ELA II OST Practice Test (Emerson & Thoreau)

Read this sentence from passage 1: "It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look" (paragraph 1).

Why does Thoreau make this comparison to the visual arts?

• to associate daily life with the slow process of painting and sculpting.

• to compare finding one's focus to the challenge of making beautiful things.

• to suggest people should spend more time appreciating the beauty in details.

• to imply that human perspective can be shaped as readily as physical objects.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

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In passage 1, what is Thoreau's purpose in using the phrase "this chopping sea of civilized life"?

• to emphasize his concern for the dangers people face each day.

• to introduce his contempt for the complexities of modern life.

• to describe the struggles he faces while working on many projects.

• to compare his current situation with the way he formerly lived life.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

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(3, PART A): In passage 2, what does Emerson suggest is the relationship between nature and the scholar?

• Nature is a teacher of the scholar, providing instruction on many things.

• Nature and the scholar are companions, working toward a similar cause.

• Nature and the scholar are equals, each belonging to the same classification system.

• Nature is an adversary of the scholar, each fighting for control of the natural world.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

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(3, PART B) Which detail from the passage supports the answer in Part A?

• "The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature."

• "Far, too, as her splendors shine, system on system shooting like rays upward, downward, without centre, without circumference."

• "To the young mind, every thing is individual, stands by itself."

• "By and by, it finds how to join two things, and see in them one nature; then three, then three thousand..."

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What does Thoreau mean when he says "We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us" at the end of passage 1?

• He is critiquing those who live a life marked by luxury and excessive expenses.

• He is commenting on the growth of the transportation system and the danger is poses to society.

• He is using the train as an example of how technological progress moves people further from personal freedom.

• He is criticizing the historical expansion of the railways and the destruction it brings to the surrounding landscape.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

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(5, PART A) What is a key idea in passage 2?

• Scholars have an obligation to be in touch with nature.

• Young people should spend more time connecting with nature.

• Scientists should be devoted to cataloguing and classifying nature.

• Humans should understand nature in order to understand themselves.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

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(5, Part B) What details from the passage help develop the key idea?

• metaphors connecting humans and nature.

• narratives of how nature has shaped people.

• examples from real life displaying the benefits of studying nature.

• comparisons between those who are connected to nature and those who are not.

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In paragraph 3, Emerson states that "science is nothing but the finding of analogy." How does this idea help Emerson develop his overall purpose?

• It appeals to emotion by highlighting the importance of nature in the lives of humans.

• It appeals to logic by emphasizing the connection between nature and the human mind.

• It appeals to logic listing examples of scientific findings and explains how each led to important progress.

• It appeals to emotion by providing examples of different types of scientists to show how nature is important to each.

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Read the sentence from passage 2: "The astronomer discovers that geometry, a pure abstraction of the human mind, is the measure of planetary motion."

How does this sentence develop Emerson's claims?

• It explains humanity's place in the world relative to nature.

• It establishes scientists' ability to effect change in the world.

• It demonstrates that things that seem unrelated are actually closely connected.

• It gives them an example of disciplines scholars should study to improve themselves.

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In passage 2, how does Emerson describe the development of the mind?

• It develops in a circular manner, by constantly learning and then re-learning facts.

• It develops in partnership with others, by learning from teachers who have acquired knowledge.

• It develops by moving from a complicated lifestyle with many distractions toward a more focused lifestyle.

• It develops by moving from discrete understandings toward perceiving the connections that form the natural world.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

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