Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

Nonfiction Section (August and September) Terms

1. Ethos_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Allusion_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Connotation__________________________________________________________________________
4. Cause and Effect_____________________________________________________________________
5. Polysyndeton_________________________________________________________________________
6. Denotation___________________________________________________________________________
7. Description__________________________________________________________________________
8. Hypophora___________________________________________________________________________
9. Problem and Solution_________________________________________________________________
10. Spatial Order________________________________________________________________________
11. Antithesis___________________________________________________________________________
12. Definition___________________________________________________________________________
13. Logos______________________________________________________________________________
14. Chronological Order__________________________________________________________________
15. Tricolon____________________________________________________________________________
16. Order of Importance__________________________________________________________________
17. Repetition___________________________________________________________________________
18. Comparison__________________________________________________________________________
19. Parallelism___________________________________________________________________________
20. Analogy____________________________________________________________________________
21. Pathos_____________________________________________________________________________
22. Example____________________________________________________________________________
23. Tone______________________________________________________________________________
24. Juxtaposition________________________________________________________________________
25. Classification_________________________________________________________________________
26. Restatement_________________________________________________________________________
27. Narration____________________________________________________________________________
28. Diction_____________________________________________________________________________
29. Analogy____________________________________________________________________________
30. Process____________________________________________________________________________
31. Rhetorical Question__________________________________________________________________
32. Metonymy_________________________________________________________________
33. Synedoche_________________________________________________________________
34. PASTA ____________________________________________________________________________

Fiction Section (September and October)

35. Protagonist__________________________________________________________________________
36. Setting_____________________________________________________________________________
37. Suspense___________________________________________________________________________
38. Static Character_______________________________________________________________________
39. Dynamic Character___________________________________________________________________
40. Falling Action________________________________________________________________________
41. Resolution___________________________________________________________________________
42. Flat Character________________________________________________________________________
1

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

2
43. Narrator_____________________________________________________________________________
44. Climax_____________________________________________________________________________
45. Exposition___________________________________________________________________________
46. First Person Point of View______________________________________________________________
47. Foreshadowing______________________________________________________________________
48. Third Person Omniscient Point of View_____________________________________________________
49. Antagonist__________________________________________________________________________
50. Indirect Characterization_______________________________________________________________
51. Rising Action_________________________________________________________________________
52. Round Character_____________________________________________________________________
53. Dramatic Irony________________________________________________________________________
54. Complications________________________________________________________________________
55. Mood_____________________________________________________________________________
56. Conflict_____________________________________________________________________________
57. Direct Characterization________________________________________________________________
58. Situational Irony______________________________________________________________________
59. Verbal Irony__________________________________________________________________________

Practice for standard RL 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6:

Poetry Section (October and November)

60. Fixed Form Poem____________________________________________________________________
61. Imagery___________________________________________________________________________
62. Metaphor____________________________________________________________________________
63. Free Form Poem______________________________________________________________________
64. Extended Metaphor____________________________________________________________________
65. Conceit____________________________________________________________________________
66. Hyperbole___________________________________________________________________________
67. Simile______________________________________________________________________________
68. Slant Rhyme________________________________________________________________________
69. End Rhyme_________________________________________________________________________
70. Break_______________________________________________________________________________
71. Stanza_____________________________________________________________________________
72. Consonance_________________________________________________________________________
73. Speaker_____________________________________________________________________________
74. Assonance__________________________________________________________________________
75. Understatement_____________________________________________________________________
76. Onomatopoeia_______________________________________________________________________
77. Lyric_______________________________________________________________________________
78. Unrhymed___________________________________________________________________________
79. Alliteration ___________________________________________________________________________
80. Personification________________________________________________________________________
81. Rhyme_____________________________________________________________________________
82. Eye Rhyme________________________________________________________________________
83. Narrative poem_______________________________________________________________________
84. Internal Rhyme______________________________________________________________________
2

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

3
85. Symbol______________________________________________________________________________
86. Rhyme Scheme_______________________________________________________________________
87. Line___________________________________________________________________________
88. TPCASTT__________________________________________________________________________
89. SHIPMAST__________________________________________________________________________

Practice for standard RL 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6:

Writing Section (August to December)

90. Attention Grabber_____________________________________________________________________
91. Background__________________________________________________________________________
92. Thesis_____________________________________________________________________________
93. Claim____________________________________________________________________________
94. Conclusion__________________________________________________________________________
95. Evidence____________________________________________________________________________
96. Counter Argument_____________________________________________________________________
97. Topic Sentence_________________________________________________________________
98. Supporting Sentence_________________________________________________________________
99. Detail/Example Sentence_______________________________________________________________
100. Explanation Sentences_____________________________________________________________
101. Concluding Sentences _____________________________________________________________
102. Citation_________________________________________________________________________

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

4

Nonfiction Practice for standard Ri 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6:

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (2015)

Lexile 1100 7th-8th

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) was an American psychologist who wrote extensively about human behavior,
motivations, and needs. He is one of the most frequently cited psychologists of the 20th century, and is best
known for creating the hierarchy of needs. As you read about this theory, consider how Maslow describes
human development.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy (arrangement) of needs in his
1943 book called Motivation and Personality. His theory states that all human behavior is motivated by universal
needs and desires.
According to Maslow, our most basic needssuch as the need for food, air, and water are inborn.
These needs are required for the survival of our species. According to Maslow, humans are motivated to fulfill the
obvious needs for survival first. Only once these needs are met do we begin to grow and focus on our higher
order needs.
This hierarchy is most often displayed as a pyramid. The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the
most basic needs, while the more complex needs are located at the top of the pyramid.

