COMMON CORE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
ARTS 10 A
Read the passage from Animal Farm.
Once again it was being put about that all the animals were dying of famine
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disease, and that they were continually fighting among themselves and had resorted to
cannibalism and infanticide. Napoleon was well aware of the bad results that might
follow if the real facts of the food situation were known, and he decided to make use of
Mr. Whymper to spread a contrary impression. Hitherto the animals had had little or no
contact with Whymper on his weekly visits: now, however, a few selected animals,
mostly sheep, were instructed to remark casually in his hearing that rations had been
increased. In addition, Napoleon ordered the almost empty bins in the store-shed to be
filled nearly to the brim with sand, which was then covered up with what remained of the
grain and meal. On some suitable pretext Whymper was led through the store-shed and
allowed to catch a glimpse of the bins. He was deceived, and continued to report to the
outside world that there was no food shortage on Animal Farm.
What is Orwell's main purpose in this passage?
to show how easy it is to convince animals and humans of something that is not true
to reveal that dictators manipulate others and use deception to further their ambitions
to show the negative effects of rumors and misinformation on those in leadership roles
to reveal the corruption among many producers, sellers, and buyers of farm products -
Answer-b. to reveal that dictators manipulate others and use deception to further their
ambitions
Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World.
A stream of pale ash-colored syrup gushed out from the mills, bubbling white with foam.
The liquid rushed down a wooden gutter directly into the boiling house, a building of
massive furnaces and cauldrons, where the syrup was heated and strained and turned
into crystals. A giant copper kettle—often about four feet across and three feet deep—
waited for the pale river. This was the first in a series of ever-smaller cauldrons, and
beneath each gaped what the Brazilians called the "great open mouths"—the huge
furnaces that had to be constantly filled with the wood that workers had chopped down
and hauled to be ready for this moment. The boiling house was as perilous as the mills,
for if a person nodded off for a second, he or she could slip into a bubbling vat.
Mammoth fires burned in the "mouths," clouds of steam billowed above the kettles, and
the heat was so intense that the boiling houses had to be sprayed with water so they
would not go up in flames. Then there was the smell, or rather, the stench of the boiling
liquid. As the [sugar cane] juice boiled, a foul scum rose to the top—which a slave had
to keep skimming off with a long-handled ladle. Over and over again the liquid had to be
strained and purified, even as it kept boiling, boiling, boiling in the copper vats.
Which text evidence best supports the authors' claim that sugar processing was a long
and difficult process?
"A stream of pale ash-colored syrup gushed out from the mills."
"Then there was the smell, or rather, the stench of the boiling liquid."
"As the [sugar cane] juice boiled, a foul scum rose to the top."
"Over and over again the liquid had to be strained and purified." - Answer-d. "Over and
over again the liquid had to be strained and purified."
What excerpts from "The Storyteller" indicate that the aunt is unaware of her flaws?
Select two options.
"An aunt belonging to the children occupied one corner seat, and the further corner seat
on the opposite side was occupied by a bachelor who was a stranger to their party, but
the small girls and the small boy emphatically occupied the compartment."
"'Come over here and listen to a story,' said the aunt, when the bachelor had looked
twice at her and once at the communication cord."
"'It's a very difficult thing to tell stories that children can both understand and
appreciate,' she said stiffly."'I don't agree with you,' said the bachelor."'Perhaps you
would like to tell them a story,' was the aunt's retort."
"The aunt suppressed a gasp of admiration."
"A most improper story to tell to young children! You have undermined the effect of
years of careful teaching." - Answer-c. "'It's a very difficult thing to tell stories that
children can both understand and appreciate,' she said stiffly."'I don't agree with you,'
said the bachelor."'Perhaps you would like to tell them a story,' was the aunt's retort."
d. "A most improper story to tell to young children! You have undermined the effect of
years of careful teaching."
Read the passage from Animal Farm.
"Comrades!" cried Squealer, making little nervous skips, "a most terrible thing has been
discovered. Snowball has sold himself to Frederick of Pinchfield Farm, who is even now
plotting to attack us and take our farm away from us! Snowball is to act as his guide
when the attack begins. But there is worse than that. We had thought that Snowball's
rebellion was caused simply by his vanity and ambition. But we were wrong, comrades.
Do you know what the real reason was? Snowball was in league with Jones from the
very start! He was Jones's secret agent all the time. It has all been proved by
documents which he left behind him and which we have only just discovered. To my
mind this explains a great deal, comrades. Did we not see for ourselves how he
attempted—fortunately without success—to get us defeated and destroyed at the Battle
of the Cowshed?"
