SECTION 2

Time: 40 mins.
40 questions

Read each passage carefully then answer the questions that follow.

After leaving College, and while studying Divinity, Emerson employed a part of his time in giving
instruction in several places successively.
Emerson's older brother William was teaching in Boston, and Ralph Waldo, after graduating,
joined him in that occupation. In the year 1825 or 1826, he taught school also in Chelmsford, a
town of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a part of which helped to constitute the city of Lowell.
One of his pupils in that school, the Honorable Josiah Gardiner Abbott, has favored me with the
following account of his recollections.
The school of which Mr. Emerson had the charge was an old-fashioned country "Academy." Mr.
Emerson was probably studying for the ministry while teaching there. Judge Abbott remembers the
impression he made on the boys. He was very grave, quiet, and very impressive in his appearance.
There was something engaging, almost fascinating, about him; he was never harsh or severe,
always perfectly self-controlled, never punished except with words, but exercised complete
command over the boys. His old pupil recalls the stately, measured way in which, for some offence
the little boy had committed, he turned on him, saying only these two words: "Oh, sad!" That was
enough, for he had the faculty of making the boys love him. One of his modes of instruction was to
give the boys a piece of reading to carry home with them,--from some book like Plutarch's Lives,--
and the next day to examine them and find out how much they retained from their reading. Judge
Abbott remembers a peculiar look in his eyes, as if he saw something beyond what seemed to be in
the field of vision. The whole impression left on this pupil's mind was such as no other teacher had
ever produced upon him.

1.) The primary purpose of this passage is to:

a.) reminisce about Ralph Waldo Emerson's childhood
b.) analyze the behaviours and qualities of stern teachers
c.) criticize Emerson's choice of profession
d.) briefly discuss what made Ralph Waldo Emerson an effective educator
e.) suggest that Judge Abott's success in life is the result of having many excellent teachers

2.) The author states that he received his information about Emerson's teaching style from:
a.) William Emerson, Ralph Waldo's older brother
b.) a former student of Ralph Waldo Emerson
c.) reading a biography on Emerson
d.) Ralph Waldo Emerson
e.) an anonymous source
3.) It can be inferred from the passage that the "old-fashioned" country Academy:
a.) enforced a strong moral code of conduct
b.) was well respected by the town folk
c.) had a limited teaching staff
d.) did not have access to a number of resources
e.) was an all boys school

4.) Which of the following would be uncharacteristic of Emerson?

a.) Offering a struggling student extra assistance
b.) Giving his class a surprise quiz
c.) Mocking a student for a poor test score
d.) Assigning homework
e.) Sitting down to read a book

5.) The author's tone towards Emerson can best be described as:
a.) belligerent
b.) impatient
c.) admiring
d.) modest
e.) disinterested

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation,
conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are
engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so
dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to
dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that the
nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate--we cannot consecrate--we cannot hallow--this
ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our
poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but
it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the
unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us
to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take
increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we
here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall
have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people,
shall not perish from the earth.

6.) As used in the first sentence, "our fathers" refers to:

a.) patriotic ancestors of the past who fought for the nation's ideals and mission
b.) the brave soldiers who died during the Battle of Gettysburg
c.) a new generation on the verge of bringing a new perspective to history
d.) a supernatural Divinity considered the guardian and protector of all people
e.) political activists and government officials of the last several years
7.) According to the passage, the country is:
a.) fighting in vain
b.) engaged in a great civil war
c.) mourning the loss of many innocent civilians
d.) expected to fall into a great depression
e.) in need of more supplies and troops

8.) It can be inferred that the speaker is giving this speech:

a.) to a crowd of over ten thousand people
b.) with the opposition close at hand
c.) prior to the unveiling of a war memorial
d.) from a remote location
e.) at the dedication of a national cemetery

9.) The speaker would most likely agree with which of the following?
a.) Character is doing what's right when nobody is looking.
b.) Actions are far more memorable than words.
c.) Victory comes when it is least expected.
d.) No good comes from war.
e.) The simple pleasures of life are the most meaningful.