Five Levels of the Hierarchy of Needs

There are five different levels in Maslows hierarchy of needs:

I. Physiological Needs
[5]
Physiological needs are the physical requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met,
the human body cannot function properly and will ultimately fail. Physiological needs are thought to be the most
important; they should be met first.
Air, water, and food are metabolic requirements for survival in all animals, including humans. Clothing and shelter
provide necessary protection from the elements.

II. Security Needs

Security needs are important for survival, but they are not as critical as physiological needs. Security
needs include financial security (usually through employment), and protection against fear, harm, or illness. This
level also includes law and order, and general stability. In other words, at this level, humans tend to focus on
making sure that their physiological needs will be provided to them in the future.

III. Social Needs

After physiological and safety needs are fulfilled, the third level of human needs is interpersonal and
involves feelings of belongingness. Humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance and may achieve
this through clubs, office culture, organized religion, sports teams, or gangs. People may also seek to fulfill this
need through social interactions with family, boyfriends or girlfriends, mentors, close colleagues, or confidants.
According to Maslow, the need to love and be loved by others is a very powerful need in human beings. In the
absence of it, many people become vulnerable to loneliness, social anxiety, and clinical depression. This need for
belonging can sometimes overcome physiological (Level 1) and security needs (Level 2), in the presence of peer
pressure. An anorexic, for example, may ignore the need to eat and the security of health for a feeling of
belonging.

IV. Esteem Needs

[10]
All humans have a need to feel respected; this includes the need to have self-esteem and self-respect.
Esteem refers to the normal human desire to be accepted and valued by others. For example, people often
engage in a profession or hobby to gain recognition. These activities give the person a sense of that they are
contributing something of value to society.
4

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

5
Maslow noted two versions of esteem needs, a lower one and a higher one. The lower one is the need for
the respect of others, the need for status, recognition, fame, prestige, and attention. The higher one is the need
for self-respect, the need for strength, competence, mastery, self-confidence, independence, and freedom. The
latter one is considered to be higher because it rests more on inner competence won through experience.

V. Self-Actualizing Needs
In 1945, Maslow wrote, what a man can be, he must be. This quotation forms the basis of Maslows
theory about the universal need of self-actualization the idea that each person has a basic need to reach their
full potential. Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most
that one can be. For example, one individual may have the strong desire to become an ideal parent. Another
person may work relentlessly to become a top athlete. People may also create art, donate to charity, or invent
something new. As previously mentioned, Maslow believed that to understand this level of need, the person must
not only achieve the previous needs, but master them.
1. Based on the information in the article, the reader can conclude:
a. All human behavior follows the same pattern.
b. There are no exceptions to Maslows theory.
c. You have reached self-actualization if you have a stable job and income.
d. Some people never reach self-actualization.

RI.2

2. Re-read the following line from section 3 :Social Needs: An anorexic, for example, may ignore
the need to eat and the security of health for a feeling of control and belonging. The author most
likely included this sentence for the purpose of:
[RI.5]
a. Demonstrating the danger of anorexia, an eating disorder
b. Showing an exception to a persons progression through Maslows Hierarchy of Needs.
c. Providing an example of a disease that commonly manifests during Level 3.
d. Convincing the reader to accept the Hierarchy of Needs.
3. Which of the following statements best summarizes the idea of Maslows Hierarchy of Needs?
[RI.2]
a. As people get older, they get better and better at assessing their needs and providing for
themselves and others.
b. A person can not achieve a meaningful life until his or her basic needs are met.
c. Once a persons basic needs are met, they begin to focus on achieving needs that are increasingly
psychological (emotional) in nature.
d. All human beings are social creatures and thrive in orderly, lawful environments that protect their
health and safety.
4. Which of the following application of Maslows theory of Hierarchy of Needs best aligns with its
intended purpose?
[RI.6]
a. A doctor uses Maslows Hierarchy of Needs to diagnose a sick patient.
b. A psychologist uses Maslows Hierarchy of Needs to understand what kind of activities to suggest
for a person who was formerly part of a gang.
c. A parent uses Maslows Hierarchy of Needs to decide which school might be best for her children.
d. A professor uses Maslows Hierarchy of Needs to grade students in his class.

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

6

Asch Experiment by Saul McLeod 2008

Lexile 1070

7th-8th

Conducted by social psychologist Solomon Asch, the Asch Experiments were a series of laboratory
experiments intended to demonstrate how individual opinions are influenced by a group.
As you read, take notes about what leads people to conform to group opinion.
[1]
Imagine yourself in the following situation: You sign up for a psychology experiment, and on a
specified date you and seven others whom you think are also participants arrive and are seated at a table in a
small room.
You don't know it at the time, but the others are actually associates1 of the experimenter, and their
behavior has been carefully scripted. You're the only real participant.
The experimenter arrives and tells you that the study in which you are about to participate concerns
people's visual judgments. She places two cards before you. The card on the left contains one vertical line. The
card on the right displays three lines of varying length.
The experimenter asks all of you, one at a time, to choose which of the three lines on the right card
matches the length of the line on the left card. The task is repeated several times with different cards.
[5]
On some occasions the other "participants" unanimously2 choose the wrong line. It is clear to you that they
are wrong, but they have all given the same answer.
What would you do? Would you go along with the majority opinion, or would you "stick to your guns" and
trust your own eyes?
If you were involved in this experiment how do you think you would behave? Would you conform to the
majoritys viewpoint?

