British Literature Final Exam Review—1st Semester

  1. Literary Period Questions

Be sure to study the following periods:

Anglo-Saxons Middle AgesRenaissance

The following are stems from the literary period section of the final examination. Find the correct answers and turn in this study guide. (They go by historical order)

  1. Great Brittan has been invaded and settled by all of the following
  2. The cultural heritage of the US has been profoundly influenced by English
  3. After the Romans evacuated their troops, Brittan was left with
  4. An important effect of Christianity’s spread throughout Brittan was that
  5. Celtic religion had all of the following characteristics
  6. Anglo-Saxon life was dominated by
  7. The old Anglo-Saxon religion…
  8. Anglo-Saxon poets held an honored position in society primarily because they…
  9. The Christian monasteries served Anglo-Saxon society by
  10. Through the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, King Alfred promoted the use of written
  11. After William the Conqueror triumphed at the Battle of Hastings, England changed due to its
  12. Feudalism’s religious concept of hierarchy featured
  13. In the Middle Ages, women of rank…
  14. The growth of cities in the Middle Ages led to all fo the following except
  15. The Crusades influenced everyday life in England by
  16. The 1170 martyrdom of Thomas a Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, led to
  17. The most positive effect of the medieval church was
  18. The signing of the Magna Carta by King John at Runnymede signaled the
  19. As a result of the hundred Years’ War between England and France…
  20. The Black Death ultimately resulted in
  21. Why are historical periods so inexact, and why are they generally unknown as periods or eras to the people who live during them?
  22. Which of the following statements best characterizes the intellectual environment of the Renaissance?
  23. Which of the following statementsbest describes the intellectual movement known as humanism?
  24. Why did the invention of printing with moveable type have a significant impact?
  25. How did the monk Martin Luther contribute to the beginning of the Reformation?
  26. Why were so many people in England dissatisfied with the Church of England in the mid 1500’s
  27. In what way could King Henry VIII of England be considered a “Renaissance man”?
  28. England’s independence from Catholic countries of the Mediterranean was ensured by
  29. The end of the English Renaissance was characterized by
  30. The Catholic Church was very powerful in fourteenth-centuryItaly—in a way that most people would find unacceptable today. Why would most modern people in the US object to such power?
  1. Vocabulary and Grammar In Context

Be prepared to identify word meanings based on theclues found within the context of a passage and/or sentence. Also, be prepared to identify mistakes in capitalization, punctuation, appositives and appositive phrases, participles, linking verbs, subject/verb agreement, pronouns and antecedents, subjects and predicates.

  1. Writing in Context

Be prepared to read and analyze a student essay for needed improvements. We have practiced these in class and you have seen them on CFAs (baby benchmarks). See back sheet of this study guide for practice.

  1. Specific Titles

The final exam includes passages and test specific questions related to Beowulf, Magna Carta, Medieval ballads, Shakespearian/ Spenserian Sonnets,andShakespearian plays (Macbeth or Taming of the Shrew). You should be familiar with the texts, butremember that specific passages will be included for the multiple choice questions for these titles.

  1. Written Response

The written response portion will consist of one question. All students will write a single paragraph essay response to the question and incorporate references to at least one literary selection that we read this semester. Students will have to respond thoroughly and use their best grammar and usage.

You should express your ideas clearly and effectively. How well you write is much more important than how much you write; but to express your thoughts on the topic adequately, you need to write a well-developed single paragraph essay that has a TAG, a topic sentence, at least two concrete details with commentary for each concrete detail. Your writing should also have a logical conclusion.

Helpful Information

To write an acceptable response:

Make sure you have a main idea or point Make sure you fully develop your ideas

Select and clearly state your thesisUse descriptive, accurate word choices

Use examples to develop your thesisWrite formally – no slang or

Use logic and good reasoning ability abbreviations

Show insight Demonstrate good language skills

Use details from pieces of work BE THOROUGH AND COMPLETE!