English practice questions read the selection and answer the questions that follow. From “The Most Dangerous Game” – Richard Connell

Spring Final Exam Review

English

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Read the selection and answer the questions that follow.

From “The Most Dangerous Game” – Richard Connell

(In this short story, the protagonist Rainsford (a celebrated hunter) falls overboard from a yacht that is sailing through the Caribbean Sea. He manages to swim to a nearby island where walks to a large mansion and meets General Zaroff, and his servant Ivan, who make a past time of hunting human men on the island. As a game, Zaroff gives each man minimal supplies and the opportunity to evade him for 3 days. If he cannot find and kill the man by the end of the third day, then he allows the man to leave the island. It is the end of the third day and Rainsford has managed so far to evade Zaroff, but now he is closing in on him…)

“At daybreak Rainsford, lying near the swamp, was awakened by the sound that made him know that he had new things to learn about fear. It was a distant sound, faint and wavering, but he knew it. It was the baying of a pack of hounds.

Rainsford knew he could do one of two things. He could stay where he was and wait. That was suicide. He could flee. That was postponing the inevitable. For a moment he stood there, thinking. An idea that held a wild chance came to him, and, tightening his belt, he headed away from the swamp.

The baying of the hounds grew nearer, nearer, ever nearer. On a ridge Rainsford climbed a tree. Down a watercourse, not a quarter of a mile off, he could see the bush moving. Straining his eyes, he saw the lean figure of General Zaroff; just ahead of him, Rainsford made out another figure whose wide shoulders surged through the tall jungle weeds; it was the giant Ivan, and he seemed pulled forward by some unseen force; Rainsford knew that Ivan must be holding the pack in leash.

They would be on him any minute now. His mind worked franctically. He thought of a native trick he had learned in Uganda. He slid down the tree. He caught hold of a springy young sapling, and to it he fastened his hunting knife, with the blade pointing down the trail; with a bit of wild grapevine he tied back the sapling. Then he ran for his life. The hounds raised their voices as they hit the fresh scent. Rainsford knew now how an animal at bay feels.

He had to stop to get his breath. The baying of the hounds stopped abruptly, and Rainsford’s heart stopped, too. They must have reached the knife.

He shinned excitedly up a tree and looked back. His pursuers had stopped. But the hope that was in Rainsford’s brain when he climbed died, for he saw in the shallow valley that General Zaroff was still on his feet. But Ivan was not. The knife, driven by the recoil of the springing tree, had not wholly failed.

Rainsford had hardly tumbled to the ground when the pack took up the cry again.

‘Nerve, nerve, nerve!’ he panted, as he dashed along. A blue gap showed between the trees dead ahead. Ever nearer drew the hounds. Rainsford forced himself on toward that gap. He reached it. It was the shore of the sea. Across the cove he could see the gloomy gray stone of the chateau. Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed. Rainsford hesitated. He heard the hounds. Then he leaped far out into the sea…

When the general and his pack reached the place by the sea, the Cossack stopped. For some minutes he stood regarding the blue-green expanse of water. He shrugged his shoulders. Then he sat down, took a drink of brandy from a silver flask, lit a perfumed cigarette, and hummed a bit from Madama Butterfly” (Connell 56 – 57).

10. Which line BEST reveals the internal conflict of the narrator?

A. “Rainsford had tumbled to the ground when the pack took up the cry again.”

B. “He thought of a native trick he had learned in Uganda.”

C. “’Nerve, nerve, nerve!’ he panted, as he dashed along.”

D. “The baying of the hounds grew nearer, nearer, ever nearer”

11. Read the following line from the passage:

“Twenty feet below him the sea rumbled and hissed.”

What is the effect of the personification in this line?

1. 
   It parrallels the hunger knawing away at Rainsford himself.
   
2. 
   It reminds us that the sea is also an enemy by giving it predator-like characteristics.
   
3. 
   It foreshadows the tragic ending of the story.
   
4. 
   It creates a peaceful mood in the story.
   

12. Read the following line from the passage:

“The baying of the hounds grew nearer, nearer, ever nearer..”

What is the effect of the author using repetition in this line?

1. 
   It parallels the repetitive nature of the hunt.
   
2. 
   It reminds us that this is the climax of the story.
   
3. 
   It foreshadows Rainsford’s capture by the hounds.
   
4. 
   It creates a sense of panic and urgency in the mood of the story.
   

13. Which line from the story most strongly suggests that Rainsford thinks clearly under pressure?

1. 
   He shinned excitedly up a tree and looked back.
   
2. 
   They would be on him any minute now. His mind worked franctically. He thought of a native trick he had learned in Uganda.
   