Solomon AschConformity Experiment

In 1935, a social psychologist named Muzafer Sherif conducted an experiment to determine to what extent
ordinary people will conform to a group's behavior. In the study, three participants are brought into a totally dark
room. Then, a small dot of light is shown on a wall, and after a few moments, the dot appears to move (the dot
doesn't actually move; this effect is entirely inside-the-head, resulting from the complete lack of "frame of
reference" for the movement). When the participants watch the light, it appears to move. The participants are then
asked to estimate how far the dot of light moves. These estimates are made out loud, and with repeated trials,
each group of three converges3 on an estimate. The main finding of the study was that groups found their own
"social norm"4 of perception.
Asch believed that the main problem with Sherif's conformity experiment was that there was no correct
answer to the ambiguous question of how far the dot of light was moving (because it wasn't moving at all - the
movement was just an optical illusion). How could we be sure that a person conformed when there was no
correct answer?
[10] In 1951, Asch devised what is now regarded as a classic experiment in social psychology, whereby there
was an obvious answer to a line judgment task.5 If the participant gave an incorrect answer it would be clear that
this was due to group pressure.

Aim
Solomon Asch conducted an experiment to investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority
group could influence a person to conform.

Procedure

1
2
3
4
5

Associate (noun): someone who is closely connected to another person as a companion, friend, or business partner
Unanimously (adverb): in total agreement; with no opposition
Converge (verb): to come together; to come from different places and meet at a particular spot
"Social norm" refers to the rules of behavior that are considered acceptable in a group or society.
The "line judgment task" refers to the experiment explained in paragraphs 3-4.

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

7
Asch used a lab experiment to study conformity, whereby 50 male students from Swarthmore College in
the USA participated in a vision test. Using a line judgment task, Asch put a naive6 participant in a room with
seven confederates.7
The confederates had agreed in advance what their responses would be when presented with the line
task. The real participant did not know this and was led to believe that the other seven participants were also real
participants like themselves.
Each person in the room had to state aloud which comparison line (A, B or C) was most like the target line.
The answer was always obvious. The real participant sat at the end of the row and gave his or her answer last.
[15] There were 18 trials in total and the confederates gave the wrong answer on 12 trials (called the critical
trials). Asch was interested to see if the real participant would conform to the majority view. Asch's experiment
also had a control condition where there were no confederates, only a "real participant."

Results
Asch measured the number of times each participant conformed to the majority view. On average, about
one third (32%) of the participants who were placed in this situation went along and conformed with the clearly
incorrect majority on the critical trials.
Over the 12 critical trials about 75% of participants conformed at least once and 25% of participant never
conformed. In the control group,8 with no pressure to conform to confederates, less than 1% of participants gave
the wrong answer.

Conclusion
Why did the participants conform so readily? When they were interviewed after the experiment, most of
them said that they did not really believe their conforming answers, but had gone along with the group for fear of
being ridiculed9 or thought "peculiar." A few of them said that they really did believe the group's answers were
correct.
Apparently, people conform for two main reasons: because they want to fit in with the group (normative
influence) and because they believe the group is better informed than they are (informational influence).
5. Which of the following best states a central idea of the article?
[Ri2]
a. Studies of conformity, like the Sherif and Asch experiments, show that individuals do not have as
much control over their own actions as they may think.
b. Solomon Asch was an influential social psychologist who proved that human behavior is
significantly impacted by groups.
c. The Asch experiment showed that people's individual perceptions can be influenced by the
perceptions of a larger group.
d. Study subjects in the Asch experiment were tricked into believing that their peers were also
participants, instead of confederates.
6. What is the authors purpose in using second-person point of view in Paragraphs 1-7?
[RI.6]
a. Second-person point of view allows the reader to feel like they are involved in the experiment
b. Second-person point of view allows the reader to feel like they are removed from the experiment
c. Second-person point of view allows the author to explain his own opinions of the experiment
d. Second-person point of view allows the reader to feel close with the author
6

Naive (adjective): clueless or oblivious; expecting things to be easier or people to be more honest or kind than they actually are
Someone's confederates are the people they are working with in a secret activity; in this case, the confederates are "in" on the
experiment.
8
In an experiment, the "control group" is a group of participants similar to the treatment group, but they do not receive the
treatment that's being studied (in this case, the other participants who are secretly in on the study). The control group's results
are compared to the treatment group's results to determine the impact of the treatment.
9
Ridicule (verb): to make fun of someone in an unkind way; to criticize
7

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

8
7. PART A: What does the word ambiguous mean as it is used in paragraph 9?
a. Having to do with motion
b. Scientific or exploratory
c. Unfair or one-sided
d. Unclear or inexact

RI.4

8. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
a. the main problem with Sherif's conformity experiment (Paragraph 9)
b. there was no correct answer (Paragraph 9)
c. just an optical illusion (Paragraph 9)
d. a classic experiment in social psychology (Paragraph 10)

[RI.1]

Steve Jobs' Stanford University Commencement Speech by Steve Jobs 2005

Lexile 900
7th-8th
Steve Jobs (1955-2011) was the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc., and is well known as a very
successful and charismatic entrepreneur. In addition, Jobs was a pioneer of the personal computer revolution and
co-founder and chief executive of Pixar Animated Studios. In his 2005 commencement address at Stanford
University, Jobs offers students insight into how to lead a successful life.
As you read, take notes on the central ideas of Jobs stories, and the rhetorical devices that make his points
effective.
[1]
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I
never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I
want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18
months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she
decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so
everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they
decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the
middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My
biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never
graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later
when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
[5]
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as
Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I
couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to
help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I
decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was
one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that
didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke
bottles for the 5 deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get
one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my
curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

9
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the
campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out
and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned
about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations,
about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't
capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were
designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first
computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have
never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely
that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this
calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was
impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking
backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you
have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something your gut,
destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
[10]
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I
was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion
company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation the Macintosh a year earlier,
and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple
grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so
things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we
did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of
my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of
entrepreneurs down that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and
Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about
running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me I still loved what I did. The turn of
events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start
over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened
to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure
about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in
love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer
animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable
turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart
of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
[15]
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting
medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm
convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And
that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only
way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what
you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

