Excerpt from - nwsaenglishii.files.wordpress.com€¦ · Web viewWhat is the meaning of the word...

English 10 Midterm (COPY 2) [1449477]StudentClassDate

Read the following and answer the questions below:

Excerpt 2 from The Trial: "The Arrest"

English 10 Midterm (COPY 2) Page 1 / 37

Excerpt from The Trial: “The Arrest”

by Franz KafkaIt was already gone half past eleven when someone could be heard in the stairway. K., who had been lost in his thoughts in the hallway, walking up and down loudly as if it were his own room, fled behind his door. Miss Bürstner had arrived. Shivering, she pulled a silk shawl over her slender shoulders as she locked the door. The next moment she would certainly go into her room, where K. ought not to intrude in the middle of the night; that meant he would have to speak to her now, but, unfortunately, he had not put the electric light on in his room so that when he stepped out of the dark it would give the impression of being an attack and would certainly, at the very least, have been quite alarming.

There was no time to lose, and in his helplessness he whispered through the crack of the door, “Miss Bürstner.” It sounded like he was pleading with her, not calling to her.

“Is there someone there?” asked Miss Bürstner, looking round with her eyes wide open.

“It’s me,” said K. and came out.

“Oh, Mr. K.!” said Miss Bürstner with a smile. “Good Evening,” and offered him her hand.

“I wanted to have a word with you, if you would allow me?”

“Now?” asked Miss Bürstner, “does it have to be now? It is a little odd, isn’t it?”

“I’ve been waiting for you since nine o’clock.” “Well, I was at the theatre, I didn’t know anything about you waiting for me.”


“The reason I need to speak to you only came up today.”

“I see, well I don’t see why not, I suppose, apart from being so tired I could drop. Come into my room for a few minutes then. We certainly can’t talk out here, we’d wake everyone up and I think that would be more unpleasant for us than for them. Wait here till I’ve put the light on in my room, and then turn the light down out here.”

K. did as he was told, and then even waited until Miss Bürstner came out of her room and quietly invited him, once more, to come in. “Sit down,” she said, indicating the ottoman, while she herself remained standing by the bedpost despite the tiredness she had spoken of; she did not even take off her hat, which was small but decorated with an abundance of flowers. “What is it you wanted, then? I’m really quite curious.” She gently crossed her legs.

“I expect you’ll say,” K. began, “that the matter really isn’t all that urgent and we don’t need to talk about it right now, but . . .”

“I never listen to introductions,” said Miss Bürstner.

“That makes my job so much easier,” said K. “This morning, to some extent through my fault, your room was made a little untidy, this happened because of people I did not know and against my will but, as I said, because of my fault; I wanted to apologize for it.”

“My room?” asked Miss Bürstner, and instead of looking round the room scrutinized K.

“It is true,” said K., and now, for the first time, they looked each other in the eyes, “there’s no point in saying exactly how this came about.”

“But that’s the interesting thing about it,” said Miss Bürstner.

“No,” said K.

“Well then,” said Miss Bürstner, “I don’t want to force my way into any secrets, if you insist that it’s of no interest I won’t insist. I’m quite happy to forgive you for it, as you ask, especially as I can’t see


anything at all that’s been left untidy.”

With her hand laid flat on her lower hip, she made a tour around the room. At the mat where the photographs were she stopped. “Look at this!” she cried. “My photographs really have been put in the wrong places. Oh, that’s horrible. Someone really has been in my room without permission.” K. nodded, and quietly cursed Kaminer who worked at his bank and who was always active doing things that had neither use nor purpose.

“It is odd,” said Miss Bürstner, “that I’m forced to forbid you to do something that you ought to have forbidden yourself to do, namely to come into my room when I’m not here.”

“But I did explain to you,” said K., and went over to join her by the photographs, “that it wasn’t me who interfered with your photographs; but as you don’t believe me I’ll have to admit that the investigating committee brought along three bank employees with them, one of them must have touched your photographs and as soon as I get the chance I’ll ask to have him dismissed from the bank. Yes, there was an investigating committee here,” added K., as the young lady was looking at him enquiringly.

“Because of you?” she asked.

“Yes,” answered K.

“No!” the lady cried with a laugh.

“Yes, they were,” said K., “you believe that I’m innocent then, do you?”

“Well now, innocent . . .” said the lady, “I don’t want to start making any pronouncements that might have serious consequences, I don’t really know you after all, it means they’re dealing with a serious criminal if they send an investigating committee straight out to get him. But you’re not in custody now—at least I take it you’ve not escaped from prison considering that


you seem quite calm—so you can’t have committed any crime of that sort.”

“Yes,” said K., “but it might be that the investigating committee could see that I’m innocent, or not so guilty as had been supposed.”

“Yes, that’s certainly a possibility,” said Miss Bürstner, who seemed very interested.

“Listen,” said K., “you don’t have much experience in legal matters.”

