For the following questions(s), use this passage adapted from Kishlansky, Geary, and
O’Brien.
Civilization in the West. Vol. C. Since 1789. 5th ed. Longman. 2003, pp. 1009 -1010.
September 11, 2001: A Turning Point
1 On September 11, 2001, four U.S. passenger planes were hijacked and used as flying bombs in a coordinated action that targeted the World Trade Center in New York City and the
Pentagon just outside of Washington, D. C. Two of the four hijacked planes slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, and a third plane hit its mark by diving into the Pentagon.
The fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, its suicide attack foiled by passengers who opposed their captors. More than 3,000 people were killed, thousands more were wounded, and the loss of property was unprecedented in the worst terrorist attack in history.
2 The events horrified people around the world who understood that two symbols of
American global, financial, and military dominance had been singled out in a carefully planned and executed mission of destruction. Osama bin Laden was identified as the source of terrorist devastation. The event was immediately compared to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in
1941, which provoked the entry of the United States into World War II. President George W.
Bush declared, in the wake of the terrorist attacks, that the United States was entering “a new kind of war,” one not waged between nations but one whose stateless enemy would be sought out and hunted down. Terrorism had long plagued Europe and the Middle East, but the September 11 attacks marked the first time in history that an act of terrorist warfare by an external enemy took place on American soil. This terrorist attack event marked a turning point in the struggle against terrorism and a new focus in state security measures of western governments. It also marked the beginning of a new war.
3 Osama bin Laden, a Saudi Arabian millionaire, who had been trained by the United
States Central Intelligence Agency, had fought against the Russians in Afghanistan between 1980 and 1989. In June 2001, bin Laden called on the Muslims of the world to mobilize themselves into a general jihad , or holy war, against their enemies. It was three months after this call-to-arms that terrorists dealt their most extreme blow against the United States.
4 Because of this new threat, the Americans and their allies in Europe and throughout the world joined forces in pledging to eradicate terrorism. Stringent security measures in airports and public places were instituted worldwide as nations faced harsh new political realities, including incidents of bioterrorism --germ warfare against civilians -- that took place in the United States in the months following the September terrorist attacks. When the European Union and the United
States passed new laws and directives to combat terrorism, critics feared the curtailment of civil liberties. Racist incidents against Muslims and Arabs mounted, even as European and American leaders stressed that bin Laden and his network were a nonrepresentative and fanatical fringe within the Muslim world. In October 2001, less than a month after the attacks, the United States and Great Britain began massive bombing of Afghanistan, the small mountainous country said to be harboring bin Laden, after the Taliban, the fundamentalist Muslim ruling group, refused to hand bin Laden over to the United States.
Fall 2008 – PBB

1) Which sentence best states the central point of this passage?
A) Acts of terrorism have increased to the point that countries all around the world must unite in an effort to end them.
B) Osama bin Laden has challenged Muslims around the world to participate in a war against their enemies.
C) The tragic events of September 11, 2001, resulted in many changes in the United
States and around the world.
D) Americans and their allies throughout the world have united together in an effort to stop terrorism.
2) What question would best help the reader discover the major points of this passage?
A) Who was responsible for the attacks on September 11?
B) How did terrorists attack the United States on September 11?
C) Why did terrorists attack the United States on September 11?
D) In what ways was September 11 a turning point?
3) The context clues in paragraph 1 suggest that the best definition of foil is _______.
A) to prevent from attaining an end
C) a fencing weapon
4) Examine the meaning of the following word parts:
B) to back or cover with foil
D) very thin sheet metal un not pre before
The context clues in paragraph 1 and the meaning of these word parts suggest that the best definition of unprecedented is _______.
A) a previous example
C) affecting a large group
B) not having occurred previously
D) very expensive
5) Examine the meaning of the word part less . less without
The context clues in paragraph 2 and the word part less suggest that the best definition of stateless enemy is _______.
A) an enemy not associated with a group of people
B) without an identified enemy
C) an enemy not associated with a government
D) an enemy having no social position
6) The context clues in paragraph 3 suggest that the best definition of jihad is _______.
A) call to prayer
C) pilgrimage to Mecca
B) plan for unification
D) a war waged on behalf of Islam
7) The context clues in paragraph 4 suggest that the best definition of harboring is _______.
A) having a body of water
C) sitting in a port for ocean vessels
B) giving shelter or refuge
D) celebrating
Fall 2008 – PBB

