1. Midterm review
Created by Educational Technology Network

2. Grammar
Words in Context
Tone/Mood
Writing Style
Literary Devices 10 10 10 10 10 20 20 20 20 20 30 30 30 30 30 40 40 40 40 40 50 50 50 50 50

3. Grammar – 10 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
Of the underlined words/phrases/punctuation, which contains the error?
The rhododendron, which ornaments so many English gardens, is not native to Europe.
ANSWER:
NO ERROR– appositive phrase

4. Grammar – 20 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
Of the underlined words/phrases/punctuation, which contains the error?
The three richest men in America have assets worth more than the combined assets of the sixty poorest countries of the world.
ANSWER:
NO ERROR

5. Grammar – 30 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
Of the underlined words/phrases/punctuation, which contains the error?
Television viewers claim that the number of scenes depicting alcohol consumption have increased dramatically over the last decade.
ANSWER:
have should be has– plural (scenes) vs. singular (the number of scenes– subject of the sentence)

6. Grammar – 40 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
Of the underlined words/phrases/punctuation, which contains the error?
If you are sure that you are in the right, you would not mind an independent examination of the case.
ANSWER:
If you are sure… PRESENT TENSE… next part of the sentence must be FUTURE TENSE …you will not mind

7. Grammar – 50 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
Of the underlined words/phrases/punctuation, which contains the error?
The union insisted on an increase in their members’ starting pay, and threatened to call a strike if the company refused to meet the demand.
ANSWER:
their should be its because “the union” is a singular noun even though you may think of it as a group of people

8. Words in Context – 10 Points
QUESTION:
I wanted to just set the table and be done with it, but my mother scrupulously arranged each napkin, dish, and utensil until they were in perfect alignment. 
The word in bold most likely means:
ANSWER:
great attention to detail

9. Words in Context– 20 Points
QUESTION:
When Jose found out that his little brother Emilio carelessly broke Jose’s Xbox disc tray, Jose was vexed and sure let Emilio know it.
The word in bold most likely means:
ANSWER:
angry

10. Words in Context– 30 Points
QUESTION:
Jane could have easily offended Bertha when she informed her that the dress did not fit her well, but Jane used tact and consideration when choosing her words, so Bertha understood without being hurt.
“tact” most likely means, dealing with a situation:
a. nicely
b. offensively
c. maturely
d. carefully
ANSWER:

11. Words in Context– 40 Points
QUESTION:
The most succinct support for my view comes from Nobel laureate physicist Enrico Fermi, the man who ran the first nuclear reaction ever controlled by human beings.
ANSWER:
D. managed
In line 17, “ran” most closely means
(A) fled
(B) accumulated
(C) traversed
(D) managed
(E) incurred

12. Words in Context– 50 Points
QUESTION:
If one discounts the UFO claims, yet still believes that there are many technological civilizations in the galaxy, why have they not visited us?
ANSWER:
B. assertions
In this sentence, “claims” most closely means
(A) demands
(B) assertions
(C) rights
(D) territories
(E) compensations

13. Tone/Mood– 10 Points QUESTION: ANSWER: B
“Mechanical pencils rule,” my fifteen-year-old grandniece, Genevieve, declared when I invited her to be her generation’s voice on school supplies. “Nobody sharpens anymore.” Then, continuing with a fashion maven’s hyperbole and arbitrary imperatives, she gave a passionate disquisition on types of clickers, new grips, smaller lead sizes, and other niceties of pencil selection. As she consigned the yellow-painted wooden pencil to the wastebasket of history, I felt a rush of nostalgia for the perfumed sharpener shavings of my youth.
The author mentions “sharpener shavings” (line 10)
in order to portray a mood of
(A) unrestrained joy
(B) sentimental reminiscence
(C) bitter disappointment
(D) cautious optimism
(E) dark foreboding
ANSWER: B

14. Tone/Mood– 20 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
Jessica walked slowly through the hallway. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” she yelled. Since the room was dark, she had to feel around for the doorknob to the dining room. As her hand closed around the cool brass knob, she gave it a firm twist to the right, opening the door to the dining hall with a satisfying bang. The long table was illuminated by a stream of moonlight from a large bay window to her right, allowing her to see enough to enter the room. She giggled with nervousness as she took a few steps forward, stopping short at the sight of something shadowy moving in the corner.
What word identifies the tone of the passage?
What word choice/sentence lead you to choose this word?
ANSWER:
excited, impatient, surprised, playful
“come out, come out…hand closed around the cool brass knob…firm twist…satisfying bang…illuminated…giggled”

15. Tone/Mood– 30 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
Jessica walked slowly through the hallway. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” she yelled. Since the room was dark, she had to feel around for the doorknob to the dining room. As her hand closed around the cool brass knob, she gave it a firm twist to the right, opening the door to the dining hall with a satisfying bang. The long table was illuminated by a stream of moonlight from a large bay window to her right, allowing her to see enough to enter the room. She giggled with nervousness as she took a few steps forward, stopping short at the sight of something shadowy moving in the corner.
What word identifies the mood of the passage?
What sentence/word choice lead you to choose this word?
ANSWER:
eager (positive), curious, wound up but reserved
“walked slowly…yelled…satisfying…see enough to enter the room…giggled with nervousness…few steps forward…stopping short”

