Senior English Semester 1 Final

English Literature

11th Grade,
12th Grade

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY

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Quizzes Created: 1 | Total Attempts: 226

| Attempts: 226 | Questions: 13 | Updated: Mar 20, 2025

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1. Which of these statements BEST shows the relationship between author's purpose and tone throughout the excerpt?

A. Using a sarcastic and biting tone, the author persuades readers to learn how to swim at a very young... A. Using a sarcastic and biting tone, the author persuades readers to learn how to swim at a very young age.

B. Using a humorous and informal tone, the author entertains and makes connections with readers while reflecting about a memorable... B. Using a humorous and informal tone, the author entertains and makes connections with readers while reflecting about a memorable personal experience.

C. Using a humorous and informal tone, the author convinces readers to never give up on their dreams.

D. Using a sarcastic and biting tone, the author ridicules people who have difficulty swimming.

The correct answer, B, suggests that the author's purpose is to entertain and make connections with readers, while reflecting on a memorable personal experience. This is supported by the use of a humorous and informal tone throughout the excerpt. The author's tone is not sarcastic or biting, as in option A, which persuades readers to learn how to swim at a young age. The author's tone is also not ridiculing, as in option D, where the author mocks people who have difficulty swimming. Option C is not supported because the author's purpose is not to convince readers to never give up on their dreams.

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About This Quiz

This final is an assessment of close reading and analysis skills with narrative, drama, and nonfiction. You are to understand each text on a literal level, identify author’s choices for effect, and apply the critical perspectives for further interpretation. You have one 50-minute class period to complete this... see moreexam. This final is worth 100 points. see less

2. What first name or nickname would you like us to use?

You may optionally provide this to label your report, leaderboard, or certificate.

2. Read the second paragraph of the essay. During the reign of Queen Victoria, a woman's place was in the home, as domesticity and motherhood were considered by society at large to be a sufficient emotional fulfilment for females. These constructs kept women far away from the public sphere in most ways, but during the 19th century charitable missions did begin to extend the female role of service, and Victorian feminism emerged as a potent political force. Which words in the paragraph best help the reader understand the meaning of the word domesticity?

A. “During the reign of Queen Victoria”

B. “female role of service”

C. “in the home”

D. “away from the public sphere”

The word "domesticity" refers to the concept of being focused on the home and domestic life. The phrase "in the home" directly relates to this meaning and helps the reader understand what domesticity entails.

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3. Reread paragraph 2. Aunt Parvine told my father that she was going to teach me how to swim. My parents decided to leave me with her one afternoon while she worked her medical magic. It didn't occur to them that perhaps they should stay and watch the swimming lesson. My aunt took me to the deep end of the pool and there, this highly educated woman, whom I had grown up worshiping from afar, let go of me. I sank. Perhaps because of her medical training, or perhaps because she couldn't face the prospect of having to explain to my parents that she had killed their child, Parvine eventually decided to intervene. Moments before I got to see the tunnel with the light at the end and the angels beckoning me to join them, she lifted me out of the water. Which statement BEST describes the author's use of diction?

A. The author selected words that describe the physical properties of water in a pool in order to create a... A. The author selected words that describe the physical properties of water in a pool in order to create a vivid mental image for the reader.

B. The author selected words that are elevated and formal in order to convey an authoritative tone.

C. The author selected words that represent an elevated opinion of her aunt that makes her feel that she was... C. The author selected words that represent an elevated opinion of her aunt that makes her feel that she was at fault for not being able to swim.

D. The author selected words that reference the speaker’s national heritage in order to make cultural connections for the reader.

The author's use of words like "highly educated," "worshiping," and "medical magic" suggests that the author holds an elevated opinion of her aunt. This elevated opinion makes the author feel that she was at fault for not being able to swim, as she believes her aunt should have been able to teach her. This is supported by the author's statement that her aunt eventually intervened because she couldn't face having to explain to the parents that she had killed their child.

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4. From the essay, the reader can infer that Queen Victoria's reign had which effect?

A. Victoria’s marriage and family life set an idealized standard that was challenging for middle- and low-income women to attain.

B. Victoria’s views on respectability created an atmosphere that prohibited women from venturing outside their neighborhoods.

C. Victoria’s dedication to Britain’s domination of industrial advancements further excluded women from the world of work.

