ANSWER KEY
This Unit Answer Key includes answers for the Teacher Resources available for each
selection. Please consult the Teacher's Edition Planning pages for a list of resources
available with each text. Answers for Selection Tests are available online in Assessments.
ANSWER KEY
ANSWER KEY
Shakespeare’s Sister
Virginia Woolf
ANSWERS
STANDARDS
1. (a) The excerpt reveals that girls’ education included learning to
read but not learning much about literature, grammar, or logic. Her
education was focused on learning how to cook and sew. Textual
evidence includes the following: “But she was not sent to school.
She had no chance of learning grammar and logic, let alone of
reading Horace and Virgil. She picked up a book now and then . . .
and read a few pages. But then her parents came in and told her to
mend the stockings or mind the stew . . .”
RI.11-12.1
(b) One can infer from the excerpt that women had no opportunities
other than marriage and motherhood during Shakespeare’s time.
Textual evidence is in the description of the reaction to Judith’s
statement that she wanted to act: “Men laughed in her face. The
manager . . . guffawed. He bellowed something about poodles
dancing and women acting—no woman, he said, could possibly be
an actress. He hinted—you can imagine what. She could get no
training in her craft.”
(c) Regarding Judith and Nick, students might it is possible that they
either got married or they did not get married before she got
pregnant. The text states that Nick “took pity on her; she found
herself with child by that gentleman.” Once could infer that Nick
married Juliet because that is what would have been expected, as it
was for William Shakespeare. One could also infer that they did not
marry and the shame of being unwed and pregnant contributed to
Judith’s despair and ultimate suicide.
2. (a) Woolf means that Shakespeare was living at the center of the
cultural activity of the time. London was figuratively the hub (or
center) of culture, excitement, and new ideas during
Shakespeare’s day.
RI.11-12.4
(b) Judith’s parents are scolding her and letting Judith know that
there are better things to do, so moon about must have a negative
connotation.
(c) Actors perform on stages, and stages are usually made of wood
or wooden boards. So the phrase the boards refers to the stage.
3. In their written responses or discussion, students should include the
following:
•
The first part of the essay describes Shakespeare’s early life,
including the education he probably received, the mischief he
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RI.11-12.5
got into, and the fact that he ran away to London and a
successful career after marrying a woman he had impregnated.
•
The second part of the essay contrasts each of those
experiences in the imaginary Judith’s life to show how different
the lives of males and females were during that time.
•
The author includes an anecdote about Nick Green that
illustrates how ludicrous the idea of a woman having theatrical
talent was at the time.
•
Most students will note that the compare-and-contrast structure
of the essay is effective. They may say that contrasting the
specific, personal details from Shakespeare’s life engages the
reader more than stating the claim and then supporting it with
statistics about life in Shakespearean times or other impersonal
evidence. The structure and anecdote with details about
individuals allows the reader to picture the differences more
easily.
ANSWER KEY
Shakespeare’s Sister
Virginia Woolf
Possible responses:
1.
(a) Woolf describes Judith as “wonderfully gifted” and “as adventurous, as
imaginative, as agog to see the world” as her brother. DOK 1 (b) She wants to
make it clear that Judith has exactly the same potential as her brother. DOK 2
Students may respond that women in Shakespeare’s time
served few roles other than wife or mother; they weren’t usually even sent to
school. Judith’s parents may have been discouraging her from reading because
they felt it wasn’t something a girl should pursue. DOK 3
3. Answers will vary. Students may respond that Woolf did agree that no woman in
Shakespeare’s time could have been as great as Shakespeare, but not because
women are lacking in talent or intellectual capability. Rather, society would deny
them all the opportunities it afforded to men such as Shakespeare. DOK 3
4. Answers will vary. Students may respond that Woolf would say that the obstacles
that blocked Judith’s career still exist in her own time. She likely wouldn’t be so
adamant about Judith’s position if she has not had similar experiences herself.
