AnswersJ. Blaum 0231 10th Grade English 1st 9 Weeks 26-27Ralph Waldo Emerson

Henry David Thoreau - Walden Answers

2 verified answers2 views
1
Free Preview

Read the excerpt from Walden.[A]s the sun arose, I saw it [the pond] throwing off its nightly clothing of mist, and here and there, by degrees, its soft ripples or its smooth reflecting surface was revealed, while the mists, like ghosts, were stealthily withdrawing in every direction into the woods, as at the breaking up of some nocturnal conventicle [secret meeting].In the excerpt, Thoreau uses imagery to describe

A
fog slowly rising from the surface of the pond.
B
a fierce wind blowing water across the pond.
C
insects floating peacefully above the pond.
D
a soft, warm light shining on the pond.
2
Free Preview

Read the excerpt from Walden.Hardly a man takes a half-hour’s nap after dinner, but when he wakes he holds up his head and asks, “What’s the news?” as if the rest of mankind had stood his sentinels [soldiers].Which best describes the “man” Thoreau refers to in the excerpt?

A
He expects others to attend to his needs when he wakes up.
B
He is under constant protection by soldiers.
C
He naps often and is always sleepy.
D
He must have the most up-to-date news at all times.
3

Which best states the overall structure of Walden?

A
The work describes the effect spending time in nature has on Thoreau, and then explains why it has that effect.
B
The work describes Thoreau’s thoughts over the course of a year spent immersed in the natural world.
C
The work compares Thoreau’s thoughts before coming to Walden to his thoughts afterward.
D
The work shows how various problems Thoreau had before he came to Walden are solved by his retreat.
4

Based on the ideas in Walden, how would Thoreau most likely feel about recent advances in technology, such as cell phones and handheld computers?

A
He would feel they were important for the public good.
B
He would believe they were beneficial to providing solitude.
C
He would believe they were destructive to a person’s thinking ability.
D
He would feel they were impractical compared to earlier inventions.
5

How does the progress of the last paragraph of “Where I Lived and What I Lived For” communicate the main idea of Walden?

A
Just as the paragraph moves from images of the water to those of the earth, Thoreau moves from emotional subjects to more practical subjects.
B
Thoreau moves from gazing at the water to burrowing into the earth, just as the excerpt shows a progress from observation to contemplation.
C
The progress of the paragraph reinforces the increasing comfort Thoreau felt in the natural world.
D
Just as the paragraph moves from gazing at water to digging in the earth, the excerpt moves from minimal knowledge of nature to more in-depth knowledge.
6

Read the excerpt from the “Conclusion” of Walden.I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense, and he will live with the license of a higher order of beings.What belief about life is being described in this excerpt?

A
Individuals eventually learn to appreciate their surroundings.
B
Individuals who follow their dreams eventually attain them.
C
Cultures have a tendency to force their values on individuals.
D
As cultures change, individuals change along with them.
7

In the second paragraph of “Spring” in Walden, how does the contrast of two time periods aid the development of a theme?

A
Thoreau’s description of a burst of light on a winter day resembles his own enlightenment.
B
The introduction of light into a cold, dark setting reflects Thoreau’s happiness at being separate from society.
C
Thoreau is surprised by the appearance of spring sunlight, just as he is surprised at the discoveries he makes about nature during the course of his time in the woods.
D
The feeling of happiness Thoreau describes at the changing of the seasons parallels his contentment as his self-knowledge grows.
8

In the first paragraph of “Conclusion” in Walden, how does Thoreau explain his departure from the woods?

A
He explains that he left the woods because he had nothing left to write about.
B
He views his departure as a rejection of the idea of living in nature.
C
He explains that he left because he was no longer comfortable in the woods.
D
He explains his departure as the movement from one part of his life to another.
9

Read the excerpt from Walden.Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life? We are determined to be starved before we are hungry. Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitches today to save nine tomorrow.How does the excerpt relate to today’s culture?

A
It supports the idea that people move too quickly and forget to experience the present moment.
B
It supports the idea that care and caution have become increasingly important in modern society.
C
It supports the notion that we are perpetually finding new ways to make progress.
D
It supports the notion that survival depends on our own determination.
10

Read the excerpt from Walden.I am on the alert for the first signs of spring, to hear the chance note of some arriving bird, or the striped squirrel’s chirp, for his stores must be now nearly exhausted, or see the woodchuck venture out of his winter quarters.How do the images in the excerpt relate to Thoreau’s overall quest in Walden?

A
They illustrate that the beginning of spring has a greater meaning for the animal kingdom than for humans.
B
They demonstrate that Thoreau has a greater understanding of animals now than he used to have.
C
They create a connection between Thoreau’s experience and the solitary animals that he is observing.
D
They remind readers that humans are not the only beings to notice the arrival of spring.

Did you find these answers helpful?

More from this Course

Quiz
10 verified answers

Writing Workshop: Narrative Writing

Quiz
4 verified answers

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quiz
4 verified answers

Henry David Thoreau - "Civil Disobedience"

Henry David Thoreau - Walden Answers — J. Blaum…