10
find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you
find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last,
someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I
have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to
do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I
need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the
big choices in life. Because almost everything all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or
failure these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that
you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are
already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a
tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a
type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor
advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell
your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make
sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your
goodbyes.
[20]
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down
my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the
tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope
the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with
surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades.
Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely
intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death
is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very
likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right
now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma which is
living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner
voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what
you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of
the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and
he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960s, before personal computers and desktop
publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in
paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great
notions.
[25]
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its
course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue
was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so
adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they
10

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

11
signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to
begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.
9. PART A: Which of the following best explains the meaning of the following quotation?: [Y]ou can't
connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. (Paragraph 9)
[Ri4]
a. Dont concern yourself by looking back on the past; focus on your drive for the future.
b. Its impossible to know how to get where you want to go, but as long as youre working hard, youll
get there.
c. While you cannot predict the future, looking back you can often see how you got to where you are.
d. It is okay to not have an expressed purpose in life; youll find success once you find what you love.
10. PART B: Which statement from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
a. it's likely that no personal computer would have them. (Paragraph 8)
b. it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later. (Paragraph 8)
c. destiny, life, karma, whatever. (Paragraph 9)
d. This approach has never let me down (Paragraph 9)

[RI.1]

11. PART A: Which of the following best explains the meaning of the following quote?: It was awful
tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. (Paragraph 15)
[RI.4]
a. The cancer treatments Jobs had to endure were difficult physically and emotionally
b. The experience was extremely difficult, but in hindsight, it was valuable
c. Sometimes, you need to be able to swallow difficult information or experiences
d. You have to suffer in order to grow
12. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
[RI.1]
a. it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to
me. (Paragraph 13)
b. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. (Paragraph 15)
c. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you
have something to lose. (Paragraph 18)
d. they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a
needle into my pancreas (Paragraph 20)
13. In paragraph 16, Jobs says, My third story is about death. What is the central idea of that
story?[RI.2]
a. Everyone dies eventuallydont take yourself more seriously or consider yourself more important
than anyone else.
b. The loss of a beloved person or position can be a catalyst for great life changesembrace them.
c. Your time on Earth is limiteddont spend it trying to please anyone but yourself.
d. Don't waste your life doing things that are boring or unpleasant; instead focus on what is fun and
enjoyable.
Example of Essay questions:

11

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

12
1. Describe the similarities and differences between Sherifs conformity experiment and Aschs
conformity experiment. Cite examples from the text in your response.
2. Summarize in 3-5 complete sentences the conditions of life on the reservation as depicted by Chief
Red Clouds speech. Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Fiction: Practice for standard RL 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6:

A Slander by Anton Chekhov 1883

Lexile 780

5th-6th

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian physician, playwright, and prolific author. He is
famous for his mastery of crafting short stories. In this story, a schoolmaster is involved in a misunderstanding
and tries to prevent a rumor from spreading. As you read, take notes on Chekhovs use of irony and humor.
Serge Kapitonich Ahineev, the writing master, was marrying his daughter to the teacher of history and
geography. The wedding festivities were going off most successfully. In the drawing room there was singing,
playing, and dancing. Waiters hired from the club were flitting distractedly about the rooms, dressed in black
swallowtails10 and dirty white ties. There was a continual hubbub11 and din12 of conversation. Sitting side by side
on the sofa, the teacher of mathematics, the French teacher, and the junior assessor of taxes were talking
hurriedly and interrupting one another as they described to the guests cases of persons being buried alive, and
gave their opinions on spiritualism13. None of them believed in spiritualism, but all admitted that there were many
things in this world which would always be beyond the mind of man. In the next room the literature master was
explaining to the visitors the cases in which a sentry14 has the right to fire on passers-by. The subjects, as you
perceive, were alarming, but very agreeable. Persons whose social position precluded15 them from entering were
looking in at the windows from the yard.
Just at midnight the master of the house went into the kitchen to see whether everything was ready for
supper. The kitchen from floor to ceiling was filled with fumes composed of goose, duck, and many other odors.
On two tables the accessories, the drinks and light refreshments, were set out in artistic disorder. The cook,
Marfa, a red-faced woman whose figure was like a barrel with a belt around it, was bustling about the tables.
Show me the sturgeon16, Marfa, said Ahineev, rubbing his hands and licking his lips. What a perfume! I
could eat up the whole kitchen. Come, show me the sturgeon.
Marfa went up to one of the benches and cautiously lifted a piece of greasy newspaper. Under the paper
on an immense dish there reposed a huge sturgeon, masked in jelly and decorated with capers, olives, and
carrots. Ahineev gazed at the sturgeon and gasped. His face beamed, he turned his eyes up. He bent down and
with his lips emitted the sound of an ungreased wheel. After standing a moment he snapped his fingers with
delight and once more smacked his lips.
Ah-ah! the sound of a passionate kiss. Who is it youre kissing out there, little Marfa? came a voice
10

Another term for a tailcoat

Hubbub (noun): noise
12
Din (noun): loud, discordant noise
13
Spiritualism is a system of belief based on the idea that spirits of the dead can remain on earth and communicate with the
living. It was at its peak of popularity during the mid-1800s to early 1900s.
14
Sentry (noun): a guard or soldier
15
Preclude (verb): to prohibit, bar, or exclude
16
A type of fish, usually large and found in seas and rivers in the northern hemisphere
11