“No, that’s true, I don’t,” said Miss Bürstner, “and I’ve often regretted it, as I’d like to know everything and I’m very interested in legal matters. There’s something peculiarly attractive about the law, isn’t there? But I’ll certainly be perfecting my knowledge in this area, as next month I start work in a legal office.”

“That’s very good,” said K., “that means you’ll be able to give me some help with my trial.”

“That could well be,” said Miss Bürstner. “Why not? I like to make use of what I know.”

“I mean it quite seriously,” said K., “or at least, half seriously, as you do. This affair is too petty to call in a lawyer, but I could make good use of someone who could give me advice.”

“Yes, but if I’m to give you advice I’ll have to know what it’s all about,” said Miss Bürstner.

“That’s exactly the problem,” said K., “I don’t know that myself.”

“So you have been making fun of me, then,” said Miss Bürstner exceedingly disappointed, “you really ought not to try something like that on at this time of night.”

And she stepped away from the photographs where they had stood so long together.

“Miss Bürstner, no,” said K., “I’m not making fun of you. Please


believe me! I’ve already told you everything I know. More than I know, in fact, as it actually wasn’t even an investigating committee, that’s just what I called them because I don’t know what else to call them. There was no cross questioning at all, I was merely arrested, but by a committee.”

Miss Bürstner sat on the ottoman and laughed again. “What was it like then?” she asked.

“It was terrible” said K., although his mind was no longer on the subject, he had become totally absorbed by Miss Bürstner’s gaze who was supporting her chin on one hand—the elbow rested on the cushion of the ottoman—and slowly stroking her hip with the other.

“That’s too vague,” said Miss Bürstner.

“What’s too vague?” asked K. Then he remembered himself and asked, “Would you like me to show you what it was like?” He wanted to move in some way but did not want to leave.

“I’m already tired,” said Miss Bürstner.

“You arrived back so late,” said K. “Now you’ve started telling me off. Well I suppose I deserve it as I shouldn’t have let you in here in the first place, and it turns out there wasn’t even any point.”

“Oh, there was a point, you’ll see now how important a point it was,” said K. “May I move this table away from your bedside and put it here?”

“What do you think you’re doing?” said Miss Bürstner. “Of course you can’t!”

“In that case I can’t show you,” said K., quite upset, as if Miss Bürstner had committed some incomprehensible offense against him.

“Alright then, if you need it to show what you mean, just take the bedside table then,” said Miss Bürstner, and after a short pause added in a weak voice,


“I’m so tired I’m allowing more than I ought to.” K. put the little table in the middle of the room and sat down behind it.

“You have to get a proper idea of where the people were situated, it is very interesting. I’m the supervisor, sitting over there on the chest are two policemen, standing next to the photographs there are three young people. Hanging on the handle of the window is a white blouse—I just mention that by the way. And now it begins. Ah yes, I’m forgetting myself, the most important person of all, so I’m standing here in front of the table. The supervisor is sitting extremely comfortably with his legs crossed and his arm hanging over the backrest here like some layabout. And now it really does begin. The supervisor calls out as if he had to wake me up, in fact he shouts at me, I’m afraid, if I’m to make it clear to you, I’ll have to shout as well, and it’s nothing more than my name that he shouts out.”

Miss Bürstner, laughing as she listened to him, laid her forefinger on her mouth so that K. would not shout, but it was too late. K. was too engrossed in his role and slowly called out, “Josef K.!”. It was not as loud as he had threatened, but nonetheless, once he had suddenly called it out, the cry seemed gradually to spread itself all round the room.

Project Gutenberg, 2005 at http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/7849/pg7849.html (8/6/2012).

This is a COPYRIGHTED Translation from Project Gutenberg eBook from

The Trial

: Chapter One. Copyright (C) 2003 by David Wyllie.


1.

What does the last paragraph reveal about Miss Bürstner’s character?

A. She is not taking K. too seriously.

B. She is upset that K. is being so loud.

C. Her exhaustion has made her impatient with K.

D. Her concern about gossip has made her cautious with K.

2.

What does Miss Bürstner’s response in paragraph 14 show about her character?

A. She finds K. foolish.

B. She values efficiency.

C. She is unfamiliar with K.

D. She dislikes conversation.

3.

What does paragraph 42 reveal about K.’s attitude toward Miss Bürstner?


A. K. finds her attractive.

B. K. is curious about her.

C. K. is intimidated by her.

D. K. sees her as an adversary.

4. What do K.’s actions in the first paragraph show about his personality?

A. He is noisy and timid.

B. He is selfish and assertive.

C. He is fearful and desperate.

D. He is anxious but considerate.

5.

What is revealed about K.’s character in the last two paragraphs?

A. He is a talented actor.

B. He tells humorous stories.

C. He has an excellent memory.


D. He is concerned with accurate

details.


