Unit 1 Review

Which element might be part of a story’s historical and cultural setting?

• political issues

• people’s traditions

• class structure

• all of the above

Read this passage from “The Necklace.”

It was Madame Forestier, . . . . Madame Loisel started to tremble. Should she speak to her? Yes, certainly she should. . . . “Hello, Jeanne.” The other didn’t recognize her and was surprised that this plainly dressed woman should speak to her so familiarly.

What does this passage reveal about the historical and cultural setting?

• Women in France never used to use their first names in public.

• Social class in France was less important in the past than it is now.

• Social class determined how a person addressed another in public.

• Women in expensive dresses were treated the same as other women.

Which answer choice most clearly includes elements of historical and cultural setting?

• It was a dark and stormy night in the middle of winter. Sam and I were chilled to the bone, and our restless sleep was filled with haunting dreams.

• The world’s greatest war had just ended; men who were young when they left returned home old and weary to wives they hardly knew.

• Our farm was small and near a wildlife sanctuary. Horses grazed on several acres of land, and corn was planted on the remaining land.

• The mountains extended as far as the eye could see. Their jagged edges glistened with snow, and the crisp air smelled of pine and possibility.

Read this sentence from “The Necklace.”

She was the prettiest woman there—resplendent, graceful, beaming, and deliriously happy.

Based on your understanding of the meaning of resplendent in the sentence, which of the following shows the correct use of the word?

• The deep-sea divers explored coral reefs resplendent with color.

• The opposing soccer team was resplendent with envy after their loss.

• Mr. Terrell’s resplendent essay won a local literary contest.

• Petra felt resplendent after missing a party with her best friend.

Which of the following is the best example of situational irony?

• An event occurs that contradicts the expectations of the characters, readers, or audience.

• The readers or the audience figures out the plot’s resolution before the characters do.

• An unreliable narrator explains events to the reader without the reader knowing the narrator is unreliable.

• The words spoken by characters are intended to mean the opposite of their literal meanings.

Read this passage from a short story.

“Okay, Samson, I’ve gathered everything you asked for. I feel our case is pretty strong,” Karina said as she placed a folder on Samson’s cluttered desk.

“What case?” Samson asked without looking up.

“The slander case I told you about weeks ago. I have all the evidence proving he told lies about me on purpose. Now you just have get the court date set.”

“What?” Samson asked, finally looking up. “I can’t try a slander case.”

“Why? You told me I needed evidence in order for the court to hear my case.”

“You do need evidence in a court of law. You also need a lawyer, which I am not!”

This passage is an example of situational irony because —

• Karina uses the word “slander,” but in describing the case, she shows she means the opposite

• Samson would like to advise Karina, but the audience can see he is too busy to take on her case

• Karina thinks Samson will be pleased with the evidence, but instead he says he cannot help her

• Samson was exaggerating when he told Karina that he was a lawyer

Which summary exemplifies situational irony?

• In “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving, the main character falls asleep in the woods, and when he awakes, he discovers twenty years have passed and the village has changed dramatically.

• In “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane, the author tells the true story of his ordeal out at sea in a ten-foot long dinghy after his ship boarded for Cuba runs aground and sinks.

• In “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber, an aging, bumbling man escapes the frustrations of his real life by escaping into a world of fantasies, where he takes on roles of bold, powerful men.

• In “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, a poor husband and wife sell their prized possessions to afford a gift for the other, but in selling the prized objects, the acquired gifts are now useless.

Which statement best explains how the historical and cultural setting influences a story’s theme?

• The events of the story are directly influenced by the conflicts created by the setting.

• The characters are developed by their reactions to conflicts created by the setting.

• The conflicts created by the setting help reveal the overall message of the story.

• none of the above

Read this passage from “Civil Peace.”

It wasn’t his disreputable rags, nor the toes peeping out of one blue and one brown canvas shoe . . . that troubled Jonathan; many good and heroic soldiers looked the same or worse.

What does this passage reveal about the historical and cultural setting?

• Most members of the military were corrupt.

• Only poor people were allowed to serve in the military.

• One could tell by the uniform whether a military man was honest.

• The military did not have enough money for proper uniforms.

Read this passage from a short story.

Kayla worked in the bank because the town’s men had gone off to fight. It was strange at first, doing forbidden men’s work, but she quickly fell in love with it; the work required a focus that offered a reprieve from the world’s unknowns.

What does the reader learn about the historical and cultural setting from this passage?

• The story is set during a war at a time when men and women did not have the same jobs.

• The story is set in a small town where there are limited professional jobs other than banking.

• The setting of the bank reveals the importance of having money during hard times.

• The setting of the bank reveals women at this time wanted to escape their uneventful lives.