Spring Semester Sample Questions

 Context Clues  Alliteration-Assonance- Consonance  Personification  Allusion  Metaphors and Similes  Foreshadowing and Flashback  Symbols  Idiom

Since the liquid in the test tube had turned ____________, light no longer passed through it.  A. authentic  B. noxious  C. deadly  D. opaque

 D. Opaque is correct- Unclear  A. Authentic means original or one of a kind  B. Noxious means deadly  C. Deadly and noxious mean the same thing and would be used to describe a clear liquid

The building has not been changed since 1820; consequently, scholars believe its style to be _______________. A. authentic B. noxious C. deadly D. opaque

 A. Authentic means original or one of a kind- Since the building is in its original state, it is authentic.

No one has been able to explain with certainty how the builders of Stonehenge moved the giant stones into place; therefore, it remains a(n) _____________. A. artifact B. enigma C. monument D. rudiment

B. Enigma is correct- Something mysterious or misunderstood A. Artifacts are objects found by archaeologists to learn more about cultures; Artifacts can also be proof or documentation of an event (A program from a basketball game.) C. monument- Something built to honor someone D. rudiment- a primitive form

Which phrase in the poem (next slide) indicates an increase in the snow fall? A....grey with scattered snow B....grass-leaves hardly emerge; C....mark the snow, and go D. On towards the pines...

A Winter's Tale 1 Yesterday the fields were only grey with scattered snow 2 And now the longest grass-leaves hardly emerge; 3 Yet her deep footsteps mark the snow, and go 4 On towards the pines at the hill's white verge. D.H. Lawrence

B....grass-leaves hardly emerge; Correct- The snow has covered the grass so you can barely see it

Which two lines indicate the passage of time? (A Winter’s Tale Poem) A. Lines 1 and 2 B. Lines 2 and 3 C. Lines 2 and 4 D. Lines 3 and 4

A. Lines 1 and 2 is correct “Yesterday” and “Now” are words associated with time.

In the poem Fate, which line in the poem refers to varied languages? A. Line 2 B. Line 4 C. Line 6 D. Line 8

Fate 1 Two shall be born the whole wide world apart, 2 And speak in different tongues, and have no thought 3 Each of the other's being, and no heed; 4 Yet these, o'er unknown seas to unknown lands 5 Shall cross, escaping wreck, defying death, 6 And all unconsciously shape every act 7 And every wandering footstep to this end, 8 That one day out of darkness they shall meet 9 And read life's meaning in each other's eyes. Washington Gladden -1909

A. Line 2 is correct “different tongues”

Assonance Consonance

If the final lines of "The Old Bridge" were: "And the little children shivered on the river banks." This would be an example of ______________. A. consonance B. assonance C. oxymoron D. alliteration

B. Assonance is the best answer "And the little children shivered on the river banks.“ (i is a vowel)

Which of the phrases below is an example of consonance? A. And home we brought you shoulder-high B. And round that early-laurelled head C. And hold to the low lintel up D. And the name died before the man

B. “And round that early-laurelled head” is correct because there are 2 consonant sounds being repeated- r and l.

Which line is an example of alliteration? A. The fleet foot on the sill of shade. B. The garland briefer than a girl's. C. And set you at your threshold down. D. And find unwithered on its curls.

A. “The fleet foot on the sill of shade.” is correct

Which of the following literary devices do the lines best demonstrate? (Lines on next slide) A. onomatopoeia B. allusion C. alliteration D. assonance

And so, all the night tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride. ---Edgar Allen Poe "Annabel Lee"

D. Assonance is the best answer – long i sound and i is a vowel. And so, all the night tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride.

"And silence sounds no worse than cheers" is an example of a(n) _________________. A. assonance B. alliteration C. rhyme D. onomatopoeia

B. Alliteration is the best answer "And silence sounds no worse than cheers" S is a consonant and consonance is not a choice.

"Whose woods these are I think I know." This line is an example of a(n) ______________. A. onomatopoeia B. consonance C. metaphor D. simile

B. Consonance is the best answer because of the w sounds “Whose woods these are I think I know."

"Sorrow stands in his face“ is an example of personification because “stands” is something a person would do, not a feeling.