Behind the Headlines: Lessons from a Desk Professor

Behind the Headlines: Lessons from a Desk Professor

Behind the Headlines:Lessons from a Desk Professor

When I first contracted to serve as the faculty adviser for the student-run weekly newspaper at the university where I teach, I anticipated the assignment would be a great deal of fun. After all, I could reconnect directly to the news industry to which I had dedicated most of my professional life. I would also be working with undergraduate students, who were likely to be enthusiastic, receptive to my advice, and enjoyable to be around.

Now, after having worked as an adviser for two years, I can honestly say that the experience has been both stimulating and challenging. However, the fun remains elusive.

Balancing Act

When I first began this job as faculty adviser, it was immediately evident that the position would require a balancing act. I was expected to employ my three decades of newspaper experience to enable students to progress as journalists. However, I lack the authority or control that professors in the classroom possess. I am a desk professor, so to speak, in an atmosphere where the student staff has almost as much power as I do.

For example, I am allowed to give exhaustive advice and exhortation, but I have no approval authority over news decisions or student behavior. These are remarkably confining boundaries within which to navigate, and I am still trying to find the way to compel a student without the ability to command.


Scandalous Dilemma

An important part of the job is that I allow students to learn from their mistakes. Yet, I also must prevent missteps that could result in a scandal. Every year, two or three of these brouhahas—resulting from tasteless articles, foul language, or an insensitive editorial cartoon—turn into national embarrassments for student newspapers and their universities. Therefore, I ensure that I am aware of all the content that is placed in the publication each week. Despite my hesitation to hover over the shoulders of my student journalists monitoring their every action, I am also cognizant that university administrators and outsiders alike will immediately question my attentiveness should a scandal erupt on my watch.

So I am daily faced with the question: to censor or not to censor? Nobody wants to hear me rationalize that censoring content is beyond my purview. But my role as faculty adviser is to gently “advise,” not to step on the toes of the actual editor-in-chief, who is, of course, a student. Yet, I am ultimately accountable for the actions of my student staff—a tricky position, indeed.

Editor Woes

It is my belief that our newspaper office should emulate a professional workplace. That is a difficult concept for many of our students to embrace; most have yet to be initiated into a work environment outside the cocoon of academia. Additionally, students are not exactly practiced in taking direct orders from a peer. Consequently, our student editor-in-chief sometimes has difficulty keeping the staff organized and on task.

It did not take long to recognize the myriad challenges confronting the student editor-in-chief. It is a high-stress, high-burnout occupation! Staff members, who are undergoing internships, routinely leave loose ends in their writing, editing, or page design work. Consequently, the final product will appear shoddy and unprofessional if the editor-in-chief neglects to fix the errors.

Ideally, every student at the newspaper should be an aspiring journalist. However, students have a variety of reasons for seeking newspaper work. Some apply primarily for the paycheck, which creates a distinct problem. In order to maximize their compensation, these students tend to place a priority on the quantity, rather than quality, of their work. This leaves the editor-in-chief with a heavy load of mediocre content.

Conflicting Missions

Additionally, some students want to use the newspaper as a vehicle to advance their favorite political causes or co-curricular endeavors. This is contrary to our newspaper’s mission of


striving to serve a widespread, diverse campus rather than placating special interests. These students with an agenda fail to appreciate the distinction between “serving” and “self-serving.”

Other students envision the newspaper as a social experience, which is acceptable until they begin blasting loud music, watching internet videos, or introducing their pets into the workplace.

While supervising the student newspaper is full of surprises for me, none has been more alarming than the requirement to meet a budget. The university provides a reasonable subsidy but does not cover all expenses. To avoid an overrun, we need to sell about $50,000 worth of advertising each fiscal year. During my newspaper career, I never had to furrow my brow over advertising. I was a writer, and newspapers typically isolate the advertising and editorial departments. Ethically, an advertiser’s business should not influence the news coverage of that advertiser.

That ethical standard is applied at our newspaper. But because I am the adviser for both the editorial and business sides, I fret about generating sufficient advertising revenue to cover expenses. Consequently, I have gained a newfound respect for the difficulty of selling advertising. This is especially true for a student newspaper with a circulation of only 4,000. Moreover, we live in a sales climate in which the ability for businesses to advertise for free on the internet has suppressed advertising sales at publications of all sizes.

Positive Outcome

The positive outcome from all this work is that the newspaper is currently gaining in stature. Due largely to the efforts of a dynamic editor-in-chief, the weakest editions of the paper’s second year are generally stronger than the best editions of the first year.

Our student journalists still make their fair share of mistakes, but none so serious they cannot be corrected, or used as constructive lessons for improvement. And it is music to my ears to hear some of them say how much they love their jobs at the paper.

But will this job as newspaper faculty adviser ever be fun? I eventually realized that question is irrelevant, and perhaps even selfish. Ultimately, my job is to enable my students to learn to become better journalists. They have taught me, in other words, that my job needs to be more about them, and less about me.

“Behind the Headlines: Lessons from a Desk Professor” property of Pearson.