12

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

13
from the next room, and in the doorway there appeared the cropped head of the assistant usher, Vankin. Who is
it? A-a-h!... Delighted to meet you! Sergei Kapitonich! Youre a fine grandfather, I must say!
Im not kissing, said Ahineev in confusion. Who told you so, you fool? I was only I smacked my lips
in reference to as an indication of pleasure at the sight of the fish.
Tell that to the marines! The intrusive face vanished, wearing a broad grin.
Ahineev flushed.
Hang it! he thought, the beast will go now and talk scandal. Hell disgrace me to all the town, the brute.
Ahineev went timidly into the drawing room and looked stealthily round for Vankin. Vankin was standing by
the piano, and, bending down with a jaunty17 air, was whispering something to the inspectors sister-in-law, who
was laughing.
Talking about me! thought Ahineev. About me, blast him! And she believes it believes it! She laughs!
Mercy on us! No, I cant let it pass I cant. I must do something to prevent his being believed. Ill speak to
them all, and hell be shown up for a fool and a gossip.
Ahineev scratched his head, and still overcome with embarrassment, went up to the French teacher.
Ive just been in the kitchen to see after the supper, he said to the Frenchman. I know you are fond of
fish, and Ive a sturgeon, my dear fellow, beyond everything! A yard and a half long! Ha, ha, ha! And, by the
way I was just forgetting. In the kitchen just now, with that sturgeon quite a little story! I went into the
kitchen just now and wanted to look at the supper dishes. I looked at the sturgeon and I smacked my lips with
relish18 at the piquancy19 of it. And at the very moment that fool Vankin came in and said: Ha, ha, ha! ...So
youre kissing here! Kissing Marfa, the cook! What a thing to imagine, silly fool! The woman is a perfect fright, like
all the beasts put together, and he talks about kissing! Queer20 fish!
Whos a queer fish? asked the mathematics teacher, coming up.
Why he, over thereVankin! I went into the kitchen
And he told the story of Vankin. He amused me, queer fish! Id rather kiss a dog than Marfa, if you ask
me, added Ahineev. He looked round and saw behind him the junior assessor of taxes.
We were talking of Vankin, he said. Queer fish, he is! He went into the kitchen, saw me beside Marfa,
and began inventing all sorts of silly stories. Why are you kissing? he says. He must have had a drop too much.
And Id rather kiss a turkeycock21 than Marfa, I said, And Ive a wife of my own, you fool, said I. He did amuse
me!
Who amused you? asked the priest who taught Scripture in the school, going up to Ahineev.
Vankin. I was standing in the kitchen, you know, looking at the sturgeon.
And so on. Within half an hour or so all the guests knew the incident of the sturgeon and Vankin.
Let him tell away now! thought Ahineev, rubbing his hands. Let him! Hell begin telling his story and
theyll say to him at once, Enough of your improbable nonsense, you fool, we know all about it!
And Ahineev was so relieved that in his joy he drank four glasses too many. After escorting the young
people to their room, he went to bed and slept like an innocent babe, and next day he thought no more of the
incident with the sturgeon. But, alas! man proposes, but God disposes. An evil tongue did its evil work, and
Ahineevs strategy was of no avail. Just a week laterto be precise, on Wednesday after the third lessonwhen
Ahineev was standing in the middle of the teachers room, holding forth on the vicious propensities22 of a boy
called Visekin, the headmaster went up to him and drew him aside:
Look here, Sergei Kapitonich, said the headmaster, you must excuse me. Its not my business; but all
the same I must make you realize. Its my duty. You see, there are rumors that you are romancing with that
cook. Its nothing to do with me, but flirt with her, kiss her as you please, but dont let it be so public, please.
I entreat you! Dont forget that youre a schoolmaster.
Ahineev turned cold and faint. He went home like a man stung by a whole swarm of bees, like a man
17

Jaunty (adjective): having or expressing a lively, cheerful, and self-confident manner

18

Relish (noun): enjoyment or delight in something

Piquancy (noun): the state of being agreeably stimulating to the palate
20
Queer (adjective): strange or odd
21
A male turkey; also sometimes used to refer to a pompous or self-important person
22
Propensities (noun): an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way
19

13

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

14
scalded with boiling water. As he walked home, it seemed to him that the whole town was looking at him as
though he were smeared with pitch23 . At home fresh trouble awaited him.
Why arent you gobbling up your food as usual? his wife asked him at dinner. What are you so pensive
about? Brooding over your amours24? Pining for your Marfa? I know all about it, Mohammedan! Kind friends have
opened my eyes! O-o-o!... you savage!
And she slapped him in the face. He got up from the table, not feeling the earth under his feet, and without
his hat or coat, made his way to Vankin. He found him at home.
You scoundrel! he addressed him. Why have you covered me with mud before all the town? Why did
you set this slander going about me?
What slander? What are you talking about?
Who was it gossiped of my kissing Marfa? Wasnt it you? Tell me that. Wasnt it you, you brigand25 ?
Vankin blinked and twitched in every fiber of his battered countenance26, raised his eyes to the icon27 and
articulated, God blast me! Strike me blind and lay me out, if I said a single word about you! May I be left without
house and home, may I be stricken with worse than cholera28 !
Vankins sincerity did not admit of doubt. It was evidently not he who was the author of the slander.
But who, then, who? Ahineev wondered, going over all his acquaintances in his mind and beating himself
on the breast. Who, then?
1. In the short story, what causes the initial conflict between Ahineev and Vankin?
[RL.3]
a. A misunderstanding about a fish and a kiss
b. Vankin walks in on Ahineev and Marfa kissing
c. Vankin, a gossip, is marrying Ahineevs daughter
d. Vankin spreads a damaging rumor about Ahineev
2. How does Ahineev react to this interaction with Vankin?
[RL3]
a. Ahineev is indifferent because he believes no one will believe Vankin.
b. Ahineev is anxious and fears for his reputation.
c. Ahineev is angered anyone could think so poorly of him.
d. Ahineev is amused that anyone could imagine him kissing Marfa.
3. What actions does Ahineev take in order to protect his reputation?
[RL3]
a. He tries to set the record straight by confronting Vankin about the lies in front of the guests.
b. He tells Vankin off, calling him a brigand.
c. He sets about beating Vankin to the punch and tells the story of the misunderstanding to his
guests.
d. He does nothing.
4. What parallel does the author draw to create both humor and irony?
[RL5]
a. Between Vankins supposed story-telling and Ahineevs actual retellings
b. Between Ahineevs attempts to discredit Vankin and Vankins assumption of what happened
c. Between the guests reactions to Ahineevs explanation and the headmasters comment