3. 
   ‘Nerve, nerve, nerve!’ he panted, as he dashed along.
   
4. 
   Then he leaped far out into the sea…
   

The Hunger Games
Reality TV is the opiate of the masses

By Roger Ebert Mar 20, 2012

Like many science-fiction stories, “The Hunger Games” portrays a future that we're invited to read as a parable for the present. After the existing nations of North America are destroyed by catastrophe, a civilization named Panem rises from the ruins. It's ruled by a vast, wealthy Capitol inspired by the covers of countless sci-fi magazines and surrounded by 12 “districts” that are powerless satellites.

As the story opens, the annual ritual of the Hunger Games is beginning; each district must supply a “tribute” of a young woman and man, and these 24 finalists must fight to the death in a forested “arena” where hidden cameras capture every move.

This results in a television production that apparently holds the nation spellbound and keeps the citizens content. Mrs. Link, my high school Latin teacher, will be proud that I recall one of her daily phrases, “panem et circenses,” which summarized the Roman formula for creating a docile population: Give them bread and circuses. A vision of present-day America is summoned up, its citizenry glutted with fast food and distracted by reality TV. How is the population expected to accept the violent sacrifice of 24 young lives a year? How many have died in our recent wars?

The story centers on the two tributes from the dirt-poor District 12: Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). The 16-year-old girl hunts deer with bow and arrow to feed her family; he may be hunkier but seems no match in survival skills. They're both clean-cut, All-Panem types, and although one or both are eventually required to be dead, romance is a possibility.

In contrast with these healthy young people, the ruling class in the Capitol are effete decadents. Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), bedecked in gaudy costumery and laden with garish cosmetics, emcees the annual drawing for tributes, and the nation gets to know the finalists on a talk show hosted by Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), who suggests what Donald Trump might do with his hair if he had enough of it.  

The executive in charge is the gamemaker, Seneca (Wes Bentley), who has a beard so bizarrely designed that Satan would be envious. At the top of the society is the president (Donald Sutherland), a sagacious graybeard who harbors deep thoughts. In interviews, Sutherland has equated the younger generation with leftists and Occupiers. The old folks in the Capitol are no doubt a right-wing oligarchy. My conservative friends, however, equate the young with the Tea Party and the old with decadent Elitists. “The Hunger Games,” like many parables, will show you exactly what you seek in it.

The scenes set in the Capitol and dealing with its peculiar characters have a completely different tone than the scenes of conflict in the Arena. The ruling class is painted in broad satire and bright colors. Katniss and the other tributes are seen in earth-toned realism; this character could be another manifestation, indeed, of Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar-nominated character Ree in “Winter's Bone.” The plot even explains why she's adept at bow and arrow. 

One thing I missed, however, was more self-awareness on the part of the tributes. As their names are being drawn from a fish bowl (!) at the Reaping, the reactions of the chosen seem rather subdued, considering the odds are 23-to-1 that they'll end up dead. Katniss volunteers to take the place of her 12-year-old kid sister, Prim (Willow Shields), but no one explicitly discusses the fairness of deadly combat between girl children and 18-year-old men. Apparently the jaded TV audiences of Panem have developed an appetite for barbarity. Nor do Katniss and Peeta reveal much thoughtfulness about their own peculiar position.

“The Hunger Games” is an effective entertainment, and Jennifer Lawrence is strong and convincing in the central role. But the film leapfrogs obvious questions in its path, and avoids the opportunities sci-fi provides for social criticism; compare its world with the dystopias in “Gattaca” or “The Truman Show.”  Director Gary Ross and his writers (including the series' author, Suzanne Collins) obviously think their audience wants to see lots of hunting-and-survival scenes, and has no interest in people talking about how a cruel class system is using them. Well, maybe they're right. But I found the movie too long and deliberate as it negotiated the outskirts of its moral issues.

Ebert, Roger. “The Hunger Games: Reality TV is the Opiate of the Masses.” Chicago Sun Times. 20 MAR 2012. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com

18. The author believes that the characters of Katniss and Peeta are poorly-developed because

A. Little attention was given to matching their looks in the film with their descriptions in the novel

B. Peeta shows few survival skills, while Katniss is too barbaric

C. Neither character reveal much contemplation of their own curious position in the games

D. Both characters are too “clean-cut”

19. The author’s description of his experience in Latin class shows that

A. The author was a good student, and therefore a trustworthy source of information

B. The author understands the significance of symbolic titles in the film/novel

C. The author dislikes the film because of its confusing Latin references

D. The author enjoyed the film because it reminded him of his favorite high school teacher

20. According to this review, what elements in this film adaptation could have been improved?

1. 
   Costuming of elite Capitol citizens was too highly contrasted with that of the poorer District citizens
   
2. 
   There were too many underlying political allusions to modern society
   
3. 
   Jennifer Lawrence merely reinvented her old character from “Winter’s Bone”, rather than offering a unique interpretation of the character Katniss
   