6.


Which sentence best summarizes the main idea of “Behind the Headlines: Lessons from a Desk Professor”?

A. A desk professor at a university newspaper lacks the opportunity to teach.

B. A desk professor at a university newspaper is discouraged from making important decisions.

C. Being a desk professor of journalism may sometimes be unpleasant, but student growth should be the focus.

D. Being a desk professor of journalism may lack excitement, but spending time with motivated students is enjoyable.

7.

Read the excerpt from “Behind the Headlines: Lessons from a Desk Professor.”

So I am daily faced with the question: to censor or not to censor? Nobody wants to hear me rationalize that censoring content is beyond my purview. But my role as faculty adviser is to gently “advise,” not to step on the toes of the actual editor-in-chief, who is, of course, a student.

What is the meaning of the word purview as it is used in the excerpt


above?

A. ability

B. authority

C. instinct

D. interest

8.

Read this sentence from “Behind the Headlines: Lessons from a Desk Professor.”

But my role as faculty adviser is to gently “advise,” not to step on the toes of the actual editor-in-chief, who is, of course, a student.

What does the phrase step on the toes of indicate about the faculty adviser’s role?

A. The faculty adviser should be considerate without favoring the editor-

in-chief.

B. The faculty adviser should give directions without embarrassing the editor-in-chief.


C. The faculty adviser should get involved before consultation with the

editor-in-chief.

D. The faculty adviser should provide guidance without making decisions

for the editor-in-chief.

9.

How does the author of “Behind the Headlines: Lessons from a Desk Professor” organize information in the passage?

A. by identifying the challenges of being a faculty adviser as the cause of the newspaper’s lack of improvement

B. by examining the problems of running a college newspaper and proposing possible solutions

C. by comparing and contrasting the role of an adviser to that of a

professional journalist

D. by listing the problems in their order of importance to the newspaper’s

success


Excerpt from A Rip Van Winkle of the Kalahari and Other Tales of South-West


Africa: “The Country of


Excerpt from A Rip Van Winkle of the Kalahari and Other Tales of

South-West Africa: “The Country of Craters, the Path

of the Skull, and the Snake”by Frederick Cornell

Filled, as I could but be, with thankfulness at my escape from captivity and from an awful death, I did not realize for a time what the loss of the diamonds meant to me; indeed I was too exhausted by my terrific struggle to do more than crawl a few yards away from the brink, throw myself down in the sand and sink into the sleep of utter weariness.

But with my awakening the bitter truth was borne upon me in a flash. All my struggle had then been in vain. I had won my freedom but had lost all that would make life bearable. Even if I could win back through the desert, what had I now to compensate me for the horrible disfigurement that would make me shunned and despised, a leper1 amongst my fellowmen?

Bitterly did I regret my pleasant prison down below. Surely it would have been better to stay there in peace till I died, as fate had apparently decreed; and if I could have done so I would certainly have returned. But to return was impossible, and I must make up my mind to struggle through the desert or die where I was. Moreover, in the midst of my bitter reflections there came the comforting recollection that I had still the blue diamonds that I had kept apart and put in my pocket. Eagerly I felt for them yes! they were safe, and in themselves they must be worth a fortune!

My spirits rose with a bound again; why should I dream of giving in? I was strong and hard, and if I could win through, the diamonds


would surely enable me to fit out an expedition and return; and with ropes, the descent into the crater would be easy.

Rested by the cool of the night I felt little the worse for my climb, and was all eagerness for dawn to break that I might see what manner of country I was in, for I had been half demented when my terrible ride from the pursuing sandstorm had brought me into it.

At last daylight came, and I saw that although in the midst of a wide sandy plain, there were no dunes; scattered bushes grew here and there, and dotted about in the distance were a number of bare granite rocks. The crater I had climbed from went sheer down at my feet so abruptly indeed, and with so little to denote its presence, that within a few yards of its brink nothing whatever could be seen of it.

I looked once more into its depths, to where the pool lay dark in the still dim light of dawn, and from it my eyes followed the course that I had taken in my climb, and I marveled that I had ever reached the top. And a great thankfulness rose in my heart and drowned the unworthy regret that I had felt at the loss of the diamonds.

And with a last long look at my late prison, I turned and made my way towards a prominent pile of rocks in the distance, from which I hoped to be able to see more of my surroundings. My water bottle was nearly empty already, and the old haunting dread of thirst was beginning to fill my mind, but soon this fear left me, for within a mile I found t'samma1 flourishing, and at the first pile of rocks a little spring of water.

Cheered and encouraged I made good progress in spite of the now blazing sun, and soon I reached the pile of rocks. And to my astonishment I found that they formed part of the margin of a crater almost identical with the one from which I had escaped; deep and inaccessible, and with a mass of vegetation filling the bottom.

