EOC/Spring Break Review Packet
Day 1
Read the following poem and answer the questions below.
“Casey At The Bat” by Ernest L. Thayer
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day, The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play. And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same, A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game. A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast. They thought, "if only Casey could but get a whack at that. We'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat." But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake; and the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake.So upon that stricken multitude, grim melancholy sat; for there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all. And Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball. And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred, there was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third. Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell; it rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell; it pounded through on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat; for Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat. There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place, there was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile lit Casey's face.And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat, no stranger in the crowd could doubt t'was Casey at the bat. Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt. Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.Then, while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air, and Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there. Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped -- "That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one!" the umpire said.
From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar, like the beating of the storm waves on a stern and distant shore."Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand, and it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity, great Casey's visage shone, he stilled the rising tumult, he bade the game go on.He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew, but Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two!"
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered "Fraud!" But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed. They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain, and they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
The sneer has fled from Casey's lip, the teeth are clenched in hate. He pounds, with cruel violence, his bat upon the plate.And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go, and now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright. The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light.And, somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout, but there is no joy in Mudville -- mighty Casey has struck out.
1. Which of these characters is the protagonist?
a) Jimmy Blake b) Cooney c) The pitcher d) Casey
2. In Stanza 1, what do the words “A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game” indicate to the reader?
- A mysterious illness fell upon the Mudville nine.
- Everyone in the stadium became ill.
- The crowd was quiet because things weren’t going well for the Mudville nine.
- No one will be allowed to leave the stadium due to the sickly silence.
3. What type of irony occurs when Casey strikes out?
- Situational
- Personal
- Dramatic
- Verbal
4. The word defiance as it refers to the gleam in Casey’s eye (stanza 6) probably means what?
- Casey had a twinkle in his eye
- Casey had the look of fear in his eye
- Casey had the look of determination in his eye
Casey had the look of satisfaction in his eye.
1) Instructions: Place commas and semicolons where appropriate in the following paragraph.
Pasta is made from wheat flour______but in olden days ____ it used to be made from rice. In order to make pasta _____ wheat flour is mixed with water______kneaded to form a thick paste______and then forced through perforated plates or dies that shape it into one of more than 100 different forms. The macaroni die is a hollow tube with a steel pin in its center______the spaghetti die lacks the steel pin and produces a solid cylinder of paste. The shaped dough is dried carefully to reduce the moisture content to about 12 percent______and properly dried pasta should remain edible almost indefinitely. Pastas can be colored with spinach or beet juice. The addition of egg produces a richer pasta ______this pasta is usually made in noodle form and is often sold undried.
3) Capitalization—Many of the following sentences contain errors in standard capitalization. If a sentence contains an error, write the corrected word, term, or phrase after the proper number. If the sentence is correct, write C.
1. I am studying russian, English, and Art this Semester.
2. Go north for two Streets and then turn east on Central Avenue.
3. The Mountain Ranges in the Western states offer a variety of hiking and hunting experiences for those who love the outdoors.
4. For most Americans, Memorial day is one for rest and relaxation.
5. Last summer I enjoyed reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a southern writer.
6. HOMES is an acronym for the great lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
7. Despite their political differences, my mother, a Democrat, and my father, a Republican, work together to increase voter registration.
8. Born in Mississippi, William Faulkner won the Nobel prize in 1949.
9. The first American woman in space, Sally Ride, was a member of the crew aboard the space shuttle challenger launched from cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 18, 1983.
Punctuation- Commas
Some of the following sentences need commas. Put in the commas where they are needed, and leave the sentence alone or no punctuation is needed.
1. The girl with the bright friendly smile wore a bright green scarf to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
2. As he read the Chekhov story he became aware of the Russian's genius.
3. Dauphin Island located off the coast of Alabama is a favorite spot for fishermen.
4. She was as a matter of fact mainly interested in showing off her vocabulary.
5. I often go to the seashore and collect rocks there.
6. Before reaching the summit the climbers were forced by a storm to turn back.
7. Did you know that James Agee the novelist and poet was also a film critic?
8. Lady Jane Grey was the queen of England from July 10 1553 to July 19 1553.
9. Joseph registered for English 101 History 204 and Biology 106.
10. After discussing "Rain" we agreed that Somerset Maugham could really tell a good story.
11. Squaw Valley California the scene of the winter Olympics in 1960 is a ski resort.
12. Tomorrow I believe is the last day to register to vote in the November general election.
13. To perform well on Saturday afternoon the athlete must train every day of the week.
14. Understanding history increases your understanding of today's world.
15. Ellen Green my cousin hopes to graduate from law school in two years.
16. He reads everything: road maps want ads and cereal boxes.
17. Having cut the roses she decided to bring them to her friend in the hospital.
18. "When" Jane asked "will you return my book?"