DOK 3
2. Answers will vary.
ANSWER KEY
INTERACTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS
Shakespeare’s Sister
Virginia Woolf
Possible responses:
“It would have been impossible, completely and entirely, for any woman to have
written the plays of Shakespeare in the age of Shakespeare.”
2. She explores what would have happened had William Shakespeare had a sister
who also wanted to be a playwright.
3. Shakespeare’s sister was not sent to school, “before she was out of her teens, she
1.
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was to be betrothed to the son of a neighboring wool-stapler,” and men laughed at
her when she stood by the stage door, trying to break into acting.
4. She arranges the events in chronological order, with a beginning, middle, and end.
The story builds to a climax at the end of paragraph 1 and includes a denouement
in paragraph 2.
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RETEACH ANSWER KEY
INTERACTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS
Possible responses:
1.
It is almost impossible to write a work of genius.
2.
“the literary artist works is the dialect of life” “The sister arts enjoy the use of a
plastic and ductile material, like the modeler’s clay”
PRACTICE ANSWER KEY
INTERACTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS
Possible responses:
A. 1. Argument: Writing a book was even more difficult for women than it was for
men.
2.
Narrative technique: The author includes historical facts, such as “In the first
place, to have a room of her own, let alone a quiet room or a sound-proof room,
was out of the question, unless her parents were exceptionally rich or very noble,
even up to the beginning of the nineteenth century.”
B. 1. Answers will vary.
2. Answers will vary.
3. Answers will vary.
ANSWER KEY
Shakespeare’s Sister
Virginia Woolf
Possible responses:
A. 1. a wedding, a ball, a prom
2.
keen intelligence, independence, devotion to their interests, imagination
3.
pickles, grapefruit, lemons
B. 1. C
2.
D
3.
B
4.
E
5.
A
6.
F
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RETEACH ANSWER KEY
MULTIPLE-MEANING WORDS
A. 1. C
2.
D
3.
B
4.
E
5.
A
6.
F
B. 1. D
2.
C
3.
F
4.
B
5.
E
6.
A
PRACTICE ANSWER KEY
MULTIPLE-MEANING WORDS
Possible responses:
A. 1. new, original
2.
narrative, story
3.
barn
4.
steady
5.
team, lineup
B. 1. date: fruit, social engagement, meeting, point in time
2.
crane: bird, hoist
3.
mint: new, perfect condition; candy
4.
minor: under-aged person; not important
5.
patient: tolerant, someone seeking medical care
C. Answers will vary.
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ANSWER KEY
CHANGING USAGE
Shakespeare’s Sister
Virginia Woolf
A. 1. Virginia Woolf wrote good, as her essay demonstrates.
2.
Like she wrote, women had virtually no chance to have a career.
3.
I read in the essay where many factors contributed to women being held back.
4.
In the sixteenth century, women had ought to have had a chance to succeed.
5.
That was a real good essay and the class learned a lot from it.
B. 1. Virginia Woolf wrote well, as her essay demonstrates.
2.
As she wrote, women had virtually no chance to have a career.
3.
I read in the essay that many factors contributed to women being held back.
4.
In the sixteenth century, women ought to have had a chance to succeed.
5.
That was a really good essay and the class learned a lot from it.
RETEACH ANSWER KEY
CHANGING USAGE
A. 1. off
2.
hasn’t any
3.
Regardless
4.
Since
5.
burst
B. 1. She doesn’t sing well at all, but she really enjoys performing nonetheless.
2.
Robin could have cleaned her room if she had a bit more time.
3.
He is not the man who delivered the package.
4.
That kitten is simply adorable.
5.
I read in the newspaper that a new library is opening.
PRACTICE ANSWER KEY
CHANGING USAGE
A. 1. incorrect
2.
correct
3.
incorrect
4.
correct
5.
incorrect
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B. 1. Some grammarians argue that “aggravate” is not a synonym for “annoy.”
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, however, both meanings of
“aggravate” were used as far back as the 1600s.
2.
