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Keystone Practice Questions

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 2hrs 50mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which characteristic of the passage best indicates to readers that it is fiction rather than literary nonfiction?

a)

the use of third person point of view

b)

the use of references to past events

c)

the use of figurative language

d)

the use of animals with human qualities

2.
Do You Fear the Wind? by Hamlin Garland (1860-1940)
Do you fear the force of the wind, 
The slash of the rain?
 
Go face them and fight them,
Be savage again.
 
Go hungry and cold like the wolf,
 
 Go wade like the crane:
 
The palms of your hands will thicken,
 
The skin of your cheek will tan,
 
You'll grow ragged and weary and swarthy,
 
 But you'll walk like a man!
How does the reader know that the passage is poetry rather than narrative prose?
a)
The author uses dialogue.
b)
The author uses elements of plot.
c)
The author uses figurative language.
d)
The author uses short lines.
3.

Read the sentence from the passage.


“They looked too regular to be mere rocks, and on approaching nearer the king was sure that a huge building must be at the top of the mountain.”


How does the author’s use of foreshadowing in the sentence affect the passage?

a)

It hints that the mountain is the home to a family of eagles.

b)

It hints that the king is more intelligent than his companions.

c)

It hints that the climb to the top of the mountain is difficult.

d)

It hints that the king may be in for a surprise.

4.

Read the sentences from the passage.


“ ‘On a tower still higher dwells my father, and on yet a higher tower my grandfather, who is two thousand years old. He may know something. I know nothing.’ After considerable difficulty the topmost tower was reached and the venerable bird discovered.”


What does the word venerable mean?

a)

worthy of respect because of age and character

b)

capable of good acts and kindness

c)

able to move quickly and nimbly

d)

wanting to achieve fame and fortune

5.

Read the sentence from the passage.


“ ‘Wherefore we die, bequeathing this Palace to the eagles who will build their eyries on our towers.’ ”


What does the word bequeathing mean as used in the sentence?

a)

transferring ownership of

b)

dedicating in memory of

c)

rebuilding the foundation of

d)

extending the height of

6.

Read the sentences from the passage.


“Some of the party suggested a prompt return home. They feared hidden dangers now. But the king remained resolute.”


Why does the king most likely want to continue investigating the palace?

a)

He wants to get away from his companions.

b)

He worries about returning home with nothing.

c)

He feels responsible for learning from the previous kings of the palace.

d)

He believes that the eagles have an important message waiting for him.

7.

Which word is a synonym for the word accumulated?

a)

drifted

b)

gathered

c)

waited

d)

changed

8.

If the passage were written from the first person point of view of the king, what would most likely be different?

a)

The theme would be less apparent to the reader.

b)

The change in the king’s character would be more apparent to the reader.

c)

The setting would be described more clearly for the reader.

d)

The importance of the king’s companions would be less apparent to the reader.

9.
“The Angel of Harlem” 
 Dr. May Edward Chinn overcame the discrimination that threatened her attempt to enter the field of medicine by becoming the first African American woman to graduate from Bellevue Hospital Medical College and to intern at Harlem Hospital. Chinn’s father was born a slave and escaped his plantation in Virginia at the age of 11. Her mother was the daughter of a slave and a Native American. During Chinn’s childhood, her mother worked as the live-in cook for the Tiffany family of Tiffany & Co. fame. The Tiffanys treated Chinn as one of their children. She took piano lessons, attended concerts, and learned French and German under their tutelage. Dr. Chinn once accompanied world-renowned actor/singer/athlete Paul Robeson on piano in the 1920s.
 Although she did not complete high school, Dr. Chinn applied and was accepted to Columbia Teacher College. She initially studied classical music because of her love for the art, but a professor mocked her because of her race, so she changed her major to science after receiving a good grade on a research paper she wrote. Dr. Chinn received her Bachelor’s degree in 1921. She went on to attend Bellevue Medical College, and in 1926, May Edward Chinn became the school’s first African American woman graduate.
 However, even after she successfully completed her internship at Harlem Hospital, the administrators refused to grant her the privilege of practicing there. Dr. Chinn opened her own practice and saw patients who probably would have been denied medical care otherwise because of their race or social status. She even performed procedures in some people’s homes. Dr. Chinn went on to earn a Master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University in 1933.
 In 1940, Harlem Hospital finally granted her the opportunity to practice medicine there, primarily because of the mayor’s push for integration. In 1944, Dr. Chinn went to work for the Strang Clinic as a cancer researcher. She spent the next 29 years working there. Dr Chinn’s research helped develop the Pap smear exam used today to test for cervical cancer.
 What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?
a)
to inform readers about Dr. May Chinn and her contributions to medicine
b)
to describe the difficulties female medical students face on a daily basis
c)
to inform readers how to attend medical school without graduating high school
d)
to persuade readers interested in classical music to study medicine instead
10.
Toni Morrison1931–present
 Toni Morrison was born Chloe Wofford in Lorain, Ohio. She was the second child of four. Morrison attended Howard University where she earned her B.A. in English. After receiving a Master's in English from Cornell University, she returned to her alma mater to teach. Between her work at Howard and rearing her two sons as a single mother, Morrison got involved with a group of writers and poets. She brought a short story about a little girl who wished for blue eyes to one of their meetings. That story became Morrison's first novel, The Bluest Eye. The book was published in 1970. Her second novel, Sula, was nominated for a National Book Award in 1975. Song of Solomon, published in 1977, was her third novel and the first to bring her national attention. The book was chosen as a Book of the Month Club main selection. Solomon was the first novel by an African American author to earn that privilege in more than 30 years. Morrison's 1988 novel Beloved was praised by critics and readers alike. Many balked when it failed to win both the National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award. That same year, Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The story about a mother who chose to take her infant daughter's life rather than see her return to slavery was based on the life of a real woman, Margaret Garner. Morrison also used Garner's story for an opera named for her.  In 1993, she became the first black woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Toni Morrison has also enjoyed a distinguished career as an editor through her work with authors like Toni Cade Bambara and Angela Davis. She has been honored by many academic institutions including Barnard College, Oxford University, and the Lourve Museum in Paris.
4. How can the reader tell what genre this is? 
a)
It is written from first person point of view.
b)
It is written by someone other than the person it's about.
c)
It is about a specific time period in Morrison's life.
d)
It includes detail about the author's personal experiences
11.
Have you ever worried about where your next meal is coming from? How about wondered where you were going to sleep at night? Although these hypothetical situations might be foreign to you, every year, thousands of animals are abandoned and abused by their owners. How would you feel if you were in their shoes?
 People Protecting Animals Worldwide (PPAW) sponsors programs that initiate justice for animal cruelty, help bring animal abusers to justice, and save the lives of animals all around the world.
 What are you going to do about it?
 For a mere $55 a month, you can help PPAW continue its mission of protecting the well-being of animals. These animals did not ask to be born. They deserve your support. Join the ranks of compassionate celebrities like Frangeline Yolie and Mad Mitt and the thousands of regular folks supporting our organization.
 What are you waiting for? Donate to PPAW today.

