On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war.

Which is the BEST meaning for impending as it is used in the selected sentence?

Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn by the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, ‘The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’

Which BEST explains the meaning of the statement unrequited toil?

"It is partly in consequence of such facts, that slaves, when inquired of as to their condition and the character of their masters, almost universally say they are contented, and that their masters are kind. The slaveholders have been known to send in spies among their slaves, to ascertain their views and feelings in regard to their condition. The frequency of this has had the effect to establish among the slaves the maxim, that a still tongue makes a wise head. They suppress the truth rather than take the consequences of telling it, and in so doing prove themselves a part of the human family. If they have any thing to say of their masters, it is generally in their masters' favor, especially when speaking to an untried man. I have been frequently asked, when a slave, if I had a kind master, and do not remember ever to have given a negative answer; nor did I, in pursuing this course, consider myself as uttering what was absolutely false; for I always measured the kindness of my master by the standard of kindness set up among slaveholders around us. Moreover, slaves are like other people, and imbibe prejudices quite common to others. They think their own better than that of others. Many, under the influence of this prejudice, think their own masters are better than the masters of other slaves; and this, too, in some cases, when the very reverse is true. Indeed, it is not uncommon for slaves even to fall out and quarrel among themselves about the relative goodness of their masters, each contending for the superior goodness of his own over that of the others."

Using context clues, define the term "untried man".

Read the passage and answer the following question.

² Together we stepped out to stand in silent contemplation of a landscape at once weird and beautiful. Before us a low and level shore stretched down to a silent sea. As far as the eye could reach the surface of the water was dotted with countless tiny isles—some of towering, barren, granitic rock—others resplendent in gorgeous trappings of tropical vegetation, myriad starred with the magnificent splendor of vivid blooms.

₃ Behind us rose a dark and forbidding wood of giant arborescent ferns intermingled with the commoner types of a primeval tropical forest. Huge creepers depended in great loops from tree to tree, dense under-brush overgrew a tangled mass of fallen trunks and branches. Upon the outer verge we could see the same splendid coloring of countless blossoms that glorified the islands, but within the dense shadows all seemed dark and gloomy as the grave.

Which most completely analyzes this excerpt for a comment about life?

This excerpt involves David, who travels with an inventor named Perry. They test their experimental invention, a vehicle that burrows into the Earth's crust.

Which statement BEST reflects the human experience that is represented in this excerpt?

⁴ And upon all the noonday sun poured its torrid rays out of a cloudless sky.

⁵ “Where on earth can we be?” I asked, turning to Perry.

⁶ For some moments the old man did not reply. He stood with bowed head, buried in deep thought. But at last he spoke.

⁷“David,” he said, “I am not so sure that we are ON earth.”

⁸ “What do you mean, Perry?” I cried. “Do you think that we are dead, and this is heaven?” He smiled, and turning, pointing to the nose of the prospector protruding from the ground at our backs.

The novel At the Earth's Core includes characters David, a mining heir, and his elderly friend and inventor, Perry. In this excerpt, what comment does the author seem to make with the dialogue between them?

III. The Pros of Teaching:

A. There’s More to Life Than Your Salary:

While it is true that the pay is (and stays) relatively low, teachers usually don’t starve. Being a teacher means having a modest and humble lifestyle, but not being impoverished. If nothing else, the pay is reliable; no one budgets better than teachers who get paid the same amount once a month and have to make that paycheck last right up to the next one. Besides, there are many other (non-monetary) compensations for the low pay.

Which statement BEST summarizes the section entitled, The Pros of Teaching?

C. Where did your life go?

Someone once said, “Teaching is a job for nuns and priests,” and what this person meant is that teaching is a job that consumes all of your life. Presumably, the job is perfect for nuns and priests who do not have familial obligations to distract them from giving of all their time. Because teaching doesn’t end when the bell rings at 3 pm; often that’s when clubs need sponsoring, sports need coaching, meetings need leading, and dances need chaperoning. It can seem endless. Teachers may find themselves looking a little more wrinkly and gray in the mirror much earlier than they expected. Teaching can age a person quite quickly.

Which statement BEST summarizes the section entitled,Where did your Life Go?

A. Low Salaries:

Everyone knows—teachers do not make a great deal of money. Not only is teacher pay relatively low compared to other professions, it also does not get much better over time. A teacher who has been working twenty-five years doesn’t make substantially more than a teacher who’s only been in the profession for three years.

What is the BEST way to summarize paragraph A in part II?

