English 11–12 (Grades 11–12) Midterm — Semester 1, Form A

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston are major figures of
   1. A. the Harlem Renaissance
   2. B. Transcendentalism
   3. C. the Beat Generation
   4. D. Puritan literature
2. American Romanticism emphasized
   1. A. emotion, imagination, and the individual
   2. B. strict obedience to religious authority
   3. C. scientific objectivity and fact
   4. D. fragmented, experimental narrative forms
3. Which belief is central to Transcendentalism?
   1. A. Art should portray ordinary life with exact realism.
   2. B. Human nature is fixed by heredity and environment.
   3. C. Individuals can find truth through intuition and nature.
   4. D. Strict religious law should govern daily life.
4. Jonathan Edwards's 1741 sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a product of
   1. A. American Realism after the Civil War
   2. B. the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s
   3. C. the Puritan tradition and the Great Awakening
   4. D. Modernism after World War I
5. In Jack London's "To Build a Fire," a man dies after ignoring warnings about extreme cold. The story best reflects which movement?
   1. A. Puritanism
   2. B. Harlem Renaissance
   3. C. Naturalism
   4. D. Transcendentalism
6. Charles Dickens's novels, which often criticize poverty and child labor, belong to which period?
   1. A. Modernist
   2. B. Romantic
   3. C. Victorian
   4. D. Elizabethan
7. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein blends Romantic ideas with elements of
   1. A. Realism
   2. B. Modernism
   3. C. metaphysical poetry
   4. D. Gothic fiction
8. Beowulf was composed during which period of English literature?
   1. A. Romantic
   2. B. Old English
   3. C. Victorian
   4. D. Elizabethan
9. William Shakespeare wrote most of his plays during which period?
   1. A. The Anglo-Saxon period
   2. B. The Victorian period
   3. C. The Romantic period
   4. D. The English Renaissance
10. Compared to Neoclassical writers, British Romantic writers placed greater value on
    1. A. emotion, nature, and imagination
    2. B. reason, order, and restraint
    3. C. witty satire of city society
    4. D. classical rules of form
11. In rhetoric, kairos refers to
    1. A. logical reasoning based on evidence
    2. B. choosing the right moment and context for an argument
    3. C. the writer's personal character and expertise
    4. D. the emotional response of the audience
12. What is litotes?
    1. A. Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or humor
    2. B. Understatement that denies the opposite, as in 'not bad'
    3. C. Omitting conjunctions between a series of clauses
    4. D. Directly addressing an absent person or idea
13. John F. Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." Which device does this line use?
    1. A. Polysyndeton
    2. B. Asyndeton
    3. C. Chiasmus
    4. D. Litotes
14. A speaker begins, "Although my opponents raise fair concerns about cost . . ." This opening mainly
    1. A. avoids stating any position at all
    2. B. builds credibility by making the speaker seem fair-minded
    3. C. shows that the speaker agrees with the opponents
    4. D. appeals mainly to the audience's fears
15. What is polysyndeton?
    1. A. Using many conjunctions in close succession
    2. B. Repeating a word at the end of clauses
    3. C. Reversing the order of repeated words
    4. D. Leaving out all conjunctions in a list

Part 2: Written Response

16. Compare how two American literary movements (for example, Transcendentalism and Naturalism) view the relationship between people and nature. Use one specific text from each movement.