Revision in Literature and Vocabulary Final Exams

1. Read the following excerpt from “Half a Day.” I was in a daze. My head spun. I almost went crazy. Which sentence BEST describes the pacing of this excerpt?

• The focus on the narrator makes it seem that time has stopped
• The short sentences prevent readers from feeling suspense
• The short sentences suggest that things are happening fast
• Nothing happens, so there is no pacing of events

2. At what point in “Half a Day” do events suggest that the narrator is not a little boy anymore?

• when he meets the woman at the school
• when he meets the other students at the school
• when he meets the middle-aged man in the street
• when he sees the circus performers

3. Read this excerpt from the story’s dialogue. “Today you truly begin life. You will find me waiting for you when it’s time to leave.” The father says this to the narrator on his first day at school. What event does it foreshadow?

• The narrator eventually finds his father after a long search
• The narrator finds he is on his own when he starts to go home.
• The narrator discovers that his father has been with him all along.
• The narrator loses interest in finding his father after school

4. Read the following sentence from “Half a Day.” Dust-laden winds and unexpected accidents came about suddenly, so we had to be watchful, at the ready, and very patient. Think of the story as an allegory. What truth about human life does this sentence suggest?

• You should be prepared for the worst and hope for the best.
• You should be prepared for all kinds of difficulties in life
• You should be prepared for weather-related problems, such as dust storms
• You should be prepared for dangers while traveling on dusty, busy roads

5. Read the following sentence from “Half a Day.” A battle raged between a taxi driver and his passenger, while the passenger’s wife called out for help and no one answered. What does this sentence reveal about the MOST important changes in the narrator’s neighborhood?

• In the past, the narrator walked to school, but now taxis are available.
• In the past, the area was peaceful, but now it is chaotic and frightening
• In the past, the neighborhood was boring, but now it is exciting and fun
• In the past, people did not need help, but now they do.

6. Read what the “young lad” says to the narrator at a street corner in the final sentence of “Half a Day.” “Grandpa, let me take you across.” What does this remark reveal about the story’s time frame?

• The passage of time is not important in the story.
• The story events move backward through time
• The story begins in childhood and ends in old age.
• The narrator is constantly confused about time

7. Read the following sentence from “Half a Day.” When I had waited for a long time without avail, I decided to return home on my own. Based on context, what is the BEST possible meaning of avail?

• a plan
• any meaning
• a good result
• any difficulty

8. Read the following sentence from “Half a Day.” Nothing lay ahead of us but exertion, struggle, and perseverance. What part of the word exertion offers a clue that it is a noun?

• the prefix ex-
• the suffix -tion
• the root exert
• none of the above

9. Read the following sentence from “Half a Day.” When we arrived at the gate, we could see the courtyard. Which statement BEST describes this sentence’s structure and purpose

• The author chose a simple sentence to show why the narrator entered the school.
• The author chose a complex sentence to show that one action happened after another.
• The author chose a compound-complex sentence to show that one action caused another to happen.
• The author chose a compound sentence to show that arriving and seeing are equally important

10. Read the following sentence from “Half a Day.” I hesitated and clung to his hand, but he gently pushed me from him. Which statement BEST describes this sentence’s structure and purpose

• The author chose a compound sentence to show a contrast.
• The author chose a simple sentence to show two connected ideas.
• The author chose a complex sentence to show a sequence of events.
• The author chose a compound-complex sentence to show that two events are related.