Dying metaphors. A newly invented metaphor assists thought by evoking a visual
image, while on the other hand a metaphor which is technically "dead" (e.g. iron
resolution ) has in effect reverted to being an ordinary word and can generally be used
without loss of vividness. But in between these two classes there is a huge dump of worn out metaphors
which have lost all evocative power and are merely used because they save 2005–2006 Stanford MLA
Application Critical Writing Piece Page 3 of 9
people the trouble of inventing phrases for themselves. Examples are: Ring the changes on, take up the
cudgel for, toe the line, ride roughshod over, stand shoulder to shoulder with, play into the hands of, no
axe to grind, grist to the mill, fishing in troubled waters, on the order of the day, Achilles' heel, swan
song, hotbed . Many of these are used without knowledge of their meaning (what is a "rift," for
instance?), and incompatible metaphors are frequently mixed, a sure sign that the writer is not interested
in what he is saying. Some metaphors now current have been twisted out of their original meaning
without those who use them even being aware of the fact. For example, toe the line is sometimes written
as tow the line. Another example is the hammer and the anvil, now always used with the implication that
the anvil gets the worst of it. In real life it is always the anvil that breaks the hammer, never the other
way about: a writer who stopped to think what he was saying would avoid perverting the original
phrase.
Operators or verbal false limbs. These save the trouble of picking out appropriate verbs and nouns,
and at the same time pad each sentence with extra syllables which give it an appearance of symmetry.
Characteristic phrases are render inoperative, militate against, make contact with, be subjected to, give
rise to, give grounds for, have the effect of, play a leading part (role) in, make itself felt, take effect,
exhibit a tendency to, serve the purpose of, etc., etc. The keynote is the elimination of simple verbs.
Instead of being a single word, such as break, stop, spoil, mend, kill, a verb becomes a phrase, made
up of a noun or adjective tacked on to some general­purpose verb such as prove, serve, form, play,
render. In addition, the passive voice is wherever possible used in preference to the active, and noun
constructions are used instead of gerunds (by examination of instead of by examining). The range of
verbs is further cut down by means of the ­ize and deformations, and the banal statements are given an
appearance of profundity by means of the not un­ formation. Simple conjunctions and prepositions are
replaced by such phrases as with respect to, having regard to, the fact that, by dint of, in view of, in the
interests of, on the hypothesis that; and the ends of sentences are saved by anticlimax by such
resounding commonplaces as greatly to be desired, cannot be left out of account, a development to be
expected in the near future, deserving of serious consideration, brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and
so on and so forth.
Pretentious diction. Words like phenomenon, element, individual (as noun), objective,
categorical, effective, virtual, basic, primary, promote, constitute, exhibit, exploit, utilize,
eliminate, liquidate, are used to dress up a simple statement and give an air of scientific
impartiality to biased judgements. Adjectives like epoch­making, epic, historic,
unforgettable, triumphant, age­old, inevitable, inexorable, veritable, are used to dignify
the sordid process of international politics, while writing that aims at glorifying war
usually takes on an archaic colour, its characteristic words being: realm, throne, chariot,
mailed fist, trident, sword, shield, buckler, banner, jackboot, clarion. Foreign words and
expressions such as cul de sac, ancien regime, deus ex machina, mutatis mutandis, status quo,
gleichschaltung, weltanschauung , are used to give an air of culture and elegance. Except for the useful
abbreviations i.e., e.g. and etc., there is no real need for any of the hundreds of foreign phrases now
current in the English language. Bad writers, and especially scientific, political, and sociological writers,
are nearly always haunted by the notion that Latin or Greek words are grander than Saxon ones, and
unnecessary words 2005–2006 Stanford MLA Application Critical Writing Piece Page 4 of 9 like
expedite, ameliorate, predict, extraneous, deracinated, clandestine, subaqueous, and hundreds of others
constantly gain ground from their Anglo­Saxon numbers. The jargon peculiar to Marxist writing (hyena,
hangman, cannibal, petty bourgeois, these gentry, lackey, flunkey, mad dog, White Guard, etc.) consists
largely of words translated from Russian, German, or French; but the normal way of coining a new
word is to use a Latin or Greek root with the appropriate affix and, where necessary, the size formation.