This discovery gave me food for thought. It had never entered my head that the strange place of my imprisonment had been one of many, and I had thought that once I could reach even a friendly native tribe where some kind of rope was obtainable I could locate


the crater again and secure the bag of diamonds. But I had already stumbled upon another crater, and maybe there were many? And this indeed I found to be the case, for they became more numerous as I proceeded, until the whole country was pitted with them. They were of all sizes and depths, some mere pits of fifty feet in diameter or less, some huge gulfs a mile or more across, and so deep that it was difficult to distinguish what was at the bottom. Invariably their walls were sheer and I could explore none of them, but in nearly all I saw the gleam of water.

So numerous were they, as I penetrated farther into this strange country, that I was forced to make wide detours in my endeavor to avoid them, and so bewildering did this labyrinth of huge pits at last become that I became hopelessly lost among them, and at times thought that I should never break clear of them again. Day after day I wandered about this vast and apparently level plain, finding every short distance a huge yawning gulf at my feet, forced to try new routes, and constantly being pulled up by similar obstacles. And all this time I saw no sign of life, not even a spoor2 in the sand to show that mankind had ever trod there. There was no animal life, even; a few birds, and a few snakes, nothing more indeed so deserted and dead was this weird land that it appeared unreal, and often I imagined that by some strange chance I had been transported to some other and long-dead planet, so little was this maze of craters like Mother Earth.

I had food and water enough, and as the moon now gave plenty of light I walked only at night, resting in the shadow of the rocks by day.

1leper: a person with a deforming skin disease2t’samma: a type of melon3spoor: a trail

Project Gutenberg, 2007. http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/21899/pg21899.html/


(03/26/2013).

10.

What can the reader infer about the narrator based on paragraph 4?

A. He has misconceptions about his situation.

B. He has unrealistic, foolish goals.

C. He is optimistic and persistent.

D. He is motivated but fearful.

11.

Which line from the text conveys the speaker’s determination to survive?

A. “All my struggle had then been in vain. I had won my freedom

but had lost all that would make life bearable.”

B. “But to return was impossible, and I must make up my mind to

struggle through the desert or die where I was.”

C. “If I could win through, the diamonds would surely enable me

to fit out an expedition and return.”

D. “I imagined that . . . I had been transported to some other and

long-dead planet, so little was this maze of craters like Mother Earth.”


12.

Based on the first paragraph, what happened to the narrator prior to the beginning of the selection?

A. He escaped imprisonment and

death.

B. He has been wandering in the desert.

C. He endured a significant physical

fight.

D. He was able to reclaim his many diamonds.

13.

Which line reveals the speaker’s main concern?

A. “I was too exhausted by my terrific struggle to do more than

crawl a few yards away from the brink, throw myself down in the sand and sink into the sleep of utter weariness.”

B. “I had still the blue diamonds that I had kept apart and put in

my pocket. Eagerly I felt for them yes! they were safe, and in themselves they must be worth a fortune!”

C. “My water bottle was nearly empty already, and the old

haunting dread of thirst was beginning to fill my mind, but soon this fear left me.”

D. “So numerous were they, as I penetrated farther into this strange country, that I was forced to make wide detours in my


endeavor to avoid them.”

14.

Which explains how the character feels in paragraph 3?

A. Realizing what he has lost, he has given up hope.

B. He is upset that he must return to retrieve the diamonds.

C. While feeling defeated, he still sees hope in his situation.

D. He is torn as to whether he should turn back or continue on.


Excerpt from A Rip Van Winkle of the Kalahari: "The Sand-Storm"


Excerpt from A Rip Van Winkle of the Kalahari: “The Sand-Storm”

by Frederick Cornell I stood and watched for some time, and saw that the storm was traveling towards me, but it was still far distant, and I returned to the fire and again tried to sleep, for the moon would not rise for several hours, and Inyati had said he could not be back before then.

And this time I slept, a heavy sleep full of distorted dreams.

At length I awoke with a start, just as a gust of wind caught the fire and scattered the embers in all directions. Another and another followed, each more violent than the preceding one, then came a terrific blast that whirled the blanket I had been lying on away into the night: the last firebrand was snatched up as though by an unseen hand, and borne high over the dune, and before I had time to realize what was happening I was fighting for my life in the howling darkness of a terrific sandstorm. The wind was unforgiving; it apparently blew from all quarters at once, in short, sharp, incessant1 gusts, lifting and whirling away everything that came in its path, shifting the loose sand in such masses, and hurling it with such force that to stand still would have meant being buried. Luckily the scanty vegetation where we had rested had somewhat bound the sand, but in a few minutes of the awful struggle I realized that unless I could reach some firmer spot I must be overwhelmed. A momentary lull showed me the horses half buried, and apparently too stupefied to do more than stand passively awaiting their fate.

