (1 point)
He thinks he is not as brave as they are.
He senses he is not treated as well as they are.
He feels he does not deserve his medals like they do.
He believes he has more reason to be sad than they have.
11. Which of the following words does not have the same meaning as renaissance? (1 point)
revival
rebirth
reawakening
remembrance
12. In Ralph Ellison’s “The Black Ball,” the narrator of the story stretches the truth, or lies, several times. What do you think is his motivation for being so untruthful? (1 point)
He often tries to protect those around him as well as avoid conflict.
He tries to manipulate situations so that he gets what he desires.
He is motivated by greed and tries to move up in society through his lies.
He is driven by anger and tries to seek revenge against society by telling lies.
13. In Langston Hughes’s short story “Why, You Reckon?” what motivates the narrator to get involved in a scheme to rob a white person? (1 point)
Greed—he wants to earn more money in order to buy nicer things.
Hunger—he needs the money to buy more food.
Anger—he is angry at the separation of wealth between whites and blacks.
Depression—he feels hopeless and no longer cares about anything.
14. An example of irony in "Mending Wall" is when the speaker of the poem (1 point)
tells the boulders not to fall again until their backs are turned.
helps fix the wall even though he does not think a wall is necessary.
points out that his apple trees will never eat his neighbor's pine cones.
complains about hunters who tear apart walls in search of their prey.
15. By titling his story "Babylon Revisited," F. Scott Fitzgerald is metaphorically comparing which two things? (1 point)
an ancient, ruined city and Charlie's former life of excess
a place of peace and harmony and Charlie's previous marriage
a mythical land and Charlie's quest to get his carefree life back
a fairytale land and Charlie's earlier time spent with his daughter
16. Read the following passage from “In Another Country” by Ernest Hemingway.
"It was cold in the fall in Milan and the dark came very early. Then the electric lights came on, and it was pleasant along the streets looking in the windows. There was much game hanging outside the shops, and the snow powdered in the fur of the foxes and the wind blew their tails."
Which element of Hemingway’s style is evident in this passage?
(1 point)
strategic repetition
imagery
ironic tone
flowery language
17. Read the following passage from "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck.
"I'm off my general road, ma'am," he said. "Does this dirt road cut over across the river to the Los Angeles highway?"
Elisa stood up and shoved the thick scissors in her apron pocket. "Well, yes, it does, but it winds around and then fords the river. I don't think your team could pull through the sand."
He replied with some asperity: "It might surprise you what them beasts can pull through."
The fact that the man replied to Elisa with asperity shows that Elisa's comment about his horses (1 point)
worried him.
confused him.
offended him.
flattered him.
18. The Harlem Renaissance was the result of African Americans moving north to (1 point)
escape segregation.
be free of racism.
find agricultural jobs.
become artists and writers.
For questions 19-23, match the literary term with its correct definition.
19. when a story begins in the middle of the action (1 point)
allegory
aphorism
diction
in medias res
metaphor
20. an author's word choice (1 point)
allegory
aphorism
diction
in medias res
metaphor
21. when objects, persons, or objects in a story are used as symbols (1 point)
allegory
aphorism
diction
in medias res
metaphor
22. a direct comparison that does not use the words like, as, or than (1 point)
allegory
aphorism
diction
in medias res
metaphor
23. a clever statement that communicates a truth (1 point)
allegory
aphorism
diction
in medias res
metaphor
24. Read the following passage from "Babylon Revisited" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
"I'm delighted," Marion said vehemently. "Now at least you can go into a store without their assuming you're a millionaire."
What can you infer about Marion's attitude from the fact that she spoke vehemently? (1 point)
She was hesitant to say how she felt.
She felt guilty confessing her true feelings.
She felt strongly about what she was saying.
She was grateful to be able to say how she felt.
Matching
Match the author with the description.
A. Ernest Hemingway
B. John Steinbeck
C. Robert Frost
D. Langston Hughes
25. Summers spent in Pacific Grove, California, influenced the symbolism in his literature. (1 point)
26. His poetry includes simple, direct language. Many of his poems are dramatic monologues written in free verse that are about life on New England farms. (1 point)
27. The mood and tone of his literature was largely shaped by his experience as a soldier in World War I. (1 point)
28. His poetry and short stories include dialect and colloquialisms that give his primarily African American characters distinctive voices. (1 point)
For questions 29–32, match the meaning with the correct prefix.