It is often easier to make up words of this kind (deregionalize, impermissible, extramarital,
non­fragmentary and so forth) than to think up the English words that will cover one's meaning. The
result, in general, is an increase in slovenliness and vagueness.
1) Which of the following is not a “dying metaphor”?
a. Head over heels
b. Happy as a clam
c. Life is a rubber band
d. Quiet as a mouse
e. Set in stone
2. What does the author mean by “dead metaphors”?
a. The meaning is unclear
b. It is overused
c. It does not make sense
d. It has to be expanded upon
e. It is not vivid
3. What is a “verbal false limb”?
a. Extra words with a verb
b. Random meaningless words
c. Random meaningless verbs
d. A single word
e. An expression that is artificially inflated to be longer and more important­sounding
4. What is the best paraphrase for the following sentence: “The keynote is the elimination of simple
verbs”?
a. Simple verbs have been changed into complicated phrases
b. Complicated phrases have been changed into simple verbs
c. Simple phrases have been changed into complicated verbs
d. Complicated verbs have been changed into simple phrases
e. None of the above
5. What does “banal” mean in the following sentence: “The range of verbs is further cut down by means
of the ­ize and deformation, and the banal statements are given an appearance of profundity by means
of the not un­ formation.”
a. Unique
b. Boring
c. Very original
d. Commonplace
e. Childish
6. Which of the following would not be considered pretentious diction by Orwell?
a. Harangue
b. Labyrinthine
c. Ensconce
d. Extravagant
e. Ostentatious
7. The following sentence: “Bad writers, and especially scientific, political, and sociological writers, are
nearly always haunted by the notion that Latin or Greek words are grander than Saxon ones” is referring
to which type of words?
a. Complex words
b. Elegant words
c. Vague Words
d. A different language
e. None of the above
8. Which of the following can you not replace “slovenliness” with in this sentence: “The result, in general,
is an increase in slovenliness”
a. Disorder
b. Carelessness
c. Mindfulness
d. Attentiveness
e. Cleanliness
Take this test:
1. On the whole I am satisfied with myself.
2. At times I think that I am no good at all.
3. I feel that I have a number of good qualities.
4. I am able to do things as well as most other people.
5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of.
6. I certainly feel useless at times.
7. I feel that I am a person of worth, at least the equal of others.
8. I wish I could have more respect for myself.
9. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure.
10. I take a positive attitude toward myself.
Devised by the sociologist Morris Rosenberg, this questionnaire is one of the most widely used
self­esteem assessment scales in the United States. If your answers demonstrate solid self­regard, the
wisdom of the social sciences predicts that you are well adjusted, clean and sober, basically lucid,
without criminal record and with some kind of college cum laude under your high­end belt. If your
answers, on the other hand, reveal some inner shame, then it is obvious: you were, or are, a teenage
mother; you are prone to social deviance; and if you don't drink, it is because the illicit drugs are
bountiful and robust.
It has not been much disputed, until recently, that high self­esteem ­­ defined quite simply as
liking yourself a lot, holding a positive opinion of your actions and capacities ­­ is essential to well­being
and that its opposite is responsible for crime and substance abuse and prostitution and murder and rape
and even terrorism. Thousands of papers in psychiatric and social­science literature suggest this, papers
with names like ''Characteristics of Abusive Parents: A Look At Self­Esteem'' and ''Low Adolescent
Self­Esteem Leads to Multiple Interpersonal Problems.'' In 1990, David Long published ''The Anatomy
of Terrorism,'' in which he found that hijackers and suicide bombers suffer from feelings of
worthlessness and that their violent, fluorescent acts are desperate attempts to bring some inner flair to a
flat mindscape.
This all makes so much sense that we have not thought to question it. The less confidence you
have, the worse you do; the more confidence you have, the better you do; and so the luminous loop
goes round. Based on our beliefs, we have created self­esteem programs in schools in which the main
objective is, as Jennifer Coon­Wallman, a psychotherapist based in Boston, says, ''to dole out huge
heapings of praise, regardless of actual accomplishment.'' We have a National Association for
Self­Esteem with about a thousand members, and in 1986, the State Legislature of California founded
the ''California Task Force to Promote Self­Esteem and Personal and Social Responsibility.'' It was
galvanized by Assemblyman John Vasconcellos, who fervently believed that by raising his citizens'
self­concepts, he could divert drug abuse and all sorts of other social ills.