The salt pan! That was my only chance: there, at least, the very ground would not dissolve beneath my feet, as it was doing here! And I must make for it at once, for the whirling cataclysm of sand was again closing upon me. Seizing the horses I cut their hobbles, and throwing one of the packs across the nearest I coaxed and dragged him from the sand. I had my rifle, and I had no time for anything else, but made off in the direction of the pan, barely fifty yards away; but so terrible was now the force of the wind that I was hard put to it to reach it, and thankful indeed was I when a brief lull showed me the wide expanse of white spreading dimly before me in the murk.2

Even here the ever-recurring whirlwinds brought huge volumes of sand eddying3 across the pan, and at times I feared I should be choked and overwhelmed, but as I gradually neared the center the air grew clearer, and I knew that for the time, at least, I was safe.

The horses had struggled out after their leader, and stood trembling near me; luckily I had left them saddled and bridled in anticipation of an early start, but the other pack was lying there in the dunes. And thus I awaited the abatement of the storm, a prey to the


most awful suspense.

Inyati! There in the distant dunes if the storm had caught him in their midst he must overwhelmed and buried in the chaos of sand! Or had he been able to gain one of the pans first; and would the abatement of the storm see him return to me?

Hour after hour I waited, and still it raged; the time for moonrise was long since past, though no gleam of its waning light could break through the whirling pall around me. Moonrise! That had been the time Inyati had hoped to return by, should he find water in the first pan; but where was he now, battling for his life among the dunes, or struggling beneath them?

At length day dawned; and with the light the storm ceased as suddenly as it had begun, though still huge clouds of dust hung all around, through which the rising sun gleamed red and ray-less, as through a thick fog.

Soon not a breath of wind remained, and the dust rapidly settling, disclosed the tossed and distorted wilderness through which the storm had raged.

At no great distance from me, and, as I judged, in the direction of the spot at which the storm had overtaken me, a gigantic dune lay piled high above the others. This was some of the evil work of the past night, for it had not been there yesterday!

There appeared no likelihood of a return of the storm; and, full of anxiety and distress, I made my way to this newly-formed dune, which apparently covered the exact spot of our camp of overnight; but now no vestige4 of bush remained in sight anywhere; it was all buried fathoms deep in sand. And gone too were many of our belongings, for with the exception of the one pack-saddle, to which one of the water-skins was thankfully still attached, I had had no time to pick up anything; and now the half of our precious water, and much of our stores and ammunition, were covered by the thousands of tons of the gigantic dune. Search as I could, in all directions, I could find no trace of them, they had gone irretrievably;5 and gaze as I could from the highest point of the new dune I could see no sign of life, and the sad conviction was forced upon me that Inyati had perished, and that I was alone.

1

incessant:

unending

2


murk:

gloom

3

eddying:

moving in a whirling motion

4

vestige:

trace, hint

5

irretrievably:

unable to be recovered

Excerpt from A Rip Van Winkle of the Kalahari by Frederick Cornell. Project Gutenberg, 2007. http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/21899/pg21899.html (10/11/2012).

15. How does the narrator’s concern about Inyati advance the development of the plot?

A. It shows an end to the narrator’s struggle for survival.

B. It intensifies the conflict of the narrator’s search for

survivors.


C. It implies the possibility of a new struggle to be faced by

the narrator.

D. It reveals a key factor in determining whether the narrator

can get to safety.

16. Which quote illustrates the narrator’s response to a dire situation?

A. “Luckily the scanty vegetation where we had rested had

somewhat bound the sand.”

B. “But in a few minutes of the awful struggle I realized that

unless I could reach some firmer spot I must be overwhelmed.”

C. “And gone too were many of our belongings, for with the

exception of the one pack-saddle, to which one of the water-skins was thankfully still attached.”

D. “Search as I could, in all directions, I could find no trace of

them, they had gone irretrievably; and gaze as I could from the highest point of the new dune I could see no sign of life.”

17. What does the last paragraph reveal about the narrator’s development throughout the selection?


A. He lacks true understanding for survival.

B. He is reliable when danger is present.

C. He is hesitant to act in emergencies.

D. He has learned to assess situations.

18. What does paragraph 3 reveal about the narrator’s character?

A. He contemplates situations step-by-step.

B. He fights in the face of adversity.

C. He is incapable of acting

alone.

D. He is a creative genius.


India Releases Tiger Numbers as Experts Convene


India Releases Tiger Numbers as Experts Convene

The Indian Government today released new tiger population numbers for the first time since 2007, indicating that numbers have increased in the country that has half of the world’s remaining wild tigers. The government estimated current tiger numbers in India at 1,706, up from 1,411 during the last count in 2007. However, the 1,706 figure includes an additional tiger reserve in the count, the Sundarbans, that contained 70 tigers. This area was not counted in 2007. Therefore, when comparing the previous survey with the current one, the official estimate stands at 1,636 when leaving out the Sundarbans, or an increase of 225.

Figures were broken down by site with some populations showing increases, and others falling. “As seen from the results, recovery requires strong protection of core tiger areas and areas that link them, as well as effective management in the surrounding areas,” said Mike Baltzer, Head of WWF’s Tigers Alive Initiative. “With these two vital conservation ingredients, we can not only halt their decline, but ensure tigers make a strong and lasting comeback.”