Some grammarians argue that “anxious” should only be used to mean “worried.”
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, however, “anxious” has been
used to mean “eager” for more than 250 years.
3.
Some grammarians argue that “can” refers to possibility and “may” to permission.
Using “can” to give permission has been in use since the 1800s.
C. 1. The issue is whether or not to put a comma before the coordinating conjunction in
a series, as in “She bought milk, eggs, and apples.”
2.
The issue is whether to pronounce it “con-truh-VUR-see-yul” or “con-truh-VURshal.”
3.
Most grammarians say it is correct to end a sentence with a preposition, but the
debate continues.
4.
Purists used “hanged” to refer to people being executed or committing suicide,
and “hung” for inanimate objects.
5.
“It” is the only gender-neutral pronoun, but it is singular. To date, English has not
resolved the issue of a gender-neutral plural pronoun.
ANSWER KEY
ARGUMENT
Shakespeare’s Sister
Virginia Woolf
Answers will vary.
ANSWER KEY
ARGUMENT
Shakespeare’s Sister
Virginia Woolf
Answers will vary. Possible responses:
The argument: Driving while texting should be a felony.
Your claim: Texting while driving is too dangerous to be allowed.
An example that supports your claim: The United States Department of Transportation
notes that cell phones are involved in 1.6 million auto crashes each year that cause a half
million injuries and take 6,000 lives.
A counterclaim: People are busy and need to multitask.
Response to the counterclaim: It is not worth risking your life or the lives of others to read or
send a text while driving. You can pull over if the message is that important.
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PRACTICE ANSWER KEY
ARGUMENT
Answers will vary. Possible responses:
Your claim: Affordable, reliable clean energy is possible today.
An example that supports your claim: “Stanford University researchers led by civil engineer
Mark Jacobson have developed detailed plans for each state in the union that to move to 100
percent wind, water and solar power by 2050 using only technology that’s already available.
‘The conclusion is that it’s technically and economically feasible,’ Jacobson said.”
Narrative: A story about solar panels on the writer’s school.
A counterclaim: “Powering our economy with wind, water and solar power would require an
enormous amount of land allotted to production and would push energy prices up beyond the
reach of average consumers.”
Response to the counterclaim: “Clean energy would save an average American
consumer $3,400 per year than the current fossil fuel regime by 2050, the study lays out.
That’s because the price of fossil fuel rises regularly, but with clean energy —where raw
materials are free—once the infrastructure is built, prices would fall.”
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ANSWER KEY
On Seeing England for the First Time •
XXIII from Midsummer
Jamaica Kincaid • Derek Walcott
ANSWERS
STANDARDS
1. (a) Students should identify one theme about teaching colonial
people to admire England and its culture and another theme about
English culture ignoring or “erasing” native cultures.
RI.11-12.2
Sample response: “On Seeing England for the First Time” has at
least two themes. One theme is that colonial people were taught to
honor England and to view English culture as superior to native
cultures in every way. Examples include the author’s father wearing
an English, felt hat; the large, English breakfasts they ate; and the
English literature and history they were taught in school.
Another theme is that English rule was unjust and racist because it
made the author and other “people like me” feel “erased,” as though
their lives and culture were nothing, inferior, and angry. Again and
again Kincaid is reminded of how she is considered “less than” in
the eyes of the white colonial power that rules her island nation.
Evidence includes details in paragraph 4 about Kincaid feeling small
and in paragraph 6 about the literature that had no connection to
Antiguan lives but that meant that “the world was theirs, not mine;
everything told me so,” as well as details in paragraph 16 that reflect
on the her experience with English people who thought the world
she knew was not complete and that she did not measure up
because she was not English.
(b) Students should discuss how the two themes interact, citing
details that show that stressing the superiority of English culture
meant belittling or ignoring native culture and that the image of
English culture glossed over the actual history of England’s
mistreatment of native peoples.
Sample response: The two themes in this essay are closely related.
