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Unit 6: Collection 16

Selection Test Reading and Literature

Speaking of Courage Tim O’Brien

Comprehension Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following items. (40 points; 5 points each)

1. The chilly interior of the air-conditioned car may represent—

A) Paul’s feelings of isolation

B) the Vietnam War

C) recent United States history

D) the death of Frenchie Tucker

2. The descriptions of the stagnant lake and the people going about their business suggest—

A) fear of the unknown

B) rejection of politics

C) indifference to the war

D) contempt for veterans

3. Ironically, what is the significance of the story taking place on the Fourth of July?

A) It is a day of patriotism, but Paul does not feel like a patriot.

B) It is typically the most festive holiday in small American towns.

C) Paul receives his independence from the tyranny of the town.

D) The town’s lack of patriotic spirit depresses Paul.

4. The author is most likely using Paul to symbolize—

A) everyone who has ever fought in any war

B) someone who had serious problems before going to Vietnam

C) any survivor of any type of horror

D) a generation of young soldiers who returned from Vietnam

5. Paul’s character can best be described as—

A) lively

B) isolated

C) fearful

D) reckless

6. What thematic idea is suggested by the circular structure of the story and the various circular motions within it?

A) What goes around, comes around, meaning good deeds and bad deeds alike come back to the person who did them.

B) People who have experienced the trauma of war continue to relive their wartime experiences throughout their lives.

C) Life is an endless cycle of birth and death.

D) We all fight little wars in our lives.

Unit 6: Collection 16, Selection Test continued

7. What is significant about the voice over the intercom at the drive-in restaurant?

A) The pretend-military style of the speaker ironically reminds Paul of his time in Vietnam.

B) The protagonist recognizes the speaker as someone he knew in the military.

C) The voice reminds the protagonist of a friend who died in combat and creates an internal conflict.

D) The voice is that of a girlfriend from before the war, thus causing an external conflict.

8. The author’s use of repetition is a technique used to convey—

A) the town’s indifference to the war

B) the story’s setting in Iowa

C) the protagonist’s internal conflict

D) the reader’s mood related to the story’s tone

Vocabulary Development Choose the best word to complete each sentence below. Not every word will be used. (10 points; 2 points each)

|affluent |drone |mesmerizing |profundity |

|recede |tactile |tepid |valor |

9. As he drove around, Paul felt hypnotized by the sound of the insects buzzing in the heat. It was _____________________________________.

10. Their _______________________ was like a steady hum in the hot July air.

11. He knew the lake would be lukewarm and _______________________ in the heat.

12. Paul could see the boys _______________________ and become more distant as he drove away from them.

13. As with many other townspeople, Paul wasn’t _______________________ because his family didn’t have a lot of money.

Literary Focus Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following items. (20 points; 5 points each)

14. During the war, Paul faced an external conflict—

A) with the enemy

B) over his desire to be brave

C) as he struggled with himself to win a medal

D) over whether or not to finish the job that Frenchie Tucker began

Unit 6: Collection 16, Selection Test continued

15. Which of the following is an example of an internal conflict?

A) While driving her car with her baby in the car seat, a woman is suddenly trapped in an unexpected downpour.

B) A teenager transfers to a private school where he unhappily discovers he is required to wear a uniform.

C) Wanting to make friends but fearful of consequences, a young girl considers joining a gang.

D) A businessman walking to work passes beneath the cornice of an old building, which breaks loose and falls onto him.

16. Which of the following best describes Paul’s conflict?

A) Internal—He doesn’t want to talk about the war because he is a coward.

B) Internal—He needs to talk about the war and his shame, but he cannot face it.

C) External—He doesn’t want to march against the Vietnam War with other vets.

D) External—The army wants him to help recruit soldiers at the local high school.

17. Paul’s conflict leads him to—

A) speak more to his father

B) become involved with the town

C) question himself

D) seek out an old friend

Reading Focus Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following items. (10 points; 5 points each)

18. A story’s historical context is a component of which element of literature?

A) tone

B) setting

C) conflict

D) characterization

19. Considering the historical context of the story, the conflict that shapes the character of Paul Berlin is between the—

A) values his father taught him as a child and the values his father holds now

B) values of small-town Iowa and the progressive values of his father

C) repressive values of a small town and the progressive values of a big city

D) values of small-town Iowa and the realities of jungle warfare in Vietnam

Fifteen Minute Timed WRITing (20 points)

20. In an attempt to justify the continued United States involvement in Vietnam, President Richard Nixon said that Americans want a peace they can live with, a peace they can be proud of. In what ways does this statement apply to Paul Berlin and his conflicts about his war experiences? On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph explaining your answer. Support your ideas with details from the story.

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