23

Tar; used in an archaic form of public humiliation to enforce unofficial justice or revenge, in which a person was painted with
tar, covered in feathers, and then often paraded about town.
24
Amour (noun): a secret or illicit love affair or lover
25

Brigand (noun): a form of insult, comparing the person to a bandit or highwayman

Countenance (noun): face or expression
27
In Russian culture and the Russian Orthodox religion, it was common to have at least one icon, or picture, of a saint in a
building, if not one in every room.
28
Cholera (noun): any of several diseases affecting humans and domestic animals, usually marked by severe gastrointestinal
symptoms
26

14

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

15
d. Between Ahineevs wifes reaction of the rumor and Vankins reaction to Ahineevs confrontation of
him
5. What does the conversation between the headmaster and Ahineev reveal?
[RL3]
a. That gossip will always find a way to survive.
b. That Vankin definitely gossiped about him.
c. That his damaged reputation has now put his job in danger.
d. That despite his efforts, his reputation has been damaged by the rumor.
6. PART A: What is the meaning of the word slander as used in paragraph 27?
[RL4]
a. A form of false but innocent gossip
b. A humorous joke used to poke fun at someone
c. A false statement used to damage someones reputation
d. A most unbelievable type of lie
7. PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?
[RL1]
a. He went into the kitchen, saw me beside Marfa, and began inventing all sorts of silly stories.
(paragraph 17)
b. He did amuse me! (paragraph 17)
c. you covered me with mud before all the town. (paragraph 27)
d. Who was it gossiped of my kissing Marfa? (paragraph 29)

The Kiss by Kate Chopin 1892

Lexile 930 7th-8th
Chopin (1850-1904) was an American short story and novel writer who is now considered one of the
forerunners of feminist literature. The Kiss examines the dynamics of marriage in the 19th century.
As you read, consider the ways the lives of men and women today differ from the lives of men and women in
1892.
It was still quite light out of doors, but inside with the curtains drawn and the smouldering fire sending out a
dim, uncertain glow, the room was full of deep shadows.
Brantain sat in one of these shadows; it had overtaken him and he did not mind. The obscurity29 lent him
courage to keep his eyes fastened as ardently30 as he liked upon the girl who sat in the firelight.
She was very handsome, with a certain fine, rich coloring that belongs to the healthy brune31 type. She
was quite composed, as she idly stroked the satiny coat of the cat that lay curled in her lap, and she occasionally
sent a slow glance into the shadow where her companion sat. They were talking low, of indifferent things which
plainly were not the things that occupied their thoughts. She knew that he loved hera frank, blustering fellow
without guile32 enough to conceal his feelings, and no desire to do so. For two weeks past he had sought her
society eagerly and persistently. She was confidently waiting for him to declare himself and she meant to accept
him. The rather insignificant and unattractive Brantain was enormously rich; and she liked and required the
entourage33 which wealth could give her.
During one of the pauses between their talk of the last tea and the next reception the door opened and a
young man entered whom Brantain knew quite well. The girl turned her face toward him. A stride or two brought

29
30

Obscurity (noun): state of being unknown or hidden; darkness

Ardently (adverb): intensely, passionately

31

Brunette
Guile (noun): sly or cunning intelligence; cleverness
33
Entourage (noun): a group of people attending to or surrounding an important person
32

15

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

16
him to her side, and bending over her chairbefore she could suspect his intention, for she did not realize that he
had not seen her visitorhe pressed an ardent, lingering kiss upon her lips.
Brantain slowly arose; so did the girl arise, but quickly, and the newcomer stood between them, a little
amusement and some defiance34 struggling with the confusion in his face.
I believe, stammered Brantain, I see that I have stayed too long. II had no ideathat is, I must wish
you good-by. He was clutching his hat with both hands, and probably did not perceive that she was extending her
hand to him, her presence of mind had not completely deserted her; but she could not have trusted herself to
speak.
Hang me if I saw him sitting there, Nattie! I know its deuced awkward for you. But I hope youll forgive me
this oncethis very first break. Why, whats the matter?
Dont touch me; dont come near me, she returned angrily. What do you mean by entering the house
without ringing?
I came in with your brother, as I often do, he answered coldly, in self-justification. We came in the side
way. He went upstairs and I came in here hoping to find you. The explanation is simple enough and ought to
satisfy you that the misadventure was unavoidable. But do say that you forgive me, Nathalie, he entreated,
softening.
Forgive you! You dont know what you are talking about. Let me pass. It depends upona good deal
whether I ever forgive you.
At that next reception which she and Brantain had been talking about she approached the young man with
a delicious frankness35 of manner when she saw him there.
Will you let me speak to you a moment or two, Mr. Brantain? she asked with an engaging but perturbed36 smile.
He seemed extremely unhappy; but when she took his arm and walked away with him, seeking a retired corner, a
ray of hope mingled with the almost comical misery of his expression. She was apparently very outspoken.
Perhaps I should not have sought this interview, Mr. Brantain; butbut, oh, I have been very
uncomfortable, almost miserable since that little encounter the other afternoon. When I thought how you might
have misinterpreted it, and believed thingshope was plainly gaining the ascendancy 37 over misery in Brantains
round, guileless faceOf course, I know it is nothing to you, but for my own sake I do want you to understand
that Mr. Harvy is an intimate friend of long standing. Why, we have always been like cousinslike brother and
sister, I may say. He is my brothers most intimate associate and often fancies that he is entitled to the same
privileges as the family. Oh, I know it is absurd, uncalled for, to tell you this; undignified even, she was almost
weeping, but it makes so much difference to me what you think ofof me. Her voice had grown very low and
agitated. The misery had all disappeared from Brantains face.
Then you do really care what I think, Miss Nathalie? May I call you Miss Nathalie? They turned into a
long, dim corridor that was lined on either side with tall, graceful plants. They walked slowly to the very end of it.
When they turned to retrace their steps Brantains face was radiant and hers was triumphant.
Harvy was among the guests at the wedding; and he sought her out in a rare moment when she stood
alone.
Your husband, he said, smiling, has sent me over to kiss you.
A quick blush suffused her face and round polished throat. I suppose its natural for a man to feel and act
generously on an occasion of this kind. He tells me he doesnt want his marriage to interrupt wholly that pleasant