D. Victoria’s emphasis on the importance of motherhood influenced men and women alike to provide for the needs of all... D. Victoria’s emphasis on the importance of motherhood influenced men and women alike to provide for the needs of all children.

The essay suggests that Queen Victoria's marriage and family life set a standard that was difficult for middle- and low-income women to achieve. This implies that Victoria's idealized standard of marriage and family life created a societal expectation that put pressure on women of lower socioeconomic status to conform to this standard, even if it was challenging for them to do so.

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5. Read this paragraph from the essay. The message that motherhood was woman's highest achievement, albeit within marriage, never weakened through the course of the century. Indeed, it was in this period that motherhood was idealised as the zenith of a woman's emotional and spiritual fulfilment. At the same time, however, motherhood was becoming a social responsibility, a duty to the state and thus a full-time job, which could not easily be combined with paid work. And mothering became something that was no longer natural but which had to be learned. Which words in the paragraph best help the reader understand the meaning of the word zenith?

A. “within marriage”

B. “woman's highest achievement”

C. “emotional and spiritual”

D. “social responsibility”

The word "zenith" is defined as the highest point or peak of something. In the given paragraph, the phrase "woman's highest achievement" is used to describe how motherhood was idealized during this time period. This phrase helps the reader understand that "zenith" is referring to the idea that motherhood was seen as the ultimate or highest accomplishment for women.

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6. The Victorian era was a fast-moving time when the values of the people began to shift. A double standard is a code, often unwritten, with different sets of rules for different participants. Which of the following quotes from the essay does NOT illustrate the concept of a double standard?

A. “Yet the ideal of true motherhood demanded women be constantly present for their children—it implied a commitment to domesticity... A. “Yet the ideal of true motherhood demanded women be constantly present for their children—it implied a commitment to domesticity and was therefore seen as incompatible with the demands of the labour market. Working-class mothers were therefore more likely to be labelled irresponsible and neglectful, when in truth they were struggling to combine the demands of childcare and putting a meal on the table.”

B. “Many of the first feminists were active in the philanthropic movement, and it was from this feminine public sphere... B. “Many of the first feminists were active in the philanthropic movement, and it was from this feminine public sphere that demands for improvements in the position of women began to be made.”

C. “So they provided aid to mothers and infants in the name of improving infant and maternal mortality rates, while... C. “So they provided aid to mothers and infants in the name of improving infant and maternal mortality rates, while barring illegitimate children from their crèches. They could lecture working-class women on cleanliness in homes resembling slums, while they relied on servants to keep their own homes up to the required standard.”

D. “Female charitable activity was informed by religious commitment as well as by a sense of moral superiority. In Britain... D. “Female charitable activity was informed by religious commitment as well as by a sense of moral superiority. In Britain evangelicalism inspired the formation of an extensive range of female associations.”

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7. Historical criticism assumes that texts both influence and are influenced by the times in which they were created. The Importance of Being Earnest was written during the Victorian era. Which ideas of the Victorian era presented in "Ideals of Womanhood in Victorian Britain" does the excerpt from The Importance of Being Earnest reflect?

A. Most marriages at the time were arranged and conducted as business agreements.

B. Women were most effective in the sphere of the home and hearth.

C. Women had weak minds and were incapable of making decisions for themselves.

D. Until recent years, women had limited influence on their own fates.

The correct answer is D because the excerpt from The Importance of Being Earnest reflects the idea that until recent years, women had limited influence on their own fates. This is evident in the play through the character of Gwendolen, who is bound by societal expectations and her mother's control in her choice of a husband. The play satirizes the constraints placed on women during the Victorian era and highlights the lack of agency they had in determining their own destinies.

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8. What understanding of this reflective text might emerge when the literary theory of Cultural Criticism is applied?

A. The author’s experiences are unlike what is experienced by many readers, so, most readers cannot relate to what is... A. The author’s experiences are unlike what is experienced by many readers, so, most readers cannot relate to what is happening in the text.

B. The author’s experiences are so similar to what most readers have experienced that responding to those experiences is completely... B. The author’s experiences are so similar to what most readers have experienced that responding to those experiences is completely unavoidable.

C. The author included the near-drowning experience to help readers understand the fundamentals of swimming.

D. The author included the near-drowning experience to illustrate the obstacles of trying to become like “everyone else” within a... D. The author included the near-drowning experience to illustrate the obstacles of trying to become like “everyone else” within a culture of her family.