The figures marked the opening of the International Tiger Conservation Conference, a three day meeting following on the heels of the groundbreaking Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP), a worldwide plan to bring the species back from the brink of extinction which was forged in November 2010 at an international tiger conservation meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia organized by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The count was conducted by India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority with key partners, including WWF, in the largest tiger population survey ever undertaken.

“These numbers give us hope for the future of tigers in the wild, and that India continues to play an integral role in the tiger’s recovery,” said WWF International Director General Jim Leape, who is chairing a conference session on the role of international and national partners in the GTRP’s implementation.

“In its detail, this tiger estimation exercise shows the importance India attaches to this prime conservation issue,” said WWF India CEO Ravi Singh. “The results indicate the need to intensify field-based management and intervention to go beyond the present benchmark, bringing more people and partners into the process.”

Several areas in India, including those that are not Tiger Reserves and outside national parks, were intensively surveyed for the first time. The Moyar Valley and Sigur Plateau in Southwest India’s Western Ghats Complex, that has been a focus of recent WWF conservation efforts, was found to contain more than 50 tigers. Similarly, the Ramnagar


Forest Reserve outside Corbett National Park showed a good number of tigers.

In addition to high-level officials from the 13 countries that still have tigers, the conference is expected to hear from key NGOs and global partners in the GTRP, including the World Bank’s Global Tiger Initiative, the Global Tiger Forum, WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), the Smithsonian Institute, the wildlife trade network TRAFFIC, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Numbering more than 100,000 at the turn of the last century, tigers have lost more than 97 percent of their population and 94 percent of their home range in just 100 years. They live in increasingly isolated pockets of land in Asia and the Russian Far East in Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, China, and Russia. The Global Tiger Recovery Program marks the first formalized international initiative to save the species from extinction.

WWF International. http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?199803/India-releases-tiger-numbers-as-experts-convene (03/27/2013).

19. Which detail from the selection conveys the central idea?

A. “The Indian Government today released new tiger population

numbers . . . indicating that numbers have increased in the country that has half of the world's remaining wild tigers.”

B. “The government estimated current tiger numbers in India at

1,706, up from 1,411 during the last count in 2007.”

C. “Figures were broken down by site with some populations

showing increases, and others falling.”

D. “With these two vital conservation ingredients, we can not

only halt their decline, but ensure tigers make a strong and lasting comeback.”


20. How does the author begin the development of the central idea about the tiger population?

A. by giving

examples

B. by using

propaganda

C. by analyzing

statistics

D. by narrating

anecdotes

21. Which statement summarizes the selection?

A. Numbers of tigers have increased in India since 2007.

B. Some areas were omitted in the survey conducted in 2007.

C. Several agencies are working together to save the tiger

population.

D. Experts believe that tigers can grow in numbers if agencies

work together.


22. Which quotation demonstrates the need for tiger conservation efforts?

A. “The government estimated current tiger numbers in India at

1,706, up from 1,411 during the last count in 2007.”

B. “The count was conducted by India’s National Tiger

Conservation Authority with key partners, including WWF, in the largest tiger population survey ever undertaken.”

C. “The Moyar Valley and Sigur Plateau in Southwest India’s Western Ghats Complex, that has been a focus of recent WWF conservation efforts, was found to contain more than 50 tigers.”

D. “Numbering more than 100,000 at the turn of the last century,

tigers have lost more than 97 percent of their population and 94 percent of their home range in just 100 years.”

23. How does the author develop the idea of “bringing more people and partners into the [tiger conservation] process”?

A. by including a list of organizations interested in tiger

conservation

B. by using quotations from different people involved in tiger

conservation

C. by explaining the role of the Russian Prime Minister in tiger


conservation

D. by detailing the Global Tiger Recovery Program’s recruitment

procedures


Anna's Choice

Anna's Choice

Anna’s Choice

Anna took a deep breath and cautiously cracked open the heavy door to the family restaurant. The familiar aromas of fresh basil and oregano normally soothed her weary nerves. Today, however, they only stimulated her dread of the inevitable confrontation that would erupt when her father learned of her recent decision. She clutched a crisp manila envelope tightly to her chest, hoping its reassuring presence would calm her nerves, and she stepped tentatively into her second home, the family restaurant, Bel Cibo.

The restaurant represented more to Anna’s father than a business. Bel Cibo was the embodiment of a passion, the passion of one determined man who had sacrificed to achieve his ambitions. Anna knew that her father hoped that she and her brother Dominique would share his passion and that one day he could pass the restaurant on to them, and maybe even further down, he could watch his grandchildren proudly operate the restaurant he had worked so hard to create.

“Papa,” Anna called out as she tentatively set foot in the restaurant.

“Anna!” her father shouted to her from inside the kitchen. “Come see the new cabinets! Have you ever seen such exquisite craftsmanship?” he asked.

