Early American Literature- Ind Practice

Based on the text, which of the following options best characterizes early American literature?

• A. Early American literature is best described as solely influenced by Native American storytelling traditions.

• B. Early American literature is best described as a diverse mix of writing and storytelling techniques that were informed by various cultural influences.

• C. Early American literature is best described as solely faith-based and originating from the writing traditions found in the Puritan movement.

• D. Early American literature is focused on defying British conventions of spelling and grammar.

Answer explanation

Correct. The text explains that early American literature was informed by a wide variety of cultural traditions, all of which came together during the colonization of America.

What information does the following passage (paragraph 6) mainly convey?

"England had a well-established literary tradition at the time—Shakespeare had died only four years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620. By contrast, because North American settlers were occupied with establishing the colonies and had little time to devote to the creation of original works of fiction, the majority of early colonial literature was utilitarian—observations of North American geography, biographies, and treatises."

• A. The passage explains that Shakespeare was an important influence on early colonial literature.

• B. The passage explains the impact of England’s taxation on early colonial literature.

• C. The passage describes a notable difference between English and early colonial literature.

• D. The passage suggests that English literature was more interesting than early colonial literature.

Answer explanation

This passage explains that England had a robust literary tradition already in place; in contrast, the new colonies did not have the time to devote to writing plays and fiction, and instead focused their writing efforts on documenting the new world around them.

The following passage (paragraph 9) most closely suggests that early American literature _____________ .

"Many of the inhabitants of North America during the colonial period were struggling to adapt to unfamiliar circumstances. Native Americans saw the land they had inhabited for thousands of years overrun by newcomers; they saw their populations being decimated by European diseases and colonization, which culminated in violent battles over territory. Early European settlers sought to establish themselves and tame what they viewed as a wild and alien environment, documenting their efforts in diaries, letters, and books. Enslaved Africans passed on oral and written accounts of their daily struggle to survive the violence and degradation imposed on them by colonial masters."

• A. was informed by a sense of struggle

• B: attempted to explore the injustices of oppression

• C. was responsible for starting the Revolutionary War

• D. united colonial America’s various cultural groups

Answer explanation

Correct. This passage suggests that the variety of cultural groups that existed in colonial North America had writing and/or storytelling traditions that were largely informed by the struggles they faced in the New World.

The following passage (paragraph 12) adds to the development of the text mainly by explaining that _______________ .

"Authors use rhetorical devices like similes, metaphors, and irony, among a long list of other things, to convince their audiences in more subtle ways. Thomas Jefferson was a learned student of literature and philosophy and had a keen sense of how to use these devices. In the Declaration of Independence, he employed a straightforward style but used rhetorical devices such as alliteration, allusion, euphony, and repetition to drive home his points. The rhetoric used during the late colonial period was instrumental in fostering the revolutionary spirit that defined the times and formed the basis of the arguments that led to the founding of the United States of America."

• A. Thomas Jefferson was a well-educated scholar and politician

• B. the first rhetorical devices originated in ancient Greece

• C. Thomas Jefferson knew he could not convince people without rhetorical devices

• D. rhetorical devices were influential in the founding of the United States of America

Answer explanation

Correct, This passage shows that rhetorical devices were important tools of persuasion that helped motivate the founding of the United States of America.

According to the text, which of the following best describes the typical form of Native American literary traditions?

• A. Native American literature is mostly based on hieroglyphics.

• B. Native American literature is primarily an oral tradition.

• C. Native American literature is primarily a written tradition.

• D. Native American literature is mostly harmonious in form.

Answer explanation

Correct. The text states that Native American literature was mostly expressed orally.

According to the text, the Enlightenment was a movement primarily committed to the use of ________.

• A. philosophy

• B. religious faith

• C. emotion

• D. reason

Answer explanation

Correct. The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement that advocated for the use of reason above all else.

Which sentence from the excerpt best supports the correct answer to Question 7?

• A. “European Enlightenment philosophers, including John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, introduced a political philosophy concerned with equality and the natural rights of man, which provided a foundation for the creation of modern democracies.”

• B. “In North America, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson incorporated Enlightenment ideas into their rhetoric...”

• C. “The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement that promoted the use of reason in all areas of intellectual life.”

• D. “Both the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening helped to shape a distinctively American sense of identity, encouraging people to find their own way rather than subject themselves to the power of traditional governments and religious institutions.”

Answer explanation

This quote shows that promoting the use of reason was the primary aim of the Enlightenment.

A religious movement that called for simple and very strict rules of worship, discipline, and morality

• Revolutionary War

• Great Awakening

• self-government

• Enlightenment

• Puritanism

Control of the government of a state or country by its citizens

• Enlightenment

• self-government

• Revolutionary War

• Puritanism

Settlements formed in a new land by people from another country who are still connected to that country

• Great Awakening

• Revolutionary War

• colonies

• Puritanism