As a child, Kincaid is hyperaware of England. Colonial people have
adopted English customs even though they are not appropriate for a
tropical island: the food she eats, her father’s felt hat, and the
manners she is taught. She is taught about English kings and their
conquests, which matter to the English, but not parts of English
history that matter to colonial people, like slavery and its abolition
(paragraph 4). The author grows to resent England because it has
ignored and replaced the history and experiences of colonial people.
When she visits England, she resents the culture more because of
the racist attitudes she detects in how the English treat her.
(c) In their summaries, students should
•
accurately establish the two main settings: (1) a West Indies
Island under British rule during the author’s childhood, and (2)
England during Kincaid’s adulthood.
• capture the main points of the essay:
• As a child the author is taught to obey the Queen of England
and respect and admire England for its history and culture.
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• The author is made to feel that her way of life is inferior to that
of British people.
• When Kincaid, now living in the United States, visits England
as an adult, she spends time with an English friend who is full
of pride in her heritage.
• Kincaid realizes that England’s mistreatment of native peoples
does not live up to its fine image
• In England, Kincaid is reminded of her powerlessness among
the British and deeply resents their racial prejudice.
•
remain objective and avoid judgments or opinions.
2. Students should recognize that at first, “seeing England” means
seeing it on a map and being taught to feel awe at this “special
jewel.” Then, “seeing England” means seeing its history becoming
aware of the injustice and prejudice in the ways colonial people are
treated. Finally, “seeing England” means visiting England and
feeling strong dislike for its people and culture.
RI.11-12.3
In the first half of the selection, Kincaid portrays herself as a child
who is aware that her island is ruled by a country she has never
seen but that influences every part of her life. It is clear from lines
such as “I did not know that this statement [to draw a map of
England] was meant to make me feel in awe and small every time
I heard the word England” that she is beginning to feel the inferior
status England has imposed on her. Later, when the setting
switches to England, Kincaid’s resentment only deepens. Students
should cite evidence from the essay supporting this view, e.g., “And
a great feeling of rage and disappointment came over me as
I looked at England, my head full of personal opinions that could not
have public, my public, approval” (paragraph 16). What is similar
about the author’s reaction to “seeing England” at each stage is the
strong emotional response: at first of inadequacy or perhaps shame
and later of disgust and anger.
3. (a) The two figurative phrases are (1) “my nose was pressed against
a glass window” and (2) “an iron vise at the back of my neck forcing
my neck to stay in place.” In the first phrase, the author means she
feels that she inadequate, inferior, and wishing she were a part of
the better, English life. In the second figurative phrase, Kincaid
means that she was being forced to behave herself, respect the
ruling government of England, and ignore or forget the signs of the
slavery and oppression of her people.
(b) She views the English people who rushed as different from
people she knows because people she knows do not rush. Where
she lives, it is too hot to rush. The word takes on the idea of doing
something important, with the implication that the native peoples’
way of life is not important in English eyes.
(c) At first the term “special jewel” refers to England; then it becomes a
special status that only English people get to assume or have. “England
was a special jewel all right, and only special people got to wear it.” The
word takes on a sarcastic tone in the later usage.
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RI.11-12.4
4. (a) Derek Walcott says that he is there to “add some color” to the
British theater. He might mean that he is there to bring a non-white
perspective to British theater and he might mean that he is there as
a symbol or token to make British theater seem more multicultural
and inclusive.
RL.11-12.1
(b) He is treated with prejudice because many in British theater think
non-whites do not have the experience to interpret England’s
greatest playwright.
5. (a) Students should recognize that the poet is suggesting that the
Brixton rioters are oppressed, just as non-whites in South Africa
were. They are reacting as oppressed people naturally do, showing
a willingness to die in order to change their situation. The
comparison to midsummer leaves suggests that the rioters are
destined to fall or die.
RL.11-12.4
(b) Lemmings connotes mindless, self-destructive behavior. It
suggests that the Brixton rioters’ behavior is mindless and selfdestructive.
