Compare and Contrast Themes and Topics Across Cultures

Which of these statements about cross-cultural literature is most strongly supported by the following passage (paragraph 1)?

Can you remember the first time you were in a place that was strange and new—for example, a time you started at a new school, or visited another state or country? How did you feel at first? Maybe you were a little disoriented because the routines and the rules were different. Maybe you experienced homesickness for familiar faces and places. If you were in a place where people spoke a different language, maybeyou felt proud or maybe unsteady the first time you tried to express familiar ideas using new words. Experiences and emotions like these are often explored in cross-cultural literature.

• A. Weaving ceremonial fabrics is an important element of cross-cultural literature.

• B. The homesickness of sleepovers is often a focus of cross-cultural writers.

• C. Some of the best cross-cultural artists are Mexican-Americans

• D. Themes of newness, strangeness, and home are characteristics of cross-cultural literature

The following passage (paragraph 2) mainly shows that .

Cross-culturalism is an old concept. Since the first civilizations formed, there have been people who chose or were forced to leave their communities to live among people of different cultures. Unlike multiculturalism, which celebrates the different cultures of the people living in the same community, cross-culturalism reflects the complicated and conflicting feelings people experience when they immerse themselves in a new culture.

• A. cross-culturalism is an inevitable part of human experience because we have migrated between communities since the earliest civilizations

• B. the term “cross-culturalism” is different from “multiculturalism.

• C. climate change has been featured in cross-cultural stories since the beginning of recorded language

• D. throughout the ages, humans have sometimes been forced to live in unknown cultures

Which of these inferences best describes a characteristic of cross-cultural literature as described in the section Genres (paragraphs 4-5)?

• A. It can focus on cultural stereotypes.

• B. It is usually humorous.

• C. It began as travel or food writing before it became recognized as literature.

• D. It is one of the more enjoyable genres for young readers.

Which of these inferences is best supported by the passage below (paragraph 6)?

Often, the authors of cross-cultural works explore topics related to cultural exchange, such as immigration, communication through multiple languages, global travel, and prejudice. They often know multiple cultures and languages, yet their work frequently explores what it means to experience new foods, music, and art, along with new people and landscapes

• A. Because of its sometimes controversial nature, cross-cultural literature has been banned by several nations.

• B. Border regions are often settings of cross-cultural literature.

• C. One of the drawbacks of cross-cultural literature is that it often focuses on the negative experiences of intersecting cultures.

• D. Cross-cultural texts often focus on cultural intersections.

Which of these statements about cross-cultural texts is most strongly supported by the section Cross-Cultural Topics and Themes (paragraph 6)?

• A. They focus on personal matters over societal issues.

• B. They typically focus on global travel.

• C. Themes expressed are not strictly positive.

• D. They use humor to depict cultural exchanges.

Which of these passages most strongly supports the correct answer to Question 5?

(Which of these statements about cross-cultural texts is most strongly supported by the section Cross-Cultural Topics and Themes (paragraph 6)?)

C. Themes expressed are not strictly positive.

• A. “For example, Judith Ortiz Cofer’s poem “A Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica” takes its title and theme from the ancient Greek poem “Ars Poetica,” which was the first recorded reflection on the purpose of poetry.”

• B. “Authors and characters in cross-cultural literature are frequently navigating multiple cultures, and the texts express a range of feelings toward the cultures they bridge in their writing, including humor, bewilderment, and reflection.”

• C. “They draw attention to aspects of cultures that might not have been previously celebrated or widely known.”

• D. “Travel and food writing are genres that tend to focus on the positive aspects of cross-culturalism.”

Which of these statements is most strongly supported by the section Major Concepts?

• A. A proliferation of quicker, more affordable transportation has led to more cross-cultural possibilities.

• B. Cross-cultural texts can be written with a range of purpose

• C. The modern cross-cultural artists are immigrants energized by two worlds.

• D. Cross-cultural literature is the most accurate way to portray life and the current world landscape.

Which of these passages most strongly supports the correct answer to Question 7:

(Which of these statements is most strongly supported by the section Major Concepts?)

B. Cross-cultural texts can be written with a range of purpose

• A. “In the twenty-first century, the world has become a global village.”

• B. “The writers of cross-cultural literature help explain a complicated world by writing about their experiences of living in multiple cultures.”

• C. “How does period cross-cultural literature reflect life and the world today?”

• D. “By writing about war, immigration, and chance encounters between people of different cultures, cross-cultural writers examine, probe, criticize, or celebrate cultural differences and similarities.”