In the following sentence draw a line through each letter that should be capitalized and write above it the capital letter.
1. albany is the capital of new york.
2. francis scott key, the author of "the star-spangled banner," was once an attorney in baltimore, maryland.
3. tuesday is lucy's birthday.
4. was paul revere born in massachusetts?
5. miss sneed, may albert and i collect the notebooks?
6. mr. j. d. burkett is our new coach.
7. september, november, april, and june have thirty days.
8. henry w. longfellow was born in portland, maine.
9. i have just finished a letter to my cousin, walton warren, who lives in hot springs, arkansas.
10. bobby saunders and pete salinas are two of the best players on the marvin school team.
11. isn't new orleans the world's greatest banana port?
12. charleston, south carolina, is famous for its beautiful gardens.
13. isn't mt. mckinley the highest mountain in north america?
14. we spent the months of july and august in denver colorado.
15. it took the united states government five years to build hoover dam.
Semicolons
Supply semicolons as needed in the following sentences.
1. For most of us the lecture was a bore, for Grace, however, it was stimulating.
2. Don't ask if this assignment involves you, it does.
3. Although the bridge was damaged, we were able to cross the rampaging river.
4. The lecture delivered, Professor Brooks asked if there were any questions.
5. Arthur is a carefree fellow, nothing seems to bother him.
6. However dangerous my plan appears to you, I am certain it will be successful.
7. Your English class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, doesn't it?
8. The spectators were thrilled by Gibson's long touchdown run, they roared their approval.
9. The storm having passed, we continued our fifty-mile hike.
10. If Coach Perrin says he will retire in June, I am certain that we will win the state championship next year.
11. The crops were severely damaged by the drought, therefore, we were forced to abandon our little farm.
12. We must begin to prepare for final exams, they are only a week away.
13. Mayor Wilson is a busy man, in fact, he is seldom available for public interview.
14. I have studied the text carefully, thus, I shall surely do well in the examination.
15. Although I have several hobbies, stamp collecting is still my favorite.
16. Being exhausted, I lay down for a short nap, then the telephone rang.
17. I have never done well in foreign language classes, in fact, I once failed both French and Russian.
18. Ned has always respected my judgement and has never ridiculed my opinions.
19. You are under arrest, come with us to the police station.
Use e. e. cummings’ “Maggie & millie & molly & may” to answer the following questions.
maggie and millie and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and
millie befriended a stranded star
who’s rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea.
- What literary element is being applied in the title of the poem?
- metaphor
- alliteration
- allusion
- assonance
- What is the setting of this poem?
- a race track
- the mountains
- the beach
- the moon
- Which lines best describe the theme of this poem?
a. maggie discovered a shell that sang
b. may came home with a smooth round stone
c. millie befriended a stranded star
d. it’s always ourselves we find in the sea.
- What is the tone of this poem?
- Sad
- Playful
- Dramatic
- Fearful
- When “Maggie discovered a shell that sang so sweetly,” what literary element is being used?
- Simile
- Allusion
- Personification
- Onomatopoeia
Day 2
Darkness at Noon
Blind from birth, I have never had the opportunity to see myself and have been completely dependent on the image I create in the eye of the observer. To date it has not been narcissistic.
There are those who assume that since I can’t see, I obviously also cannot hear. Very often people will converse with me at the top of their lungs, enunciating [each] word very carefully. Conversely, people will also often whisper, assuming that since my eyes don’t work, my ears don’t either.
For example, when I go to the airport and ask the ticket agent for assistance to the plane, he or she will invariably pick up the phone, call a ground hostess and whisper: “Hi, Jane, we’ve got a 76 here.” I have concluded that the word “blind” is not used for one of two reasons: Either they fear that if the dread word is spoken, the ticket agent’s retina will immediately detach or they are reluctant to inform me of my condition of which I may not have been previously aware.
On the other hand, others know that of [course] I can hear, but believe that I can’t talk. Often, therefore, when my wife and I go out to dinner, a waiter or waitress will ask Kit if “he would like a drink” to which I respond that “indeed he would.”