English 11 A - Early American and Colonial Literature Test

6. Read the following sentence from "The Middle Passage".

"Many a time we were near suffocation, from the want of fresh air, which we were often without for whole days together."

Which word best matches the meaning of "want" as it is used in the sentence?
A. breath
B. hope
C. lack *
D. need *

I believe that the answer is either C or D.

8. Which of the following statements about early American and Colonial literature is true?
A. The literature primarily centers on religious themes.
B. The voices of women and minorities are absent from this period.
C. Early American and colonial literature did not exist before the printing press.
D. Different authors share similar purposes and genres. *

I believe that the answer is D.

10. Read the following example. What is the effect of the meter in these lines?

I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and Hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden Daffodils;
Beside the Lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

A. It allows words to be repeated across lines of the poem.
B. It provides momentum throughout the poem. *
C. It helps to combine the lines of the poem.
D. It provides additional meaning to the poem.

I believe that the answer is B.

I need help asap. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

For question 6, you correctly narrowed down the choices to C and D. To determine the best answer, let's look at the sentence: "Many a time we were near suffocation, from the want of fresh air, which we were often without for whole days together." In this context, the word "want" means a lack or absence. Therefore, the best match for the meaning of "want" in this sentence is C - lack.

For question 8, you correctly identified the answer as D. Early American and Colonial literature had different authors who shared similar purposes and genres. This means that although there was diversity in the writers and their perspectives, there were common themes, purposes, and genres among them.

For question 10, you correctly chose answer B. The effect of the meter in the provided lines is to provide momentum throughout the poem. The meter, which is the rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, creates a sense of flow and movement in the poem, giving it momentum.

I hope this helps you with your test. Good luck!