Kingdom Schools
English Department
Name: ………………………………………………….. Date: …………………..
1. What does "Ne te quaesiveris extra" mean?
(a) Man is his own star.
(b) Do not reach outside yourself.
(c) Do not look outside yourself.
(d) Every man should do extra work.
2. Who wrote the verses that Emerson mentions at the beginning of the first paragraph?
(a) An unknown sculptor.
(b) An well-known painter.
(c) A well-known author.
(d) An unknown painter.
3. What does Emerson say is most important about verses like the ones he mentions at the beginning of the first paragraph?
(a) The thoughts they contain.
(b) The sentiment they instill.
(c) The writer's true feelings.
(d) The writer's character.
4. Which of the following figures does Emerson not mention as being an example of speaking one's mind?
(a) Milton.
(b) Plato.
(c) Socrates.
(d) Moses.
5. What does Emerson say a man should learn to detect and watch?
(a) The actions of others.
(b) His true character.
(c) His own thoughts.
(d) His inner light.
6. What does Emerson say is the lesson great works of art teach us?
(a) Truly great works of art inspire everyone.
(b) Obey your spontaneous impression.
(c) Art is a matter of personal taste.
(d) There are few true geniuses in the world.
7. In his essay, "Self-Reliance" Emerson likens self-esteem with what?
(a) A Child (b) The Ego
(b) Nature (d) A Psalm
8. In "Self-Reliance," Emerson talks about how individuals should not conform to what?
(a) The Ego (b) The Church's Morals
(c) Their Intuition (d) Societal Norms
9. What movement was born from the ideas of Emerson?
(a) Stoicism (b) Calvinism
(c) Unitarianism (d) Transcendentalism
10. What is NOT one of the benefits of nature described by Emerson?
(a) Beauty (c) Hope
(b) Language (d) Discipline
For non-conformity the world whips you with its displeasure. And therefore a man
must know how to estimate a sour face. The by-standers look askance on him in the public street or in the friend’s parlor. If this aversion had its origin in contempt and resistance like his own, he might well go home with a sad countenance; but the sour faces of the multitude, like their sweet faces, have no deep cause,--disguise no god,
but are put on and off as the wind blows, and a newspaper directs. Yet is the
discontent of the multitude more formidable than that of the senate and the
college. It is easy enough for a firm man who knows the world to brook the rage of
the cultivated classes. Their rage is decorous and prudent, for they are timid as being very vulnerable themselves. But when to their feminine rage the indignation of the people is added, when the ignorant and the poor are aroused, when the unintelligent brute force that lies at the bottom of society is made to growl and mow, it needs
the habit of magnanimity and religion to treat it godlike as a trifle of no concernment.
1. Lines 1 – 8 suggest that a person should pay little attention to others’ displeasure at his or her nonconformity because
A. Peoples’ attitudes are quickly changeable
B. The individual is always strong within himself or herself
C. The contempt other people show is just a weak personal feeling
D. “Sour faces” are limited to the public streets and “friends” living rooms
E. Other people cloak their prejudices in religion and “gods”
2. The second part of the passage implies that “the unintelligent brute force” at the bottom of society is
A. “the senate and the college” (line 9)
B. religious bigots
C. “the ignorant and the poor” (line 13)
D. the “by-standers” (line 3)
E. “the sour faces of the multitude” (lines 5-6)
3. Lines 11-12 might best be paraphrased as follows:
A. They don’t really get angry because they are timid as if they were really vulnerable.
B. They get angry only when it’s safe—against those who are timid and easily attacked.
C. Their anger is always respectable, for they are careful to maintain their reputations.
D. Their anger is polite and restrained, because their own vulnerability scares them.
E. Their anger is immense and carefully directed, because they must protect their position.
4. In this context, the word “feminine” in line 12 seems to mean
A. spirited
B. weak
C. mysteriously charming
D. thoughtless and flighty
E. nurturing or improving
5. The “habit of magnanimity” (line 15), according to Emerson, would
lead an individual to regard others’ disapproval of him or her with an attitude of
A. compassion and sympathy
B. fear and caution
C. anger and hostility
D. curiosity and inquiry
E. contempt and disregard
6. The tone of the whole passage might best be described as
A. mournful
B. optimistic and elated
C. didactic and inspiriting
D. pessimistic and cynical
E. humorously doubtful but hopeful
Vocabulary
A – Match the words in column A with their meaning in column B:
A / B1. absolve ………. / a. having controlling power
2. aversion ………. / b. to clear of guilt or blame
3. bestowed ………. / c. one who does not follow beliefs
4. predominating ………. / d. a strong dislike
5. nonconformist ………. / e. applied; used
B – Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the box:
bestowed – nonconformist – absolve – aversion – predominate1. Most people feel this for or toward dental work. …………………………………….
2. This is what accused people hope an alibi will do for them …………………………….
3. This can describe energy, money, or time. ………………………………
4. Anyone who doesn’t follow the crowd. ………………………………..
5. The leader of the pack or the team’s coach. ……………………………….
Active Reading SkillBuilder
Important Phrases and Statements / Main Idea“imitation is suicide”
“Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist.”
“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.”
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