8) The implied main idea of paragraph 1 is
A) Planes destroyed the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
B) Over 3,000 people were killed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.
C) Terrorism has gotten out of control in the United States and around the world.
D) The worst terrorist attack in history occurred on September 11, 2001, in the United
States.
9) Which sentence is the topic sentence of paragraph 2?
A) The events horrified people around the world who understood that two symbols of
American global, financial, and military dominance had been singled out in a carefully planned and executed mission of destruction.
B) Osama bin Laden was identified as the source of terrorist devastation.
C) President George W. Bush declared, in the wake of the terrorist attacks, that the
United States was entering “a new kind of war,” one not waged between nations but one whose stateless enemy would be sought out and hunted down.
D) This terrorist attack marked a turning point in the struggle against terrorism and a new focus in state security measures of western governments.
10) According to the passage, the September 11 attacks were ________.
A) the first acts of terrorism warfare by a foreign enemy on American soil
B) impulsive acts planned hastily by an angry group of terrorists
C) orchestrated by a Russian Muslim who fought against the United States in
Afghanistan
D) different from the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941
11) What inference can be drawn from paragraph 3?
A) Osama bin Laden is the world leader of the Muslim faith.
B) Osama bin Laden wrote the Koran, the Muslim holy book.
C) Osama bin Laden had great influence on the Muslims who committed the acts of terrorism.
D) Osama bin Laden is waging war against the world on behalf of all Muslims.
12) The two symbols mentioned in paragraph 2 are ________.
A) Afghanistan and the Middle East
B) the United States and Europe
C) the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
D) Muslims and Arabs
13) What is the irony expressed in paragraph 3?
A) Osama bin Laden fought in the United States army against Afghanistan.
B) Osama bin Laden is a millionaire who doesn’t need money to get what he wants.
C) The United States taught Osama bin Laden warfare tactics, which he then used against
America.
D) Osama bin Laden wants Muslims to unite in a general jihad .
14) Which sentence is the implied main idea of paragraph 4?
A) Innocent Muslims and Arabs around the world have been unfairly attacked as a result of the war on terrorism.
B) The attack on the United States led to several new measures.
C) Security measures have been enforced in public places worldwide in order to thwart terrorism.
Fall 2008 – PBB

D) Afghanistan was bombed as a result of harboring bin Laden.
15) What inference can be drawn from paragraph 4?
A) Osama bin Laden is attacking innocent Arabs and Muslims around the world.
B) Osama bin Laden is conducting germ warfare.
C) Afghanistan is an enemy of Osama bin Laden.
D) Osama bin Laden represents the view of just a small group of Muslims.
16) What is the relationship expressed between these two sentences from paragraph 2?
“The event marked a turning point in the struggle against terrorism and a new focus in state security measures of western governments. It also marked the beginning of a new war.”
A) addition B) comparison
C) contrast D) cause and effect
17) What is the relationship expressed between the parts of this sentence from paragraph 2?
“Terrorism had long plagued Europe and the Middle East, but the September 11 attacks marked the first time in history that an act of terrorist warfare by an external enemy took place on American soil.”
A) addition
C) comparison
B) contrast
D) cause and effect
18) Which pattern of thought does the author use in paragraph 4?
A) listing
C) classification
B) comparison/contrast
D) cause and effect
19) “Osama bin Laden, a Saudi Arabian millionaire who had been trained by the United States
Central Intelligence Agency, had fought against the Russians in Afghanistan between 1980 and
1989.”
The above sentence is a statement of ________.
A) fact
C) both fact and opinion
B) opinion
D) informed opinion
20) “More than 3,000 people were killed, thousands more were wounded, and the loss of property was unprecedented in the worst terrorist attack in history.”
The above sentence is a statement of ________.
A) fact
C) both fact and opinion
B) opinion
D) neither fact nor opinion
21) What background information would be most helpful in understanding this passage?
A) knowledge of bioterrorism
B) knowledge of the Muslim faith
C) knowledge of the Central Intelligence Agency
D) knowledge of Afghanistan
22) What is the overall tone of this passage?
A) emotional and biased B) anxious and doubtful
C) confident and admiring D) matter-of-fact and factual
Fall 2008 – PBB

23) What is the primary purpose of this passage?
A) to persuade the reader that the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, prove that the
Muslim faith encourages terrorism
B) to inform the reader about the effects of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001
C) to entertain the reader with a harrowing story of a terrorist attack on September 11,
2001
D) to convince the reader about the importance of safety measures in public places
24) Which college course would most likely study this excerpt from a textbook?
A) sociology B) psychology C) history D) philosophy
25) Complete this outline of important ideas from paragraph 4 using the options below.
D. _____________________________________________
1. America and Europe pledge to eradicate terrorism
2. adoption of stringent security measures
3. new law and directives
4. racist incidents against Muslim and Arabs
5. bombing of Afghanistan
A) Causes of September 11, 2001
B) Examples of the fight against Osama bin Laden
C) Reasons for eradicating terrorism
D) Effects of September 11, 2001
Fall 2008 – PBB