(c) The word antic changes the tone from unpleasant to pleasant.
The speaker means that he can no longer take delight in fairy tales
and other traditions of English literature now that he sees the racist
and unjust treatment of people of color in England and their
historical suffering and oppression.
6. In their written responses or discussion, students should include the
following:
•
an opening statement recognizing that both authors convey
a perspective of England as a powerful oppressor of colonial
people and cultures.
•
historical details that Kincaid uses to convey her point of view,
such as the information about the Ovals and the seamen for
whom they are named.
•
personal details that Kincaid uses to convey her point of view,
such as the information about her education, her father, and her
visit to England.
•
at least one example—for instance, the final image of throwing
everything English off the white cliffs of Dover—to show how
Kincaid’s style helps make her point of view more powerful or
persuasive.
•
a distinction between Walcott’s actual point of view and the
ironic remarks in lines 13–24.
•
historical details that Walcott uses to convey his point of view,
such as the simile about South Africa in line 7–8 or the allusion
to Turner’s paintings
•
personal details that Walcott uses to convey his point of view,
such as the information about his “bringing color” to British
theater and the remark about white fellowships.
an understanding that in each piece the author’s tone was one
of anger, resentment and/or righteous indignation.
a concluding statement that sums up the two authors’ similar
points of view.
•
•
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RI.11-12.6,
RL.11-12.6
ANSWER KEY
On Seeing England for the First Time •
XXIII from Midsummer
Jamaica Kincaid • Derek Walcott
Possible responses:
1.
(a) Kincaid contrasts her own prejudices with those of English government,
society, and people. DOK 2 (b) She feels her own prejudices are not as bad as
those of the English government, society, and people because unlike their
prejudices, her prejudices don’t have the power to affect anyone but her. DOK 2
2.
Students may respond that as a child, Kincaid was forced to learn history, culture,
and customs that had no bearing on her life in the Caribbean. The people who
were presented to her as heroes were people who had enslaved her ancestors.
DOK 2
3.
(a) The leaves are racing toward extinction. DOK 1 (b) Students may respond that
it creates a frenzied, disturbed mood. DOK 2
4.
The leaves are dead or dying, and the crisis in England is representative of the
death of the empire. DOK 3
ANSWER KEY
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
On Seeing England for the First Time •
XXIII from Midsummer
Jamaica Kincaid • Derek Walcott
Possible responses:
1.
The sentence reveals the heat of the tropical island and the outsized influence
England had on its inhabitants.
2.
The footnote reveals the history of racial segregation in South Africa.
3.
The sentence shows Kincaid’s tremendous bitterness at living in a colony of Great
Britain and being considered inferior.
RETEACH ANSWER KEY
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Possible responses:
1.
The author reveals that the boys in the poorhouse were treated very badly, virtually
starved. This shows that the attitude toward the poor at that time and place was
harsh.
2.
The author detested those who ran the poorhouses for their cruelty and inhumanity.
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PRACTICE ANSWER KEY
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
A. 1. Readers could benefit from background on the French and Indian War, the
Mohican tribes, and the characters in the excerpt, especially whether they were
based on real people or not.
2.
The author views the Native Americans as brave and heroic, shown by the details
“continued the pursuit with the velocity of the wind” and “the young Mohican
braved the dangerous fire of his enemies.”
B. 1. Details include “a wretched cabin with a thatched roof,” “small fields and garden
patches in an indifferent state of cultivation,” men “with long, coarse, uncombed
hair that hung down over their faces and made them look like animals,” and
women wearing “a coarse tow-linen robe that came well below the knee, and a
rude sort of sandal, and many wore an iron collar.”
2.
Medieval England emerges as a cold, heartless place, with lazy serfs (shown by
men who looked like animals) and cruel masters (shown by the “iron collar[s]” on
the women.)
ANSWER KEY
On Seeing England for the First Time •
XXIII from Midsummer
Jamaica Kincaid • Derek Walcott
Possible responses:
A. 1. They would want their freedom and equality.
2.