When the literary theory of Cultural Criticism is applied to this reflective text, it suggests that the author included the near-drowning experience to highlight the challenges and barriers faced when trying to conform to societal expectations within her family's culture. This interpretation aligns with the principles of Cultural Criticism, which analyze how cultural norms and values shape individuals' experiences and identities. By including this experience, the author aims to shed light on the difficulties and pressures of assimilation within a specific cultural context.

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9. Read the last sentence of the passage. But despite my dips in the many beautiful bodies of water in the world, I have never forgotten that first gentle wave in the Caspian Sea, the one that lifted me and assured me that, yes, the pilot has had enough sleep. Why did the speaker indicate that the wave "lifted and assured" her?

A. When she finally learned to swim, the speaker felt lifted from disillusionment to newfound confidence.

B. When she finally learned to swim, the speaker felt lifted from exhaustion to rejuvenation.

C. When she finally learned to swim, the speaker felt convinced that her aunt wouldn’t get the best of her.

D. When she finally learned to swim, the speaker felt convinced she was floating on air for days.

The speaker indicates that the wave "lifted and assured" her because it was a significant moment for her. Learning to swim was a transformative experience for the speaker, as it lifted her from a state of disillusionment to newfound confidence. The wave symbolizes this transformation and reassured her that she had overcome her fears and limitations.

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10. What is the effect of the author's use of imagery in the last paragraph of the excerpt?

A. The use of sensory details such as “deep blue Pacific” and “cerulean waters” create feelings of drowning in unconquerable... A. The use of sensory details such as “deep blue Pacific” and “cerulean waters” create feelings of drowning in unconquerable fears.

B. The use of sensory details such as “deep blue Pacific” and “cerulean waters” create feelings of exhilaration and contentment... B. The use of sensory details such as “deep blue Pacific” and “cerulean waters” create feelings of exhilaration and contentment as the speaker reflects on overcoming a challenge.

C. The use of repeated words and phrases emphasize the speaker’s commitment to her new way of life.

D. The use of repeated words and phrases emphasize the speaker’s desire to continue to relive her first swimming experience.

The author's use of sensory details such as "deep blue Pacific" and "cerulean waters" evokes a sense of excitement and satisfaction in the reader. This imagery creates a vivid and vibrant picture of the setting, which contributes to the overall feeling of exhilaration and contentment. The mention of overcoming a challenge in the question further supports this interpretation, suggesting that the imagery in the last paragraph is meant to convey a sense of accomplishment and joy in the speaker's reflection.

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11. Which sentence from the passage BEST supports the way the author set the "stranger" apart from the "village"?

A. “News of my European failure soon reached the rest of my relatives, thus cementing my reputation as The One... A. “News of my European failure soon reached the rest of my relatives, thus cementing my reputation as The One Incapable of Swimming.”

B. “My aunt took me to the deep end of the pool and there, this highly educated woman, whom I... B. “My aunt took me to the deep end of the pool and there, this highly educated woman, whom I had grown up worshiping from afar, let go of me.”

C. “He and I headed straight for the pool, where he watched in disbelief.”

D. “I took a few steps into the water, where a gentle wave lifted me and I started to swim.”

The sentence from the passage that best supports the way the author set the "stranger" apart from the "village" is A. "News of my European failure soon reached the rest of my relatives, thus cementing my reputation as The One Incapable of Swimming." This sentence implies that the author is seen as different or separate from the rest of the village because of their failure in Europe. It suggests that the author is seen as an outsider or someone who doesn't fit in with the expectations of the village.

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12. Complete the analogy. Perception: outlook as aphorism: ____________

A. argument

B. judgment

C. question

D. statement

Perception refers to one's outlook or understanding of something, while an aphorism is a concise statement that expresses a general truth or principle. Both perception and aphorism involve conveying information or ideas through concise means. Therefore, the analogy suggests that just as perception is related to outlook, an aphorism is related to a statement.

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13. Complete the analogy. cultural criticism : marginalized people :: reader response criticism : _______________

A. sensory details

B. autobiography

C. reading situation

D. sentence variety

The analogy is comparing two different types of criticism. Cultural criticism focuses on marginalized people, meaning it examines and critiques the representation and treatment of those who are marginalized in society. Similarly, reader response criticism focuses on the reading situation, meaning it analyzes and evaluates how readers interpret and respond to a text based on their own experiences, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, the correct answer is C. reading situation.

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