Which of the following lines from the poem contains an example of personification? A. "Man and boy stood cheering by," B. "Eyes the shady night has shut" C. "The still-defended challenge-cup." D. "Smart lad, to slip betimes away"

B. "Eyes the shady night has shut” is correct because the night does not have eyes as a human would.

1 "Because I could not stop for Death 2 He kindly stopped for me--- 3 The Carriage held but just Ourselves--- 4 And immortality." ---Emily Dickinson Which line contains the best example of personification?

Line 2 is the best answer “Death stopped for me…” Death is not a person.

Susie didn't like to spend. She was no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased anything except the bare necessities. Which phrase from the sentence best shows an allusion? A. Susie didn't like to spend. B. She was no Scrooge... C....she seldom purchased anything... D....except the bare necessities.

B. She was no Scrooge... Is the best answer because most people know Scrooge from A Christmas Carol did NOT like Christmas at the beginning of the story.

Which of the following words is an allusion? A. journey B. adventure C. voyage D. odyssey

D. Odyssey is correct; it refers to Greek mythology and Odysseus's trip home after the Trojan War.

"As the alarm clock continued to buzz in my ear like a colony of worker bees," is an example of _______________. A. a simile B. a metaphor C. hyperbole D. prose

A. a simile is correct – key word “like”

Why would an author compare the scene above deck to something from a disaster movie? A. to suggest that the girls were being overly dramatic actresses B. to prove that disaster movies only occur when there is a violent storm C. to emphasize that the deck and the scenery were in horrendous conditions D. to explain that the crew's absence was a mystery to the passengers

C. to emphasize that the deck and the scenery were in horrendous conditions- is correct. After natural disaster, homes and natural resources are left in ruins. The ship deck is also a mess in this comparison.

Struggling to pull myself to my feet and open the cabin door for her and Vanessa, I was horrified at the sight of Monique and Vanessa's faces, white as sheets. The underlined phrase in the following sentence is an example of _______________. A. a simile B. a metaphor C. foreshadowing D. recall

A. a simile is correct- Key word is “as”

Calling bullfighting a "ballet" with "pageantry" has what effect? A. belittles and mocks the matador B. adds romance and allure to the sport C. makes the bulls seem gentler than they really are D. prevents animal rights activists from protesting

B. adds romance and allure to the sport is correct- ballet and pageantry are delicate events/activities that require grace.

Which literary device is the underlined portion of the sentence using? Chelsea, who had waited offstage until the piano began, sashayed up to the microphone and belted out a long, low note, her voice a mixture of milk and honey. A. allusion B. symbolism C. metaphor D. rhyme

C. Metaphor is correct- Her voice [is] a mixture of milk and honey.

"Little did we know that within twenty-four hours we'd be wondering if we'd survive," is an example of ___________________. A. a simile B. a metaphor C. foreshadowing D. recall

C. Foreshadowing is correct- “Little did we know [then] that we’d be wondering if we would survive.” The author is sharing their feelings about the event, and giving clues to the story as it unfolds.

What might the following lines from the poem refer to? "And silence sounds no worse than cheers After earth has stopped the ears” A. In death, you cannot tell the difference between silence and celebration. B. In death, you will regret never again hearing the cheers of the crowd. C. In life, silence is the sound that an athlete fears most. D. In life, only earth can quiet the cheering of excited fans.

A. In death, you cannot tell the difference between silence and celebration. Is correct – it doesn’t matter what you’re listening to (silence or cheers) because if you’re dead you cannot hear anything anyway.

What is the garland in the poem's final line used to symbolize? “The garland briefer than a girl's.” A. joy for the athlete's successes B. remembrance of the athlete's sister C. the prize won by the athlete during the foot race D. regret over the athlete's short life

D. regret over the athlete's short life is correct. The key word is “shorter”

What is the meaning of the phrase, "Just as I was beginning to think it was sour grapes on his part..."? A. Matthew thought that Tony was jealous because he couldn't read minds. B. Mathew thought Tony had a bad taste in his mouth. C. Matthew thought that Tony didn't understand what he was trying to tell him. D. Mathew thought Tony was excited about his new ability.

A. Matthew thought that Tony was jealous because he couldn't read minds. This is correct because if a food is sour, it is not something you want to eat. It may make you sick. It is bad. Tony has a bad attitude against Matthew.

What is the meaning of the word nailed as used in the following sentence from the story? They had nailed each song and the audience had adored them. A. ruined B. rhythmically sang C. performed perfectly D. hammered into the stage

 C. Performed perfectly is correct

 Make sure you understand what these literary terms mean so you know what you are looking for when you identify items from selections.