Such pleasures might include a beautiful home, an elite education, and exotic
vacations.
3.
Possibilities include religious, service, and social groups. Rotary and Lions are
examples of such service groups.
B. 1. D
2.
C
3.
B
4.
E
5.
A
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RETEACH ANSWER KEY
LATIN PREFIX SUB-
A. 1. C
2.
D
3.
B
4.
E
5.
A
B. 1. D
2.
C
3.
A
4.
B
5.
E
PRACTICE ANSWER KEY
LATIN PREFIX SUB-
A. 1. subaltern
2.
subaquatic
3.
subatomic
4.
subclavian
5.
subterfuge
B. Possible responses. Sentences should show these meanings:
1.
subdivide: divide into smaller pieces
2.
subhead: a heading below a more important heading
3.
suborbital: lower orbit
4.
subset: a set within a set, usually applied to numbers
5.
subfreezing: below freezing
C. Answers will vary.
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ANSWER KEY
STYLISTIC DEVICES
On Seeing England for the First Time •
XXIII from Midsummer
Jamaica Kincaid • Derek Walcott
1.
The amplification involves the repetition of the phrase “leg of mutton.” It shows
the author’s true feelings about England: the country is no more than a joint of
meat, old meat, tough and gamy meat.
2.
Brixton is a multi-ethnic inner-city British community with a large number of
residents of Caribbean and African descent. It has been the site of several largescale race riots.
3.
The statement is ironic because princesses are always expected to be beautiful. This
irony further destroys the image of England as a place of beauty and wonder to be
admired.
RETEACH ANSWER KEY
STYLISTIC DEVICES
A. 1. An Achilles’ heel refers to someone’s weak point.
2.
This refers to liars, as Pinocchio’s nose grew when he lied.
3.
This refers to the Bible parable of the Good Samaritan helping an injured man.
4.
Scrooge was the miser in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
5.
Don Quixote, the main character in Cervantes’ novel, had fanciful, impractical
ideas.
B.
Possible responses:
1.
The allusion humorously reinforces the person’s weakness.
2.
By connecting Pat’s nose to Pinocchio’s, the allusion drives home the point.
3.
Connecting the action to the Biblical parable makes the person more selfless.
4.
The allusion reinforces Taylor’s stinginess.
5.
The allusion makes her ideas somewhat heroic in their impracticality.
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PRACTICE ANSWER KEY
STYLISTIC DEVICES
A.
Possible responses:
The irony here is that Polonius recognizes that “brevity is the soul of wit,” yet he
drones on and on. Were Polonius more self-aware, he would have spoken to the
point. This irony reinforces his lack of self-awareness, which leads to his demise.
B.
Possible responses:
Each line is a fragment, not a complete thought. The last line is missing the subject,
the word “people.” This compression forces readers to probe the complexity of the
poem’s meaning, which is that people rarely love wholeheartedly.
C.
Possible responses:
1.
The research paper was difficult to write, with its challenging topic, lengthy
requirements, and tight deadline.
2.
The meal was delicious, as tasty as spring, as sweet as a smile.
3.
The ride was long and tedious, as the highway stretched for endless mile after mile
after mile through the empty desert.
4.
The day was cold, a fierce cold that bit through your hat and mittens, a cold that
chafed your face and settled deep in your bones.
5.
The play was sad, as sad as an empty house, an empty heart.
ANSWER KEY
DIGITAL PRESENTATION
On Seeing England for the First Time •
XXIII from Midsummer
Jamaica Kincaid • Derek Walcott
Answers will vary. Students
should complete the chart, providing reasons for using or not
using each type of media.
RETEACH ANSWER KEY
DIGITAL PRESENTATION
Answers will vary. Students
should choose a topic and describe details about a digital
presentation on the topic.
PRACTICE ANSWER KEY
DIGITAL PRESENTATION
Answers will vary. Students should select a topic and describe details about a digital
presentation on the topic.
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