Read the following to answer questions 1-8.

In  the time of Italian poet Dante Alighieri, Florence was a small but prosperous and influential city-state.  Because of violent clashes between political parties, though, everyday life in Florence could be perilous.  Two principal groups were in constant political conflict, and depending on who was in power, someone could possess great influence one day and be in mortal danger the next.  Dante knew this only too well.  In 1301, he led one political faction, and when the other faction gained power, Dante was exiled from the city for life.  In The Inferno, Dante had many opportunities to take literary revenge on his political enemies by portraying them as suffering the pains in hell.

Around 1300 in Florence, a contrast to the grim violence of Dante’s medieval world was emerging .  The Florence painter Giotto di Bondone, a contemporary of Dante’s, in contrast, presented an optimistic and harmonious vision of humanity.  Dante is remembered for his powerful portrayals of people who had gone astray; Giotto’s paintings, however, present an inspiring vision of the human potential for virtue.  His frescoes on the life of St. Francis of Assisi are a tribute to the human capacity for kindness and compassion.  Giotto is regarded as one of the greatest forerunners of the Renaissance.

Which of the Following best describes Florence?

What made life in Florence perilous?

Which of the following best describes what finally happened when Dante became involved in the politics of Florence?

How did Dante revenge himself on his enemies?

Which of the following best identifies Giotto di Bondone?

Which of the following is a true statement about Giotto and Dante?

Which of the following best describes Giotto’s view of humanity?

Which of the following best illustrates how Giotto is regarded today?

Read the selection and answer questions 9-12.

(1) The mountain was volcanic, but it had been quiet for over a hundred years.  (2) Then, one morning in March, there was a great rumbling beneath it.  (3) Seismographs registered a 4.1 magnitude earthquake.  (4) A week later, a puff of ash came out of the mountain, smudging the snow on the peak.  (5)Then, a few days later, a small explosion came about.  (6) People fled their homes, expecting a full-fledged volcanic explosion at any time.  (7) They were mistaken.  (8) The mountain quieted down after that, and it has been quiet ever since.  (9) New layers of snow have covered up much of the darkness on the peak.  (10) People in the nearby towns are still talking about what happened.


What prediction would you most likely make after reading only as far as sentence 5?

What prior knowledge would be most helpful in predicting what happens later in the narrative?

Which sentence makes you revise your initial prediction about what is going to happen to the mountain?

Given what you know about human nature, what will the townspeople do next?

Read the following and answer questions 13-20.

           The scientists and engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are usually cautious, however, when researchers planned the Galileo mission in the 1980’s they were bold.  They thought that previous observations of the solar system by the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft were incomplete.  They wanted more detailed data about Jupiter’s atmosphere and more information about its moons and rings.
      The unmanned spacecraft, named Galileo for the renowned seventeenth-century scientist, was equipped with a remarkable probe, never used before, to enter Jupiter’s atmosphere.  In the scientists’ opinion, the planet and its satellites may be quite similar to the early solar system as a whole.  If Galileo’s numerous instruments were successful, the analysts would have much data to help them understand planetary formation and evolution. 
      On October 18, 1989, Galileo was launched by the shuttle Atlantis.  Before traveling to Jupiter, the spacecraft flew by Venus in February 1990.  It revisited the neighborhood of Earth twice, as well as recording data about several asteroids.
      Galileo’s probe of Jupiter’s atmosphere was released in mid-1995.  The probe transmitted data for only an hour before being destroyed by intense heat and atmospheric pressure.  Galileo ended its primary mission in 1997, having achieved overall success.


How do the NASA scientists and engineers usually behave?

How did NASA researchers approach the Galileo mission?

Which of the following best states the purpose of the Galileo mission?

Which of the following best describes the Galileo?

Why are scientists especially interested in Jupiter?

What heavenly bodies besides Jupiter does Galileo study?

What do scientists hope to learn from studying Jupiter?

How did the Galileo mission end?

Read the following and answer questions 21-28.      
  