A. ambi-
B. ex-
C. re-
D. sym-
29. out of, from (1 point)
30. on both sides (1 point)
31. same (1 point)
32. again, back (1 point)
The Chrysanthemums
by John SteinbeckA text passage is shown.
Line 1 reads: “It must be nice,” she said. “It must be very nice. I wish women could do such things.” Line 2 reads: “It ain’t the right kind of life for a woman.” Line 3 reads: Her upper lip raised a little, showing her teeth. “How do you know? How can you tell?” she said. Line 4 reads: “I don’t know, ma’am,” he protested. “Of course I don’t know. Now here’s your kettles, done. You. Line 5 reads: don’t have to buy no new ones.” Line 6 reads: “How much?” Line 7 reads: “Oh, fifty cents’ll do. I keep my prices down and my work good. That’s why I have all them satisfied. Line 8 reads: customers up and down the highway.” Line 9 reads: Elisa brought him a fifty-cent piece from the house and dropped it in his hand. “You might be. Line 10 reads: surprised to have a rival some time. I can sharpen scissors, too. And I can beat the dents out of little pots. Line 11 reads: I could show you what a woman might do.” Line 12 reads: He put his hammer back in the oily box and shoved the little anvil out of sight. “It would be a lonely. Line 13 reads: life for a woman, ma’am, and a scary life, too, with animals creeping under the wagon all night.” Line 14 reads: He climbed over the single-tree, steadying himself in the seat, picked up the lines. “Thank you kindly. Line 15 reads: ma’am,” he said. “I’ll do like you told me; I’ll go back and catch the Salinas road . . .” The wagon turned. Line 16 reads: and crawled out the entrance road and back the way it had come, along the river. Line 17 reads: Elisa stood in front of her wire fence watching the slow progress of the caravan. Her shoulders were. Line 18 reads: straight, her head thrown back, her eyes half-closed, so that the scene came vaguely into them. Her. Line 19 reads: lips moved silently, forming the words, “Good-bye—good-bye.” Then she whispered: “That’s a bright. Line 20 reads: direction. There’s glowing there.”
Read the following passage from “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck.
33. This passage implies that women in Elisa’s time and place were (1 point)
seen as weak and dependent.
free to do whatever they chose.
restricted to safe, traditional roles.
easily fooled.
Read the following passage from “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck.
34. In lines 15–16, the author uses personification when he describes how "The wagon turned and crawled out the entrance road." This technique helps the reader better understand (1 point)
why Elisa feels sad.
why the fixer is leaving.
the way the wagon moves.
the direction the wagon is headed.
Read the following passage from “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck.
35. In line 3, when Elisa says, "How do you know? How can you tell?" she is revealing an attitude of (1 point)
curiosity.
defiance.
interest.
suspicion.
SHORT ANSWERS
36. Read the following excerpt from “In Another Country” by Ernest Hemingway.
"The doctor told me that the major’s wife, who was very young and whom he had not married until he was definitely invalided out of the war, had died of pneumonia. She had been sick only a few days. No one expected her to die."
What is the mood of this excerpt? Cite examples from the excerpt to support your answer.
Select the link to access the Short Answer Rubric.
mouse icon Short Answer Rubric (4 points)
37. Select one of the prompts below and follow the directions. Respond in a paragraph that is written in complete sentences. (16 pts)
Consider what you have learned about American history from the 1920s to the 1940s. How do the stories you have read in this unit reflect what was going on in the country then? Describe what you have learned.
Many of the stories in this unit have a theme of loss in common. In your opinion, which story evokes the most pathos? Give reasons to support your opinions.
The stories in this unit were all written more than 50 years ago. Write a persuasive paragraph about which story you think has best stood the test of time. Consider what is timeless about the style, theme, or characters of the story you choose.
Select the link to access the English Essay Rubric.
mouse icon English Essay Rubric (16 points)