English II Spring Exam 2025

At the beginning of "The Necklace," why is Madame Loisel unhappy with her life?

• She isn't wealthy and wants the finer things in life that money can buy.

• She was so beautiful that all men are intimidated by her.
• Despite having all the money inherited from her family, she couldn't find love.
• Her first husband abandoned her.

In “The Necklace,” what does Monsieur Loisel’s treatment of his wife most clearly reveal about his character?

• He cares deeply about his wife’s happiness.
• He has grown tired of his wife’s complaints.
• He cares far too much about material things.
• He enjoys accompanying his wife to fancy receptions.

Which of the following events from "The Necklace" best illustrates situational irony? Choose two options.

• By trying to look rich enough to own a diamond necklace, Madame Loisel winds up poorer than she was before.
• Madame Loisel is a great success at the party, even though the event is meant to honor her husband's boss.
• Madame Loisel, who dislikes hard work, must sacrifice her best years working to replace the lost necklace.
• In order to please his wife, Monsieur Loisel agrees to pay more than the couple can afford for a dress.
• The Loisels are able to find a new necklace that looks exactly like the other one.

As seen in the story, what long-term effects does the loss of the necklace have on the Loisels' lives?

• The loss of the necklace causes the Loisels to fight, separate, and seek a divorce.
• The loss of the necklace brings the Loisels close together and makes their ma
• The loss of the necklace causes the Loisels to adopt a life of crime in order to repay their debts.
• The loss of the necklace leads the Loisels into debt, living in poverty and working multiple jobs.

What surprising thing does Marie Arana, the author of “In La Rinconada, Peru, Searching for Beauty in Ugliness,” witness at the end of her trip?

• hunger and hardship
• breathtaking lake views
• fleeting moments of joy
• environmental destruction

What element is used to extract the gold?

• iron
• mercury
• ore
• arsenic

According to the author, how has the landscape at La Rinconada changed? Choose three options.

• There used to be grassland.
• There used to be fewer birds.
• There used to be leaping fish.
• There used to be sparkling lakes.
• There used to be a milder climate.

Arana implies that early stories about the amount of gold available may have been exaggerated. Which excerpt from the text best supports this idea?

• Down the centuries, the quest for El Dorado has held the South American continent in thrall, luring generations of fortune hunters to its far reaches.
• The geologic exuberance known as the Cordillera of the Andes has yielded a fount of treasure….
• Nowhere has Peru’s frenzy for gold been so fevered as in the mountains that surround Lake Titicaca.
• Gold no longer rolls from the mountain in chunks the size of a man’s head (if indeed it ever did).

In La Rinconada the miners do backbreaking work in hopes of becoming rich. What does the author think of their chances of striking it rich?

• It could happen if a worker is extremely lucky.
• It is no longer possible because gold is so rare.
• It is more likely to happen in a different country.
• It is possible only for the hardest of the workers.

What detail from the article best supports the author's view of the people's chances of striking it rich?

• Mount Ananea has been a source of gold since the days of the Inca.
• International companies have come to the area and hired miners to work in safer operations.
• One miner might find one small nugget in the rock he receives as payment for a month’s work, while another could find a lot of gold in his.
• One traveler in the 1500s described a heavy gold block the size of a horse’s head that had been given to a Spanish king.