10th Grade RPA 2 (2012-2013)

Identity

Let them be as flowers,

always watered, fed, guarded, admired

but harnessed to a pot of dirt.

I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed,

clinging on cliffs, like an eagle

wind-wavering above high, jagged rocks.

To have broken through the surface of stone,

to live, to feel exposed to the madness

of the vast, eternal sky.

To be swayed by the breezes of an ancient sea,

carrying my soul, my seed, beyond the mountains of time

or into the abyss of the bizarre.

I’d rather be unseen, and if

then shunned by everyone,

than to be a pleasant-smelling flower,

growing in clusters in the fertile valley,

where they’re praised, handled, and plucked

by greedy, human hands.

I’d rather smell of musty, green stench

than of sweet, fragrant lilac.

If I could stand alone, strong and free,

I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed.

“Identity” by Julio Noboa Polanco, from The Rican, Journal of Contemporary Thought. Copyright 1973 by Julio Noboa Polanco.

*1. Which idea does the poet most associate with the image of flowers?

  1. Competition
  2. Complication
  3. Conformity
  4. Confusion

2. What type of literary device does the first line of the poem contain?

  1. Simile
  2. Metaphor
  3. Oxymoron
  4. Irony

3. What does the speaker desire in lines 4-13?

  1. Power to defeat his rivals
  2. Freedom to live life as he chooses
  3. Freedom to travel to exotic locations
  4. A life independent of social responsibilities

4. Which term or phrase best expresses the meaning of the word seed as used in line 12?

  1. Body
  2. Common Sense
  3. Scent
  4. Spiritual Being

5. The author’s use of repetition supports which structure?

  1. Cause and Effect
  2. Compare and Contrast
  3. Problem/Solution
  4. General/Specific

10th Grade RPA 2 (2012-2013)

In this speech, King Henry of England prepares to lead his army against the French forces.ThebattletakesplaceonSaintCrispin’sday,whichisaminorholidayknownto mostofHenry’smen.

Saint Crispin’s Day

KING HENRY:

He which hath no stomach to fight,

Let him depart, his passport shall be made,

And crowns for convoy put into his purse.

We would not die in that man’s company

That fears his fellowship to die with us.

This day is call’d the feast of Crispin:

He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,

Will stand a’ tiptoe when this day is named,

And rouse him at the name of Crispin,

He that shall see this day, and live old age,

Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors,

And say, “To-morrow is Saint Crispin.”

Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,

And say, “These wounds had I on Crispin’s Day.”

Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,

But he’ll remember with advantages

What feats he did that day. Then shall our names

Familiar in his mouth as household words,

Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,

Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,

Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red.

This story shall the good man teach his son;

And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,

From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remembered—

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that stands to fight with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition;

And gentlemen in England, now a-bed,

Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here;

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Adapted from The Life of Henry the Fifth by William Shakespeare from The Riverside Shakespeare.

Copyright 1974 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

6. What is the meaning of King Henry’s metaphor “Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red” (line 21)?

  1. Henry’s soldiers will be remembered as heroes.
  2. Henry’s army will remember the reason for the battle.
  3. The English will always remember Saint Crispin.
  4. The English will be remembered for making peace.

7. Which line contains the strongest example of alliteration?

  1. Let him depart, his passport shall be made
  2. Then will he strip his sleeves and show his scars
  3. From this day to the ending of the world
  4. This day shall gentle his condition

*8. According to the passage, why will

some men hold their manhoods cheap

(line 33)?

  1. Because they fought for money rather than for honor
  2. Because they did not appreciate the value of hard work
  3. Because they were not present at the battle of Saint Crispin’s day
  4. Because they deserted the battle of Saint Crispin’s day instead of fighting

*9. The tone of the king’s speech to his men

is

  1. confused and angry
  2. friendly and regretful
  3. superior and dismissive
  4. courageous and motivational

Directions: Please choose the best answer choice for each of the following questions.

10. Which is the BEST way to write the sentence?

A.We hope to offer in the future repair services and classes about how to repair bikes.

B.We hope to offer repair services and classes about how in the future to repair bikes.

C.We hope to offer repair services and classes, in the future, about how to repair bikes.

D.In the future, we hope to offer repair services and classes about how to repair bikes.

11. Which statement BEST combines these simple sentences?

The sun set behind the hills. I watched the coyotes gather on a ridge. They were silhouetted. They were barking and howling.

A.As the sun set behind the hills, I watched the coyotes gather on a ridge, they were silhouetted, and barking and howling.

B.I watched the coyotes gather on a ridge, and they were silhouetted and barking and howling as the sun set behind the hills.

C.I watched as the coyotes, barking and howling as they gathered on a ridge, were silhouetted by the sun as it set behind the hills.

D.After the sun set behind the hills, the coyotes gathered on a ridge where they were silhouetted and barking and howling as I watched.

12. Read the two sentences.

We went to an amusement park.

Our favorite ride the roller coaster was.

What is the BEST way to combine them into a single sentence?

A.We went to an amusement park; and our favorite ride was the roller.

B.We went to an amusement park, and our favorite ride was the roller coaster.

C.We went to an amusement park: and our favorite was ride the roller coaster.

D.We went to an amusement park and our favorite ride was the roller coaster.

Constructed Response

Answer Key

1)C

2)A

3)B

4)D

5)B

6)A

7)B

8) C

9) D

10) D

11) C

12) B

ScoringCriteriaforSampleEOCExam—WhentheEmperorWasDivine

An exemplaryresponse maydiscuss anyor all of the following details:

•Pointofview: Thepassageisaflashback(thefirstwords are “His father was”), and is told from a third-person omniscient point of view. The narrator,whiledescriptive,takesa tonethatislighterthanexpectedgiventhe family’s imprisonment. The focus on memory contributes to the sort ofimpressionistic,dreamyqualityof the passage and explains

whymanyindividualdetailsarebroughttogethertocreatea clearimageofboth characters.Thatthepassageisportrayedfrom the point of view of an outsider observing suggests,however,distancebetween thecharactersandtheirpastand presentlives.

•Deliberatesyntax:Theauthorusesverysimplesentence structure throughout the passage to convey a young child’s understanding ofthe world, to capture a series of memoriesthatareundoubtedlyfadingnowthat yearshavepassed,andtofocuson imagesofnormalcyandhappinessduringaseverely bleakmomentintheboy’slife.All three of these concepts, providedtheyaresupportedwith evidence, are potentially correct.Thesparesentencescarry the emotional weight of the separation, reflecting a stoicdetachmentfrompainfulmemories.

•Descriptivedetails:The passage offers many examplesofseeminglyunimportant things,likesnacksandhaircuts,whichcarryconsiderable weight given the physical and psychologicaldistanceseparatingthefatherand the boy. The boy’s memories tell us thathisfatherwaslovinganddevoted,mindful and careful with even the small details of a loving relationship; the same can be said ofthe boy. The detailshelp considerably to characterizebothsubjects.

•Useofdialogue: Theshardsorfragmentsofthefather’sconversationswiththeboy resonateinthispassage,suggestingbothhis large andlasting influence overhis son andthedistancebetweenthem. The father’s presence can be viewed as a symbol of hopeandinspiration,orasdespair,sincetheiroldlifewillneverreturn.

QualityCore®AnalyticScoringRubricforEnglish10

Purpose: To PresentaResponseto Literature