4. 
   The complicated moral issues of the games were not dealt with sufficiently by its characters
   

21. According to Roger Ebert, director Gary Ross’ version of book could best be described as

A. Action packed, yet intellectually shallow

B. Predictable and boring

C. Visually stunning, but poorly acted

D. an Oscar-worthy delight

22. What does Ebert say about Jennifer Lawrence to support his opinion of the film in the critical review?

A. She was too much like her character, Ree, in “Winter’s Bone”

B. She was strong and convincing

C. She was not attractive enough to play the role of Katniss

D. All of the above

23. What does Roger Ebert say about the film’s costumes to support his opinion that they played a crucial role in developing contrasts in characters?

1. 
   Seneca Crane’s beard develops him as a Satan-like character
   
2. 
   Caesar Flickerman’s hair makes him seem authoritative like Donald Trump
   
3. 
   District citizens wear muted, earth-tone colors to suggest that they are more grounded in reality
   
4. 
   Effie Trinket’s lack of make-up portrays her as a tired figure.
   

24. The author believes that Americans should be able to relate to the film because

A. We are a gluttonous- fast food eating society, much like the Capitol

B. We are overly entertained by trivial, reality television shows

C. We are apathetic to the death of the young men we send off to war

D. All of the above

Read the following selection and works cited and answer the questions that follow.

1. 
   When a cell phone goes off in a classroom or at a concert, we
   

are irritated, but at least our lives are not endangered. (2) When we

are on the road, however, irresponsible cell phone users are more

than irritating: They are putting our lives at risk. (3) Many of us have

witnessed drivers so distracted by dialing and chatting that they

resemble drunk drivers, weaving between lanes, for example, or

nearly running down pedestrians in crosswalks. (4) A number of bills to

regulate use of cell phones on the road have been introduced in

state legislatures, and the time has come to push for their passage.

(5) Regulation is needed because drivers using phones are seriously

impaired and because laws on negligent and reckless driving are

not sufficient to punish offenders.

(6) No one can deny that cell phones have caused traffic deaths

and injuries. (7) Cell phones were implicated in three fatal accidents in

November 1999 alone. (8) Early in November, two-year-old Morgan

Pena was killed by a driver distracted by his cell phone. (9) Morgan’s

mother, Patti Pena, reports that the driver “ran a stop sign at 45

mph, broadsided my vehicle and killed Morgan as she sat in her car

seat.” (10) A week later, corrections officer Shannon Smith, who was

guarding prisoners by the side of the road, was killed by a woman

distracted by a phone call(????). (11) On Thanksgiving weekend that

same month, John and Carole Hall were killed when a Naval

Academy midshipman crashed into their parked car. (12) The driver

said in court that when he looked up from the cell phone he was

dialing, he was three feet from the car and had no time to stop

(Stockwell 18).

(13) Expert testimony, public opinion, and even cartoons

suggest that driving while phoning is dangerous. (14) Frances Bents,

an expert on the relation between cell phones and accidents,

estimates that between 450 and 1,000 crashes a year have some

connection to cell phone use (“Cell Phone Tragedies”).

Works Cited

Besthoff, Len. “Cell Phone Use Increases Risk of Accidents, but

Users Willing to Take the Risk.” WRAL.com. Capitol
Broadcasting, 9 Nov. 1999. Web. 12 Jan. 2001.

“Cell Phone Tragedies.” Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2008.

Redmond WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008. CD-ROM

Layton, Lyndsey. “Legislators Aiming to Disconnect Motorists.”

Washington Post 10 Dec. 2000: C1+. Print.

Pena, Patricia N. “Patti Pena’s Letter to Car Talk.” Cartalk.com.

Dewey, Cheetham, and Howe, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2001.


Source: Diana Hacker (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006). (*article has been slightly modified from original)
25. Which sentence contains the thesis statement?

A. sentence 4

B. sentence 5

C. sentence 6

D. sentence 7
26. What is the correct way to credit the source in sentence 10?

A. (38 Besthoff)

B. (Besthoff 38)

C. (Besthoff, 38)

D. ( 38, Besthoff)
27. The quotation in sentence 9 supports the thesis because it—

A. shows how drivers with cell phones are seriously impaired

B. explains how children are most often the victims

C. warns you how important it is to make sure other drivers stop at stop signs before proceeding

D. shows how parent groups are becoming more active in the movement