16. Tone/Mood– 40 Points QUESTION:
Jessica crept along the darkened hallway. She was conscious of a faint whistling noise as she groped the wall in front of her for the doorknob that she knew was there, but couldn’t seem to find in her fear. Finally, her hand closed around the brass knob. She attempted to twist the knob open, but the thin layer of sweat on her palm prevented her from getting the solid grip she needed. Finally, the decrepit wooden door swung inward with a groan, unveiling the dim glow of a single moonlit window on the dining room table. Jessica tentatively moved into the room, but suddenly she saw a human-sized shadow move in the corner of the room - she gasped and cried out, “Who’s there!?”
What word identifies the tone of the passage?
What sentence/word choice lead you to choose this word?
ANSWER:
mysterious, fearful, suspenseful, nervous, helpless
“…conscious of a faint whistling noise as she groped the wall…”
“…the decrepit wooden door swung inward…unveiling the dim glow of a single moonlit window…suddenly she saw a human-sized shadow move…”

17. Tone/Mood– 50 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
Jessica crept along the darkened hallway. She was conscious of a faint whistling noise as she groped the wall in front of her for the doorknob that she knew was there, but couldn’t seem to find in her fear. Finally, her hand closed around the brass knob. She attempted to twist the knob open, but the thin layer of sweat on her palm prevented her from getting the solid grip she needed. Finally, the decrepit wooden door swung inward with a groan, unveiling the dim glow of a single moonlit window on the dining room table. Jessica tentatively moved into the room, but suddenly she saw a human-sized shadow move in the corner of the room - she gasped and cried out, “Who’s there!?”
What word identifies the mood of the passage?
What sentence/word choice lead you to choose this word?
ANSWER:
uncertain, scary, eager (negative)
“…conscious…couldn’t seem to find in her fear…attempted to twist the knob…tentatively…suddenly…gasped”

18. Writing Style– 10 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
Winslow Homer, one of America’s foremost artists,
spent his last 27 years and painted on the scenic Maine
coast.
(A) spent his last 27 years and painted
(B) spent his last 27 years having painted
(C) spent his last 27 years painting
(D) having spent his last 27 years doing his painting
(E) spending his last 27 years painting
ANSWER:
C. Winslow Homer, one of America’s foremost artists, spent his last 27 years painting on the scenic Maine coast.

19. Writing Style– 20 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
The library is older than it but still just as beautiful as
the courthouse.
(A) older than it but still just as beautiful as the
courthouse
(B) older and it is just as beautiful as the courthouse
(C) older than the courthouse; it is just as beautiful as it
(D) older than the courthouse but just as beautiful
(E) just as beautiful
ANSWER:
D. The library is older than the courthouse bit just as beautiful.

20. Writing Style– 30 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
To complete the music program, a student must present
one vocal performance, one instrumental performance,
and composing one original work.
(A) and composing one original work
(B) and one original composition
(C) with one original composition
(D) and to compose one original work
(E) as well as the student’s original composition
ANSWER:
B. To complete the music program, a student must present one vocal performance, one instrumental performance, and one original composition.

21. Writing Style– 40 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
The time and the place for such a large event is subject to approving from the mayor’s office.
The time and the place for such a large event is subject to approving from the
mayor’s office.
(B) For such a large event, the time and the place are subject to the mayor’s
office’s approving them.
(C) The time and the place for such a large event are subject to the approval of the mayor’s office.
(D) The time and place for such a large event are subject to be approved by the office of the mayor.
(E) Subject to the approval of the mayor’s office are the time and place for such a large event taking place.
ANSWER:
C. The time and the place for such a large event are subject to the approval of the mayor’s office.

22. Writing Style– 50 Points QUESTION: ANSWER:
In similarity with some other great works, the enduring
horror tale Frankenstein was first published
anonymously; its author, Mary Shelley, wrote the
novel when she was not quite nineteen years old.
(A) In similarity with
(B) As
(C) Like what happened with
(D) Like the case with
(E) Like
ANSWER:
E. Like some other great works, the enduring horror tale Frankenstein was first published anonymously…

23. Literary Devices– 10 Points
QUESTION:
Define ‘foreshadowing’
ANSWER:
clues provided by the author about what's going to happen in the story

24. Literary Devices– 20 Points
QUESTION:
What phrases contain foreshadowing in this passage? Rain lashed against the windows as Jane stamped up and down the room stopping only to check the time on the mantle clock every five minutes. Her book, bought with such enthusiasm the day before, was flung carelessly in the corner beside the abandoned picnic basket. Jane stamped her feet and began to repeat her earlier tedious complaints against nature.
ANSWER:
"slow down," "snow was drifting higher," "could hardly see the road"

25. Literary Devices– 30 Points
QUESTION:
What does foreshadowing do for the short story?
A. creates suspense
B. creates a unified effect
C. makes the ending seem inevitable
D. all of the above
ANSWER:
D. All of the above

26. Literary Devices– 40 Points
QUESTION:
The “tribe,” as he’d called the family, did not live (as he’d said) in a trailer park, but in a one-story tract house with turquoise aluminum siding…
The word “tribe” is best defined as an example of:
personification, as the family is a collection of human beings
irony, as the remainder of the passages indicates that the family is as warlike as a tribe of Native Americas
metaphor, as it compares the family to a tribe of Native Americans
imagery, as it paints a vivid picture of the appearance of the family members
ANSWER:
c. metaphor

27. Literary Devices– 50 Points
QUESTION:
…gave the newcomer the impression that this part of Phoenix was recovering from an air raid that had set the ground on fire and driven the residents from their homes with only their most cherished and salvageable belongings… is best defined as an example of:
personification, as it gives the living quality of “driven” to the non-living thing of “air raid”
irony, as it presents the contrast of the phrase “air raid” with the phrase “most cherished”
metaphor, as it implies a comparison between the condition of the residential area and the site of an emergency evacuation
Imagery, as it paints a vivid picture of the residential area
ANSWER:
c. metaphor