10.) The tone of the passage can best be described as:

a.) resolute
b.) ambivalent
c.) arrogant
d.) contrite
e.) bitter

11.) As used in line 7, the word "consecrate" most closely means:

a.) make fertile
b.) completely overlook
c.) tear apart
d.) make sacred
e.) build from scratch
A new theory has been broached to explain the migrations of the Norway lemming, a variety of field
mouse. Every few years an immense body of these animals leave their habitat and proceed westward,
attacking every obstacle in front in preference to flanking it, until it reaches the sea, which the little
animals boldly enter, only to perish there. No conceivable advantage to the lemming is known to have
ever resulted from these long and arduous marches. The losses in swimming large rivers, from fire,
the attacks of predatory animals, hunger, and fatigue, are so great that but few reach the sea, and the
remnant always perish there. Mr. W. Duppa, who has studied the habits of these animals for ten
years, now suggests that they are moved by an hereditary instinct, and that their prehistoric home was
some country west of Sweden, and now covered by the Atlantic.
According to him, says "Nature," the migration is not all completed in one year, as formerly
supposed, nor do they, as stated, form processions and cut their way through obstacles; but, breeding
several times in the season, they gather in batches, and at intervals make a move westward. Their
pugnacity, he states, is astonishing, and the approach of any animal, or even the shadow of a cloud,
arouses the anger of this small creature like a guinea pig, and they back against a stone or rock
uttering shrill defiance. Our author found, in most examples, a bare patch on the rump, due to their
rubbing against the said buttress of support when at bay. He wonders why a bare patch, and not a
callosity, should not result from this innate, apparently hereditary habit.

12.) The main idea expressed in the passage is that:

a.) researchers are making great strides in understanding lemming behaviour
b.) field mice are a relatively unexplored phenomena of nature
c.) the curious behaviour of lemmings supports Darwin's theory of evolution
d.) lemmings are unlike any other creature on earth
e.) the westward journey of the lemming is shrouded in mystery

13.) As used in line 4, the word "perish" most closely means:

a.) rest
b.) linger
c.) die
d.) prevail
e.) flounder

14.) According to the passage, lemmings may experience all of the following on their journey
EXCEPT:
a.) disease
b.) predators
c.) death
d.) malnourishment
e.) fatigue
15.) The author implies that lemmings are most fascinating because they:
a.) migrate westward
b.) are desperately afraid of water
c.) travel in intervals and groups
d.) tenaciously seek out their death
e.) live longer than most rodents

16.) Mr. Duppa believes that the lemmings' journey towards the sea is:
a.) necessary
b.) questionable
c.) unfathomable
d.) pointless
e.) instinctual

17.) Mr. Duppa is probably a(n):

a.) opthamologist
b.) ornithologist
c.) rodentologist
d.) paleontologist
e.) etymologist

In America I am sure the papers are printing too much miscellaneous reading. The perusal
of this smattering of everything, these scraps of information and snatches of literature, this
infinite variety and medley, in which no subject is adequately treated, is distracting and
debilitating to the mind. It prevents the reading of anything in full, and its satisfactory
assimilation.
It is said that the majority of Americans read nothing except the paper. If they read that
thoroughly, they have time for nothing else. What is its reader to do when his journal thrusts
upon him every day the amount contained in a fair-sized duodecimo volume, and on Sundays
the amount of two of them? Granted that this miscellaneous hodge-podge is the cream of
current literature, is it profitable to the reader? Is it a means of anything but superficial
culture and fragmentary information? Besides, it stimulates an unnatural appetite, a liking for
the striking, the brilliant, the sensational only; for our selections from current literature are,
usually the "plums"; and plums are not a wholesome-diet for anybody. A person accustomed
to this finds it difficult to sit down patiently to the mastery of a book or a subject, to the study
of history, the perusal of extended biography, or to acquire that intellectual development and
strength which comes from thorough reading and reflection.

18.) The best title for this passage is:

a.) Beware of Newspapers
b.) An Illiterate Culture
c.) Living for the Spectacular
d.) News from Home
e.) Newspapers Rot the Mind
19.) According to the author, reading the newspaper is most dangerous because:
a.) people are influenced by what they read in them
b.) editors do not take responsibility for their opinions
c.) newspapers solicit fragmented information and focus on the sensational
d.) newspapers neglect serious subjects and lack thorough research
e.) students find studying and reading textbooks boring in comparison

20.) The author implies that the primary difference between newspapers and good
literature is that good literature:
a.) contains a medley of different perspectives and opinions.
b.) can be found on the shelves of any reputable library.
c.) merges fact and fiction to both instruct and amuse its reader.
d.) gives comprehensive information on a particular subject.
e.) bears the name of a distinguished author.