There’s More to Life Than Your Salary:

While it is true that the pay is (and stays) relatively low, teachers usually don’t starve. Being a teacher means having a modest and humble lifestyle, but not being impoverished. If nothing else, the pay is reliable; no one budgets better than teachers who get paid the same amount once a month and have to make that paycheck last right up to the next one. Besides, there are many other (non-monetary) compensations for the low pay.

Which statement BEST summarizes the section, There's More to Life Than Your Salary?

II. The Cons of Teaching:

A. Low Salaries:

Everyone knows—teachers do not make a great deal of money. Not only is teacher pay relatively low compared to other professions, it also does not get much better over time. A teacher who has been working twenty-five years doesn’t make substantially more than a teacher who’s only been in the profession for three years.

B. The Many Frustrations of Teaching:

1. Frustrations with Parents:

While parents can be a benefit and support in the classroom, they are also often a pain for a teacher—particularly if a parent makes many demands on a teacher’s time with conferences, phone-calls, and e-mails pleading for special excuses for a child’s lack of motivation. Some parents (again, to many new teachers’ shock) can be belligerent or verbally abusive to teachers.

2. Frustrations with Students:

New teachers often begin their careers with visions of fantastic class projects and fruitful engaged discussions, only to discover that most of their students are either asleep or completely bored or disinterested by any area of knowledge. A new teacher often finds that reconciling his or her ideals with the reality of the trenches can be very painful indeed.

C. Where did your life go?

Someone once said, “Teaching is a job for nuns and priests,” and what this person meant is that teaching is a job that consumes all of your life. Presumably, the job is perfect for nuns and priests who do not have familial obligations to distract them from giving of all their time. Because teaching doesn’t end when the bell rings at 3 pm; often that’s when clubs need sponsoring, sports need coaching, meetings need leading, and dances need chaperoning. It can seem endless. Teachers may find themselves looking a little more wrinkly and gray in the mirror much earlier than they expected. Teaching can age a person quite quickly.

Which statement BEST summarizes the section, The Cons of Teaching?

²The film's story centers on a group of a dozen children from the town. This close-knit group, which becomes known as the Lakeside Twelve, gathers daily by the lake. Every day, the children play and swim in the lake. Soon, it seems that days are blending together. In fact, it seems like nighttime never comes, and the sun always shines.

Which is the topic sentence of paragraph 2?

I believe that Seneca School District should not start year-round classes, as this would harm many students and teachers. Having year-round classes with short breaks could save our school money, but could harm students' educations. I believe that having four, rather than one, extended breaks will make students forget more information. Students need to review after their current summer breaks and will need to review three times more per year if they are given four extended breaks. Also, students will not be able to get summer jobs or be involved in summer camps if they go to school during the summer. Furthermore, some of the schools in our district do not have air conditioning, which makes them inappropriate for use during the summer.

Read this draft of the beginning of a argumentative speech. Which of these choices BEST states the author's purpose in writing this speech?

Dear Principal Fallows,

(1) I am concerned about the school board’s decision to make every senior participate in 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. (2) Although I believe that students should volunteer in their communities, I don’t agree that participation should be required. (3) Many teenagers have jobs after school and on the weekends to help them save money for college. (4) Other students help care for their younger siblings. (5) Most students are involved in one or more school activities. (6) Along with all of these responsibilities, students must still study for class. (7) I understand that the school board wants to show students the importance of volunteerism, but I think that students will find volunteer projects more rewarding when they are not forced to participate. (8) I hope that you will give this matter some thought and consider another course of action.

Sincerely,

Alexis Vargas

Which of these BEST states Alexis’s purpose in writing this letter?

Dear Jamie:

The Student Council started a program— called “Welcome to Lincoln”—for new transfer students. This program gives new students a tour of the school and assigns them study-buddies to help them in their first few weeks. The program has been beneficial for other new students, and I think you would benefit from it, too. As you are a new student in our school, I want to invite you to enter the program.

Sincerely,

Miguel Norris

Read this draft of the letter Miguel is writing to his classmate to invite her to join a school program. Which of these choices is the BEST topic sentence for this paragraph?

Foreign languages are extremely important to students' education. After taking my first Spanish course, I saw a significant increase in my English grade. As a student in Spanish, I learned how to form verbs and verb phrases in that language. Learning about verbs and verb phrases in a different language gave me a different perspective about the same parts of speech in English. This new knowledge made English class much easier, and I received good grades in both classes last year. Learning foreign languages helps students in many different subjects.

Ian wrote a argumentative speech to convince the school board to adopt more foreign language classes at his school. Do the examples from this part of Ian's speech support his position?

CLAIM: The county council has done the community a disservice by mishandling money, focusing on frivolous causes, and failing to listen to community concerns.

Which explains the BEST way to organize the reasons for this claim?