It didn't work.
9. Why does the author use the pronoun you in this excerpt?
a. To show this is not a serious piece of writing
b. To be informal
c. To relate the concept of self esteem more directly with the reader
d. To lighten a serious subject
e. To speak to the reader
10. What is the main point?
a. Positive self esteem is essential for success in life
b. Self esteem predicts your future
c. Schools need more self esteem programs
d. One will be unhappy without self esteem
e. Taking the self esteem test for personal knowledge
11. Which of the following could not be an example of a question of the self esteem test?
a. I am proud of myself
b. I would consider myself a positive person
c. I do not feel accomplished
d. I do not care about myself
e. I take pride in my homework
12. Which of the following is the best explanation of the author’s rationale for saying self esteem can
generally predict one’s situation in life?
a. Generally, the more confidence someone has the better they do in life
b. Suicide bombers often had feelings of worthlessness
c. Low self esteem leads to crime
d. Raising citizens self esteems diverts social ills
e. School self esteem programs are effective
13. What does the author define “self esteem” as?
a. Liking oneself a lot
b. Holding a positive opinion of oneself
c. Response to be praised
d. Being accomplished
e. Self wisdom
14. The author refers to “you are a teenage mother you are prone to social deviance, and if you don’t
drink it’s because the illicit drugs are bountiful and robust,” as examples of?
a. Problems associated with low self esteem
b. Social ills
c. Unfortunate circumstances
d. Feeling worthlessness
e. Being dissatisfied with oneself
15. Which of the following is figurative language?
a. “holding a positive opinion of your actions and capacities”
b. “and so the luminous loop goes around”
c. “desperate attempts to bring some inner flair to a flat mindscape”
d. “wisdom of social sciences”
e. “violent, fluorescent acts”
16. In the sentence “the less confidence you have, the worse you do; the more confidence you have, the
better you do; and so the luminous loop goes round” the author employs
a. Juxtaposition
b. Colloquial
c. Figurative language
d. Hyperbole
e. Onomatopoeia
17. All the following adjectives could properly be used to describe the style and effect of this passage
except?
a. Passionate
b. Satirical
c. Persuasive
d. Serious
e. Inquisitive
(Start at “We went fishing the first morning” and end at “There had been no years”)
18. The sentence “I felt the same damp moss covering the worms in the bait can, and saw the dragonfly
alight on the tip of my rod as it hovered a few inches from the surface of the water” contains which of
the following?
a. Foreshadowing
b. Imagery
c. Juxtaposition
d. Metaphor
e. Simile
19. What is the speaker’s primary purpose in writing this passage?
a. Nostalgia
b. To impart a moral on the reader
c. To persuade the reader to go fishing
d. To inform a reader about the lake
e. None of the above
20. The speaker accomplishes all of the following except?
a. Use of imagery
b. Descriptive language
c. Correct grammar
d. Complex metaphors
e. Author’s viewpoint
21. What is the function of “There had been no years”?
a. Time passed very quickly
b. It had been under a year
c. To explain it was as if no time had passed
d. No time had passed
e. Time passed very slowly
22. All of the following may be found in the passage except?
a. Satire
b. Realism
c. Detailed descriptions
d. Figurative language
e. Metaphors
23. The speaker’s attitude towards fishing is best described as
a. Passionate
b. Interested
c. Passive
d. Intrigued
e. All of the above
24. Which of the following best restates the meaning of “I seemed to be living a dual existence”
a. I was living a double life.
b. I felt as if I was my father.
c. I was not sure of whom I was.
d. I did not understand who I was.
e. I was two different people.
25. The subject of the sentence in lines “This lake you could leave to it’s own devices for a few hours
and find that it has not stirred” is?
a. The metaphor of the lake
b. The personification of the lake
c. Leaving the lake
d. The lake is magical
e. The unchanging lake