21.) Which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
a.) A man must read many books before calling himself wise.
b.) Newspapers are written to appeal to the masses.
c.) Good writing is a thing of the past.
d.) The mind is a muscle and must be exercised regularly.
e.) Being inundated with bits of exciting information hinders concentration.

22.) The author's tone can best be described as:

a.) amused
b.) convinced
c.) hopeless
d.) nostalgic
e.) disgruntled

23.) The author refers to the newspaper as all of the following EXCEPT:
a.) a smattering of everything
b.) the cream of the crop
c.) scraps of information
d.) miscellaneous hodge-podge
e.) a medley
 I was sent to school early--more, I fancy, to get me out of the way for a good part of
the day, than from any expectation that I would learn much. It took a long time to
hammer the alphabet into my head. But if I was dull at school, I was noisy and
mischievous enough at home, and very fond of tormenting my sisters. Hence, my parents-
-and no child ever had better ones--could not be blamed very much if they did send me to
school for no other reason than to be rid of me.
The schoolhouse was close at hand, and its aspect is deeply graven in my memory. My
first schoolmaster was an Englishman who had seen better days. He was a good scholar, I
believe, but a poor teacher.
I next sat under the rod of an Irish pedagogue--an old man who evidently believed that
the only way to get anything into a boy's head was to pound it in with a stick through his
back. There was no discipline, and the noise we made seemed to rival a Bedlam. We used
to play all sorts of tricks on the old man, and I was not behind in contriving or carrying
them into execution. One day, however, I was caught and severely thrashed. This so
mortified me that I jumped out of the window and went home. An investigation followed,
and I was whipped by my father and sent back. Poor old Dominic, he has long since put
by his stick, and passed beyond the reach of unruly boys. Thus I passed on from teacher
to teacher, staying at home in the summer, and resuming my books again in the winter.

24.) When describing himself as a young student, the speaker implies that he:
a.) had difficultly learning
b.) struggled to make friends
c.) was anxious to learn
d.) sat in the front row
e.) only went to school to get away from his parents

25.) The speaker's main purpose in the passage is to:

a.) describe the conduct of his old schoolmasters
b.) account for his poor performance in school
c.) thank his parents for all their patience
d.) paint a portrait of his childhood
e.) explain why he was mischievous

26.) As used in line 12, the word "contriving" most closely means:
a.) inspecting
b.) supporting
c.) reacting
d.) advancing
e.) plotting

27.) Which of the following can be inferred about the speaker?

a.) He understands that he caused his parents stress and heartache.
b.) He never graduated.
c.) He disliked going to school.
d.) He is an only child.
e.) He lived on a farm.
28.) When discussing his schoolmasters, the speaker suggests that:
a.) their classrooms were not heated.
b.) physical discipline was a common practice.
c.) they only taught English and math.
d.) their classrooms were very large in size.
e.) they were strict but very good.

29.) According to the passage, the speaker's memory is engraved with:

a.) a realistic portrait of his first teacher
b.) the day he jumped out of his school window
c.) the appearance and characteristics of his schoolhouse
d.) the grief he caused his parents
e.) the letters of the alphabet

The cirrus occurs in very great variety, and in some states of the air is constantly
changing. It is the first cloud that appears in serene weather, and is always at a great
height. The first traces of the cirrus are some fine whitish threads, delicately-penciled on a
clear blue sky; and as they increase in length others frequently appear at the sides, until
numerous branches are formed, extending in all directions. Sometimes these lines cross
each other and form a sort of delicate net-work.
In dry weather the cirrus is sharp, defined, and fibrous in texture, the lines vanishing off
in fine points. When the air is damp this cloud may be seen in the intervals of rain, but is
not well defined, and the lines are much less fibrous. Such cirri as these often grow into
other varieties of cloud, and are frequently followed by rain.
The cirrus may last a few minutes only, or continue for hours. Its duration is shortest
when near other clouds. Although it appears to be stationary, it has some connexion with
the motions of the atmosphere; for whenever, in fair weather, light variable breezes prevail,
cirri are generally present. When they appear in wet weather, they quickly pass into the
cirro-stratus.
According to Dalton, these clouds are from three to five miles above the earth’s surface.
When viewed from the summits of the highest mountains they appear as distant as from the
plains. Another proof of their great height is, their continuing to be tinged by the sun’s rays
in the evening twilight with the most vivid colours, while the denser clouds are in the
deepest shade.

