Characterization in RS 2

Read this excerpt from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone.

Fortunately, the French had made a number of copies of the inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone. They did this by covering the surface of the Stone with printer’s ink, laying a sheet of paper on it, and rolling rubber rollers over it until good, clear impressions were obtained.

Based on the word choice in this excerpt, how does Giblin feel about the French attempt to understand the writings on the Rosetta Stone?

• that it was a waste of time

• that is was worthwhile

• that it was impossible

• that it was amazing

Read the excerpt from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone.

Because of this mistaken belief, Young put roadblocks in his own path. However, he had laid a solid groundwork for others in their attempts to decipher the hieroglyphs.

Based on this excerpt, what is James Cross Giblin’s attitude toward the achievements of Thomas Young?

• Giblin believes Young made valuable contributions to future researchers’ attempts to decipher the hieroglyphs.

• Giblin believes Young made minor contributions to future researchers’ attempts to decipher the hieroglyphs.

• Giblin believes Young made important discoveries, but that they were unrelated to future researchers’ attempts to decipher the hieroglyphs.

• Giblin believes Young made meaningless discoveries, and his efforts set up roadblocks for others attempting to decipher the hieroglyphs.

Which sentence from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone most suggests that James Cross Giblin holds a positive view of the work of Thomas Young?

• At various times, Young studied the habits of spiders, the surface features of the moon, and diseases of the chest.

• Young noticed that each time these demotic characters appeared, they were set off at both ends by lines like parentheses

• Unable to make fresh progress in deciphering the demotic passage, Young turned his attention to the hieroglyphs on the Stone.

• However, he had laid a solid groundwork for others in their attempts to decipher the hieroglyphs

Read the excerpt from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, by James Cross Giblin.

Young had learned to read before he was two, and by the age of twenty had mastered a dozen foreign languages including Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. An inheritance from an uncle left him free to pursue his scientific interests. At various times, Young studied the habits of spiders, the surface features of the moon, and diseases of the chest. Then, intrigued by the challenge of the Rosetta Stone, he put aside his other studies and concentrated on attempting to decipher the writing on it. Young had read of de Sacy’s and Akerblad’s work in Paris, and was determined to succeed where they had failed.

The details in this excerpt hint that Giblin has a ______

• positive attitude toward Young’s passion for learning.

• positive attitude toward learning new languages.

• negative attitude toward Young’s lack of focus.

• negative attitude toward living off an inheritance

Read the sentence from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone.

Young, like de Sacy and Akerblad before him, decided their demotic equivalent must be a group of characters that occurred fourteen times.

Which answer option best describes the sentence?

• This sentence is biased because it reflects the belief that Young was smarter than de Sacy and Akerblad.

• This sentence is biased because it reflects the belief that Young’s ideas were unreasonable.

• This sentence is unbiased because it simply states a fact about something that Young believed.

Read the excerpt from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone.

Now Young made a leap of the imagination. It was like the inspired hunches that have led so many of the great advances in science and technology over the ages.

Which best describes this excerpt?

• It is biased because it reflects an attitude about one of Thomas Young’s ideas

• It is biased because it reflects a negative attitude about technology.

• It is unbiased because it discusses the great advances in technology.

After reading The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, a student made this statement.

Thomas Young was clearly the most intelligent and determined researcher to try to decipher the writings on the Rosetta Stone.

This statement could be considered biased because it

• states two different facts about Thomas Young.

• fails to mention any facts about Thomas Young.

• views Thomas Young as an ordinary researcher.

• favors Thomas Young over other researchers.

Read the excerpt from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone.

Young made several mistakes. He thought the third hieroglyph was part of the one for “T,” whereas it actually stood for the vowel “O’.” The fourth hieroglyph, the lion, meant just “L,” the fifth meant “M,” and the last hieroglyph stood simply for “S.” In other words, the spelling in Egyptian was “Ptolmis,” not “Ptolemaios.”

Which statement best describes this excerpt?

• This excerpt is biased because it reflects an attitude about Young’s actions.

• This excerpt is biased because it reflects an attitude about Egyptian spelling.

• This excerpt is unbiased because it provides details about Young’s actions.

Which statement from The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone contains an opinion that could be considered biased if facts and examples had not been given to support it?

• Eventually he gave up, saying, “The problem is too complicated, scientifically insoluble.”

• But Akerblad’s success in identifying so many demotic characters now led him to make a serious mistake.

• It was like the inspired hunches that have led so many of the great advances in science and technology over the ages.

Which of the following statements is unbiased?

• The best high school in the state is in Phoenix, Arizona.

• Cactus Ridge is the largest high school in the state.

• The sports coaches at Cactus Ridge are always fair.

• Cactus Ridge High School has the smartest teachers.