The animals were stupefied. This was a wickedness far outdoing Snowball's destruction
of the windmill. But it was some minutes before they could fully take it in. They all
remembered, or thought they remembered, how they had seen Snowball charging
ahead of them at the Battle of the Cowshed, how he had rallied and encouraged them
at every turn, and how he had not paused for an instant even when the pellets from
Jones's gun had wounded his back. At first it was a little difficult to see how this fitted in
with his being on Jones's side. Even Boxer, who seldom asked questions, was puzzled.
He lay down, tucked his fore hoofs beneath him, shut his eyes, and with a hard effort
managed to formulate his thoughts.
"I do not believe that," he said. "Snowball fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed. I
saw him myself. Did we not give him 'Animal Hero, First Class,' immediately
afterwards?"
"That was our mistake, comrade. For we know now—it is all written down in the secret
documents that we have found—that in reality he was trying to lure us to our doom."
Which statement best explains the passage's connection to life in the Soviet Union
under Joseph Stalin?
Snowball's interaction with the farmers parallels the way in which spies undermined
Stalin's power.
Boxer's puzzlement shows that he does not believe that Snowball is a traitor, which
represents people's loyalty to Stalin.
Snowball's bravery during the Battle of the Cowshed earns him an award, which reflects
the fighting that occurred.
Squealer's false claim that he has documents to prove that Snowball is a traitor reflects
lies used to control people. - Answer-d. Squealer's false claim that he has documents to
prove that Snowball is a traitor reflects lies used to control people.
Study the editorial cartoon by John Branch.
What is the cartoonist's purpose in this editorial cartoon?
to warn people about incoming bad weather
to make a satire about how many reporters cover bad weather
to tell readers that proper weather gear is important
to explain that reporters are forced to do risky work - Answer-b. to make a satire about
how many reporters cover bad weather
Read the excerpt from Mohini's essay about the Grimm brothers.
When the Grimm brothers first published their collection of folk tales, they stuck to one
rule: they wanted to save stories from the past, which had only been spread by word of
mouth. They wanted to use details from the changing lives of the average German
family to show how the German culture evolved. They also wanted to show how
storytelling makes strong connections in a community and is the sign of a civilized
people. Their collection of tales was a gift to the German people. They had no idea that
these tales would take on a life of their own, becoming a standard source for folklorists
from other nations and ensuring their popularity throughout the world to this day.
Which evaluation of her essay is most accurate?
This paragraph supports the main idea by giving specific examples of the connections
of German folk tales to other nations.
This paragraph shows that the Grimms wanted to give the German people an updated
version of the tales they were familiar with.
This paragraph supports the main idea by giving reasons for the Grimms' determination
to collect oral tales and give them to the German people.
This paragraph supports the main idea by explaining that the Grimms' tales were
exclusively related to the German national movement and did not relate to other
cultures. - Answer-c. this paragraph supports the main idea by giving reasons for the
Grimms' determination to collect oral tales and give them to the German people.
Read the passage from "Cinderella" by the Brothers Grimm.
The girl went out to her mother's grave every day and wept, and she remained pious
and good. When winter came the snow spread a white cloth over the grave, and when
the spring sun had removed it again, the man took himself another wife.
This wife brought two daughters into the house with her. They were beautiful, with fair
faces, but evil and dark hearts. Times soon grew very bad for the poor stepchild. . . .
"Why should that stupid goose sit in the parlor with us?" they said. "If she wants to eat
bread, then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid!"
They took her beautiful clothes away from her, dressed her in an old gray smock, and
gave her wooden shoes. "Just look at the proud princess! How decked out she is!" they
shouted and laughed as they led her into the kitchen.
Now it happened that the king proclaimed a festival that was to last three days. All the
beautiful young girls in the land were invited, so that his son could select a bride for
himself. When the two stepsisters heard that they too had been invited, they were in
high spirits.
They called Cinderella, saying, "Comb our hair for us. Brush our shoes and fasten our
buckles. We are going to the festival at the king's castle."
Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she too would have liked to go to the dance with
them. She begged her stepmother to allow her to go.
"You, Cinderella?" she said. "You, all covered with dust and dirt, and you want to go to
the festival? You have neither clothes nor shoes, and yet you want to dance!"
However, because Cinderella kept asking, the stepmother finally said, "I have scattered
a bowl of lentils into the ashes for you. If you can pick them out again in two hours, then
you may go with us."
The stepmother is most likely motivated by
greed.
love for her step-daughter.
jealousy.
fear of her husband. - Answer-c. jealousy
Read the passage from \Animal Farm.
Boxer could not get beyond the letter D. He would trace out A, B, C, D, in the dust with
his great hoof, and then would stand staring at the letters with his ears back, sometimes
shaking his forelock, trying with all his might to remember what came next and never
succeeding. On several occasions, indeed, he did learn E, F, G, H, but by the time he
knew them, it was always discovered that he had forgotten A, B, C, and D. Finally he
decided to be content with the first four letters, and used to write them out once or twice
every day to refresh his memory.
What is the central idea of this passage?... [Show Less]