This advertisement is intended to 
a)
inform the reader of animal abuse.
b)
recruit animal shelter volunteers
c)
appeal to the reader's emotions
d)
convince readers to adopt a pet.
12.
The students of Really Great High School are tired of all the negative press our school keeps getting. It seems that the only time news cameras are around is when something horrible happens. No one comes to report on the everyday greatness that takes place behind our doors.
 Our senior class is sponsoring a community service event called the Backpacks for Change. We are collecting donations of toiletries, food, toys, and animal products to donate to shelters throughout the city. The class also tutors students at the local elementary school. We volunteer with the retirement home on Old Buckroe Road. Where are our news stories?
 The valedictorian of our class has been accepted to five of the top ten colleges in the nation. In addition to maintaining a perfect average, she is also a captain of the cheerleading squad and plays the cello in the school orchestra. Her community service ideas have earned the senior class more than 2,000 hours of service. Yet she has never been featured in the local newspaper or on the nightly news.
 We do not ask that you not report the bad things that happen at our school, or any school for that matter. What the students of Really Great High School want is for you to devote equal attention to the good things we are doing. It is not fair to us for you to solely paint our school as a negative or dangerous place. One major aspect of journalism in this country is supposed to be “fair and balanced reporting.” Where is our fairness, our balance? 
Choose which sentence from the passage best conveys the author's message. 
a)
"It is not fair to us for you to solely paint our school as a negative or dangerous place."
b)
"It seems that the only time news cameras are around is when something horrible happens."
c)
"Her community service ideas have earned the senior class more than 2,000 hours of service."
d)
We volunteer with the retirement home on Old Buckroe Road."
13.
Dear Editor:

 I'm a long-time resident of this city, and though I want to support our local police, I've reached my boiling point on one issue. At random times throughout the week, the police see fit to blast their sirens in short bursts of a second or two. It is obnoxious and quite jarring to the nerves if you're anywhere near it. There are elderly people living in my neighborhood, as well as many law-abiding citizens who just want a little peace and quiet. The sound of siren bursts triggers fear and alarm and actually makes us feel less safe in our homes. Instead of simply making their physical presence known by driving through the neighborhood, the police seem to be flexing their muscles using this noisy and aggressive tactic. I, for one, have had it with such behavior and implore the city police to find a better way to do their jobs.

Evelyn Waters
6. Which of the following sentences would strengthen the author's argument? 
a)
People in my neighborhood keep to themselves and enjoy their privacy, and most wish the police would only come when they're called.
b)
While some might claim the siren blasts deter crime, would-be criminals can easily wait for the patrol car to pass before continuing with their plans.
c)
I asked others in my apartment building, and 7 out of 10 of them thought the siren blasts by the police were loud and bothersome
d)
My neighborhood isn't like the more violent ones in town, and we don't need cops patrolling our streets to help us feel safe.
14.

Read the sentences from the passage.


"The strongest argument for the rails-to-trails movement, however, is ultimately about the human spirit. It's about the dedication of individuals who have a dream and follow that vision so that other people can enjoy the fruits of their labor."


Which persuasive technique does the author use in the sentences?

a)

testimonial

b)

bandwagon

c)

sweeping generalization

d)

emotional appeal

15.

Read the sentence from the passage.


"Throughout Florida, there are thirty active RTC trails, and each year more are added."


What does the fact used in the sentence contribute to the passage?

a)

It illustrates that rail-trails can increase tourism.

b)

It indicates that rail-trails are growing in popularity.

c)

It shows that warm climates are ideal for rail-trail projects.

d)

It implies that many people are joining rail-trail groups.