30.) The primary purpose of this passage is to:

a.) give a scientific explanation on the formation of the cirrus
b.) provide general information about the thin, wispy cloud that appears on calm days
c.) compare the cirrus to other less fibrous types of clouds
d.) clear up the many myths and fallacies that hover in the stratosphere.
e.) summarize Dalton's research and findings on the cirrus
31.) The appearance of the cirrus cloud may best be compared to a(n):
a.) spider web
b.) marble statue
c.) spool of thread
d.) root system
e.) field of corn

32.) A cirrus cloud that appears undefined and has less fibrous lines generally means:
a.) it will soon rain.
b.) a thunderstorm is close at hand.
c.) the sun is beginning to set.
d.) the cloud is being pushed by the motions in the atmosphere.
e.) it is no longer three to five miles above the earth's surface.

33.) According to the passage, there is no way to tell:

a.) how a cirrus cloud reacts around other clouds
b.) when a cirrus cloud is most likely to appear in the sky
c.) how long a cirrus cloud will last
d.) how high a cirrus cloud floats in the sky
e.) how cirrus clouds are formed

34.) The style of the passage can best be described as:

a.) descriptive
b.) verbose
c.) convoluted
d.) persuasive
e.) objective

I heartily thank you for the privilege of reading the manuscript of your Narrative. I have read it with
deep interest and strong emotion. I am much mistaken if it be not greatly successful and eminently
useful. It presents a different phase of the infernal slave-system from that portrayed in the admirable
story of Mr. Douglass, and gives us a glimpse of its hideous cruelties in other portions of its domain.
Your opportunities of observing the workings of this accursed system have been singularly great.
Your experiences in the Field, in the House, and especially on the River in the service of the slave-
trader, Walker, have been such as few individuals have had; -- no one, certainly, who has been
competent to describe them. What I have admired, and marveled at, in your Narrative, is the simplicity
and calmness with which you describe scenes and actions which might well "move the very stones to
rise and mutiny" against the National Institution which makes them possible.
You will perceive that I have made very sparing use of your flattering permission to alter what you
had written. To correct a few errors, which appeared to be merely clerical ones, committed in the hurry
of composition, under unfavorable circumstances, and to suggest a few curtailments, is all that I have
ventured to do. I should be a bold man, as well as a vain one, if I should attempt to improve your
descriptions of what you have seen and suffered. Some of the scenes are not unworthy of Defoe
himself.
 I trust and believe that your Narrative will have a wide circulation. I am sure it deserves it. At least,
a man must be differently constituted from me, who can rise from the perusal of your Narrative
without feeling that he understands slavery better, and hates it worse, than he ever did before.

I am, very faithfully and respectfully,

Your Friend

35.) It can be inferred that this letter is written by a(n):

a.) soldier to his lieutenant
b.) diplomat to his friend
c.) slave owner to his master
d.) editor to a slave abolitionist
e.) writer to a publisher

36.) Which of the following statement(s) is true of the author?

I. He does not believe he is in a position to alter the content of the manuscript.
II. The manuscript made the horrors of slavery more real to him.
III. He understands what it feels like to be a slave.
a.) I only.
b.) II only.
c.) I & II
d.) II & III
e.) I, II & III

37.) The tone of the letter can best be described as:

a.) apathetic
b.) contrite
c.) insincere
d.) accusatory
e.) passionate

38.) The author implies that many people:

a.) dislike questioning the slave-system
b.) choose not to read slave narratives
c.) are not aware of the hideous cruelty with which slaves are treated
d.) would prefer to read Mr. Douglass' story
e.) believe the slave-system is highly lucrative and therefore beneficial

39.) As used in line 3, the word "eminently" most closely means:

a.) to a great degree
b.) unknowingly
c.) about to happen
d.) on the verge of extinction
e.) ready to dismount
40.) The author states that he is impressed by the manuscript because of its:
a.) strong emotion
b.) simplicity and calmness
c.) embellished style
d.) theatrical elements
e.) minimal number of error

STOP
IF YOU FINISH BEFORE TIME IS CALLED, YOU MAY
CHECK YOUR WORK ON THIS SECTION ONLY.
DO NOT TURN TO ANY OTHER SECTION IN THE TEST.