Exploring Language in History and Myth

Read the excerpt from President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." What does the phrase "four score and seven years ago" mean?

• 47 years ago

• 87 years ago

• 27 years ago

• 74 years ago

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Read the following lines from the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley: "And on the pedestal these words appear: 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!'" What is the central idea of these lines?

• The king’s works have lasted forever.

• The king’s power is temporary and prideful.

• The king is inviting others to join him.

• The king is warning others of war.

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Read the excerpt from John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." What is the author’s purpose in this statement?

• To encourage citizens to demand more from the government

• To inspire citizens to contribute to their nation

• To criticize the government’s actions

• To suggest that citizens should be passive

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Read the following excerpt from Greek mythology: "Perseus, with the help of Athena and Hermes, beheaded Medusa and used her head as a weapon." What is the cause and effect relationship in this excerpt?

• Perseus beheaded Medusa because he wanted to become king.

• Perseus received help, so he was able to behead Medusa.

• Medusa turned Perseus to stone.

• Athena and Hermes were punished.

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Read the following lines from Maya Angelou’s poem "Still I Rise": "You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise." Which literary device is used in the phrase "like dust, I’ll rise"?

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Hyperbole

• Alliteration

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Read the excerpt from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." What is the central idea of this statement?

• Fear is the greatest obstacle.

• There is nothing to fear.

• The country is in danger.

• Fear is not important.

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Read the following lines from Homer’s "The Odyssey": "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy." What is the author’s purpose in these lines?

• To introduce the main character and his journey

• To describe the city of Troy

• To warn readers about war

• To explain the role of the Muse

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Read the following excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." What is the central idea of this excerpt?

• The importance of education

• The hope for racial equality

• The need for economic reform

• The value of tradition

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Read the following lines from William Wordsworth’s poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud": "I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills," What is the effect of the simile in these lines?

• It shows the speaker is angry.

• It emphasizes the speaker’s isolation and freedom.

• It describes the weather.

• It suggests the speaker is lost.

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Read the following excerpt from the myth of Prometheus: "Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind." What was the effect of Prometheus’s action?

• The gods rewarded him.

• Mankind gained knowledge and power.

• The gods ignored him.

• Mankind was punished.

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