           For the descriptions of hell in The Inferno, Dante depended greatly on ancient Greek mythology.  For the ancient Greeks, all the dead—both good and evil—went to a rather vaguely imagined, shadowy land called simply “the underworld.”  The spirits of the dead, or “shades” as the Greeks called them, were ruled by Hades, the brother of Zeus, king of the gods.
      In Greek myth, there are nine rivers in the underworld, the most famous of which are Acheron, Lethe, and Styx.  In The Inferno, Dante and his guide Virgil are borne across the Acheron by the grim ferryman Charon, whose mother was Nyx, goddess of night.  The Greeks believed that if Charon were not paid for his services, he would refuse to row, so they placed a coin in the mouth of everyone who died.  The money allowed that soul to enter the underworld.
            Lethe was the underworld river of forgetfulness, or oblivion.  The Greeks believed that all who drank from this river would lose their past existence.  The river Styx was important because the gods swore a sacred oath near its edge.  If any betrayed such an oath, that god would suffer exile from divine society for nine years.


According to Greek mythology, what is the underworld?

Who rules the shades?

Which of the following best describes Acheron, Lethe, and Styx?

In Greek mythology, who was Charon?

Which of the following best describes how Charon was paid for his services?

What would happen if Charon were not paid for his service?

How did the shades who passed into the underworld lose the memory of their past?

What happened to gods who betrayed their most sacred oath?

Read the following to answer questions 29-35.

            The American Bald Eagle, the Liberty Bell, and the Stars and Stripes are popular symbols of the United States.  Each Symbol reflects beliefs and values associated with the United States.
      The majestic American Bald Eagle is often depicted with arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other, symbolizing power and independence in war and peace.  In 1789, the American Bald Eagle was declared the U.S. national bird, giving it special protection.  Its population began to dwindle, however, due to the use of pesticides.  Fortunately, environmentalists encouraged passage of regulations eliminating the pesticides that caused damage, and as a result, the eagle is no longer an endangered species. 
      The Liberty Bell was cast in England in 1752 for the Philadelphia State House.  The bell cracked after it arrived, but it was repaired and rung at the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.  Because the bell is linked to that moment in history, it symbolizes freedom’s triumph.
      The Stars and Stripes are the most recognized symbol of the United States.  Flying the flag shows pride in the United States.  Because so many died defending it, reverence is expected when handling the flag, and a code of conduct applies to all flag ceremonies.

What is the purpose of the symbols that represent the United States?

Why is the American Bald Eagle an important symbol?

Which of the following best explains the symbolism of the arrows and olive branch often depicted in the eagle’s claws?

Why was the Liberty Bell originally cast?

Which of the following best explains why the Liberty Bell symbolizes freedom?

Why is the Stars and Stripes the most recognizable symbol of the United States?

Which is the best reason for treating the flag with reverence?

Vocabulary in context

Which word best completes the following sentence?

There are usually _________________ when a person makes a bad decision.

Which word best completes the following sentence?

Lilly had the habit of always _________________________ the conversation.

Which sentence uses the italicized word correctly?

What is Antony really telling the people in his speech?

In line 17, what does coffers mean?

How many times did Antony present the crown to Caesar on the Feast of the Lupercal?

In lines 34 and 35, what literary device does Marc Antony use so that the audience can understand his emotions more clearly?

Because of the words honourable and ambitious, we can see that Marc Antony is using ____________ to help get his point across to the people.

. “Both the mother and father almost turned themselves inside out in embarrassment and apology,” is an example of …

Use these lyrics to answer questions 54-59.

Eleanor Rigby
by Lennon/McCartney

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face 
that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie, writing the words
of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working, darning his socks
in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

54. “Lonely people” is said ten times in this song.  This is an example of ____________.

“Waits at the window, wearing a face” is an example of _____________.

“…wearing a face/ that she keeps in a jar by the door…” is considered_______________ because it is a comparison that does not use like or as.

“Picks up the rice,” “writing the words,” and “darning his socks” can all be considered __________ because the listener uses his/her senses to experience these events.

“Ah, look at all the lonely people” is an example of __________________.

A paragraph is to prose as __________ is to poetry.

Essay (At least 3 paragraphs)

When thinking about mood and tone, how are they each influencial in the reader’s understanding of a work, regardless of genre.  Be sure to define each as you explain their influence(s).