34

Defiance (noun): boldness, rebellion

Frankness (noun): openness, honesty
36
Perturbed (adjective): nervous, worried, troubled
37
Ascendancy (noun): dominance, control, power
35

16

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

17
intimacy which has existed between you and me. I dont know what youve been telling him, with an insolent38
smile, but he has sent me here to kiss you.
She felt like a chess player who, by the clever handling of his pieces, sees the game taking the course
intended. Her eyes were bright and tender with a smile as they glanced up into his; and her lips looked hungry for
the kiss which they invited.
But, you know, he went on quietly, I didnt tell him so, it would have seemed ungrateful, but I can tell
you. Ive stopped kissing women; its dangerous.
Well, she had Brantain and his million left. A person cant have everything in this world; and it was a little
unreasonable of her to expect it.
8. Reread paragraph 6. How does this paragraph help develop the plot of the story? [RL5]
a. It presents the climax.
b. It introduces a conflict.
c. It indicates a change of setting.
d. It establishes how the main character learns a lesson.
9. As it is used in Paragraph 17, the word suffused most closely means:
[RL4]
a. Disappeared
b. Shivered
c. Spread across
d. Surrounded
10. What is the purpose of the figurative language in Paragraph 18?
[Rl4]
a. To illustrate how empowered and manipulative Nathalie feels.
b. To emphasize how talented Nathalie is at playing games.
c. To suggest that Nathalie is being played by Harvy.
d. To describe the confusing complexity of their relationship.

Possible Essay Questions

Write a sentence that best states the theme of this story. Include at least one quotation from the text to
support your point
Re-read Paragraph 3. How does the author characterize Nathalies personality? Cite evidence from the
text in your answer.
How does the description of the setting in Paragraph 1 contribute to the storys mood? Cite evidence from
the text in your answer.
Why does Chekhov end the story the way he does? What does this suggest?
How does Chekhov use dramatic irony to create humor? Consider the last paragraph while answering.
What is the theme of the story? Cite evidence from the text in your answer.

Poetry: Practice for standard RL 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6:

38

Insolent (adjective): disrespectful

17

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

18

Making a Fist by Naomi Shihab Nye 1988

Naomi Shihab Nye was born to an American mother and a Palestinian father in 1952. Though based in
Texas, she has traveled the world and refers to herself as a wandering poet. In the following 1988 poem, a
young child has an epiphany during one such travel.
As you read, take notes on the way the poet develops the theme through alliteration and figurative
language.
For the first time, on the road north of Tampico,39
I felt the life sliding out of me,
a drum in the desert, harder and harder to hear.
I was seven, I lay in the car
watching palm trees swirl a sickening pattern past the glass.
My stomach was a melon split wide inside my skin.
How do you know if you are going to die?
I begged my mother.
We had been traveling for days.
With strange confidence she answered,
When you can no longer make a fist.
Years later I smile to think of that journey,
the borders we must cross separately,
stamped with our unanswerable woes.
I who did not die, who am still living,
still lying in the backseat behind all my questions,
clenching and opening one small hand.
1. What do the last 3 lines of the poem reveal about the narrators point of view?
[RL6]
a. The narrator looks fondly upon that trip, despite her fear of death.
b. The narrator has accepted not knowing everything and by (figuratively) clenching and opening
her hand she reminds herself that she is alive.
c. The narrator is frustrated with all of the unanswered questions she still has.
d. The narrator has not grown up but feels stuck in that car.
2. PART A: Which TWO of the following best describe central themes of the poem?
[RL2]
a. Fear
b. Anger
c. Mortality
d. Love
e. Growing up
3. PART B: Which TWO of the following quotes best support the answers to Part A?
[RL.1]
a. "For the first time, on the road north of Tampico" (Line 1)
b. "I lay in the car / watching palm trees swirl a sickening pattern past the glass" (Lines 4-5)
c. My stomach was a melon split wide inside my skin. (Line 6)
d. I begged my mother. / We had been traveling for days. (Lines 8-9)
39

Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico

18

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

19
e. Years later I smile to think of that journey, / the borders we must cross separately, / stamped with
our unanswerable woes. (Lines 12-14)
f. I who did not die, who am still living, / still lying in the backseat behind all my questions, /
clenching and opening one small hand. (Lines 15-17)
4. What effect does the figurative language used in line 6 produce in the poem?
[RL.4]
a. The speaker compares her stomach to a split melon, a sharp image that communicates her strong
discomfort to the reader.
b. The speaker compares her stomach to a split melon, suggesting that she feels torn or indecisive
about something.
c. This line suggests that the speaker has food poisoning because she compares her stomach to a
bursting fruit.
d. This line suggests that the speaker has actually had her first growth spurt, as melons split when
they grow too quickly.
5. Consider the mothers answer in lines 10-11: With strange confidence she answered, / When you
can no longer make a fist. What does this quote reveal about the speakers mother?
RL.3
a. This quote reveals that the mother is unaware of her daughters distress and is teasing her.
b. This quote reveals that the mother probably has some medical training.
c. This quote suggests that the mother has dealt with death before and is confident that her
daughter will be fine.
d. This response indicates the mother is strong woman; she teaches her daughter that life is over only
when one doesnt have the strength to fight back and/or overcome obstacles (i.e. making a fist).

'Hope' is the thing with feathers - (319) b y Emily

Dickinson 1891

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was an American poet who lived a mostly introverted, secluded life. She
wrote over 1,800 poemsmany of which deal with themes of death and immortalityin her seclusion. The
following poem was first published in 1891 and discusses the nature of hope.
As you read, take notes on Dickinson's symbol of hope and the figurative language used to describe it.
Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops - at all And sweetest - in the Gale40 - is heard And sore41 must be the storm That could abash42 the little Bird
That kept so many warm Ive heard it in the chillest land And on the strangest Sea Yet - never - in Extremity,43
40

Gale (noun): strong wind

In this case, sore refers to the severity or terribleness of this hypothetical storm.
42
Abash (verb): to destroy the self-confidence of; to bewilder or embarrass
43
Extremity (noun): the furthest limit; or the extreme degree or nature of something
41

19

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

20
It asked a crumb - of me.
6. PART A: Which of the following best describes a central theme of the poem?
[RL.2]
a. Love and family help people get through tough times.
b. Nature is the natural opponent of people.
c. Overcoming obstacles requires great hope, strength, and resilience.
d. One can always rely on hope to help overcome obstacles.
7. PART B: Which of the of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?
[RL.1]
a. 'Hope' is the thing with feathers" (Line 1)
b. That perches in the soul - / ... And never stops - at all (Lines 2-4)
c. sore must be the storm - / That could abash (Lines 6-7)
d. Ive heard it in the chillest land - / And on the strangest Sea - (Lines 9-10)
8. PART A: What does the storm most likely represent?
[RL.4]
a. Hardship
b. Death
c. Sadness
d. Danger
9. PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?
[RL.1 ]
a. "'Hope' is the thing with feathers" (Line 1)
b. "sings the tune without the words" (Line 3)
c. "abash the little Bird" (Line 7)
d. "the strangest Sea" (Line 10)
10. What does the last stanza suggest about the speakers point of view regarding hope?
[RL.6]
a. The speaker has experienced some troubled times but is now in a much better place.
b. The speaker thinks of hope as the only source of comfort in his/her life, even more than food (i.e.
the "crumb").
c. The speaker thinks hope is helpful, but only to a certain point.
d. The speaker, having experienced adversity, regards hope in a positive light, as it never asked
anything of him/her.

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost1923

Robert Frost (1874-1963) was one of the most popular and critically respected American poets in history. His
poems frequently employ rural scenes from the New England countryside. Nothing Gold Can Stay uses nature
to describe aging, an inevitable human experience.
As you read the poem, take notes on the use of natural imagery, figurative language, and personification in the
poem.
Natures first green is gold,
Her hardest hue44 to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So45 Eden46 sank to grief,

44
45

Hue (noun): color

"Just as"

20

Ninth Grade Literature 2016 Midterm Study Guide

21
So Dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
11. PART A: Which of the following best describes a central theme of the text?
[RL2]
a. Love is fickle and inconsistent.
b. The most beautiful aspects of life are often fleeting.
c. Perfection and paradise are unattainable.
d. Nature is a circle of life, death, and rebirth.
12. PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?
[RL.1]
a. Natures first green is gold (Line 1)
b. Her early leafs a flower; (Line 3)
c. So Eden sank to grief (Line 6)
d. Nothing gold can stay. (Line 8)
13. PART A: What does the color gold most likely represent in the poem?
[RL.4]
a. Youth and beauty
b. Wealth and riches
c. Warmth and kindness
d. Strength and power
14. PART B: Which phrase from the poem best supports the answer to Part A?
[RL.1]
a. "Nature's first green is gold, / Her hardest hue to hold" (Lines 1-2)
b. "Her early leaf's a flower; / But only so an hour" (Lines 3-4)
c. "Then leaf subsides to leaf" (Line 5)
d. "So Dawn goes down to day" (Line 7)
15. How does the word subsides in line 5 affect the tone of the poem?
[RL.4]
a. It suggests that an endless cycle of leaves, creating a repetitive, neutral tone.
b. It suggests that the first leaf (a flower) was torn away and left only its leaves, creating a tone of
grief.
c. It suggests that the leaves grew in great numbers, creating a tone of celebration.
d. It suggests that the first leaf (a flower) settled or sank down to become an actual leaf, creating a
more resigned tone.
Possible Essay Question:
How does the poems use of alliteration (including consonance and assonance) impact the meaning of
the text? Cite evidence in your answer.
How does the personification of nature contribute to the overall message of the poem?

46

The Garden of Eden, also known as Paradise, is (according to the Christian Bible) the place where Adam and Eve lived before
they sinned and were cast out of Eden by God.

21