As she opened the door to the kitchen, her father laughed boisterously and, like a child overwhelmed by the sight of a live elephant in a zoo, pointed at the ornate cabinets installed just the day before.


“Oh, Papa,” Anna said softly, wearing a half smile, “they’re lovely.”

Sadly, Anna possessed little of her father’s passion for the Bel Cibo. After school, she would wait on tables alongside Dominique. She remembered how, during a break one day months earlier, she had watched her brother enthusiastically greet a soccer teammate—a soccer teammate she knew Dominique detested. It was the young man who had beaten out Dominique for the starting position right before the team played in the championship match.

If Dominique had passed the boy on a sidewalk, her normally defiant brother would have ignored him and sauntered away; but because the boy was now a customer, Dominique spontaneously invented a countenance that was completely devoid of any reference to the pair’s history. It was exactly then when she realized that she needed a career outside of the restaurant. Watching her brother’s easy smile, seeing the twinkle in his eye as he served his customer, she knew that she would never feel the same passion toward Bel Cibo. In that moment, she decided to apply to the University in Bologna.

“Anna?” her father questioned, pulling her back to the present from her memories.

Anna hesitated. She knew the moment had come, if only she could find the courage. “Truly wonderful, but Papa, I did not come to the restaurant today to discuss your new cabinets.”

“Oh,” her father responded, a dark cloud of worry passing over his face.

“No, Papa. I am going to college in the fall,” she said as she pulled the university’s acceptance letter from the envelope and handed it to him. She watched as her father read that first word: Congratulazioni.

Anna’s father examined the letter and handed it back to her. “You don’t need university, Anna. You already have a career, a worthwhile career with endless opportunity. Surely you do not want to abandon your family and our restaurant?”

“Oh, Papa, this restaurant has been like a second home to me ever since you opened it, but I cannot fathom a life waiting tables and baking bread. That is your passion, not mine, and I know that if I attend the university, I will be able to find what it is that I truly love to do. I can find my own Bel Cibo, just not in a restaurant.”

Anna’s father shook his head slowly before saying, “You disappoint me, Anna, and it saddens me to watch you abandon the family and a position in


life that most would envy—just to chase some silly little dream.”

“Oh, Papa.” Anna smiled a sad smile. “I will never abandon the family. Don’t you remember another family member who chased some silly little dream with magnificent consequences?”

Anna’s father’s eyes opened wide with the realization that his daughter had a dream, albeit different from his own. A soft smile came to his lips as he observed the hope on her face. “Maybe,” he thought. “Maybe.”

24.

How does the author’s use of flashback in “Anna’s Choice” represent a turning point in the story?

A. It reveals Anna’s opinions about playing on competitive sports teams.

B. It shows Anna’s desire to become more involved in her brother’s

life.

C. It exposes Anna’s worries about her relationship with her father.

D. It confirms Anna’s decision about her future in the restaurant.

25.

Which statement best describes the theme of “Anna’s Choice”?

A.


Owning a business is a valuable endeavor.

B. Seeking new opportunities is a worthwhile pursuit.

C. Working with family members can bring great comfort.

D. Struggling through challenges can provide inner strength.

26.

Which sentence from “Anna’s Choice” best supports the inference that Anna and her father have similar personalities?

A. “Anna took a deep breath and cautiously cracked open the heavy door to the family restaurant.”

B. “The restaurant represented more to Anna’s father than a business.”

C. “‘Surely you do not want to abandon your family and our restaurant?′″

D. “‘Don’t you remember another family member who chased some silly little dream with magnificent consequences?’”

27.

Read this sentence from “Anna’s Choice.”

Bel Cibo was the embodiment of a passion, the passion of one determined man who had sacrificed to achieve his ambitions.


What does embodiment mean in the sentence above?

A. basis

B. development

C. representation

D. structure

28.

Read this sentence from “Anna’s Choice.”

As she opened the door to the kitchen, her father laughed boisterously and, like a child overwhelmed by the sight of a live elephant in a zoo, pointed at the ornate cabinets installed just the day before.

How does the language in this sentence develop the character of Anna’s father?

A. It describes his excitement at seeing his daughter.

B. It reveals his passion for the future of the restaurant.

C. It highlights his happiness when working with his children.


D. It emphasizes his joy in the duties of operating a restaurant.

29.

How does the author’s use of flashback in “Anna’s Choice” represent a turning point in the story?

A. It reveals Anna’s opinions about playing on competitive sports teams.

B. It shows Anna’s desire to become more involved in her brother’s life.

C. It exposes Anna’s worries about her relationship with her father.

D. It confirms Anna’s decision about her future in the restaurant.


Date post:	07-Aug-2019
Category:	Documents
Upload:	hoangphuc
View:	212 times
Download:	0 times

Excerpt from - nwsaenglishii.files.wordpress.com€¦ · Web viewWhat is the meaning of the word...

Documents