AnswersIA-English Language Arts 11 AWriting Workshop: Argumentative Essay

Writing Workshop: Argumentative Essay — Unit test Answers

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Read the following excerpt taken from the US Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).The case coming on for a hearing before the Supreme Court, that court was of opinion that the law under which the prosecution had was constitutional, and denied the relief prayed for by the petitioner. Ex parte Plessy, 45 La.Ann. 80. Whereupon petitioner prayed for a writ of error from this court, which was allowed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Louisiana.MR. JUSTICE BROWN, after stating the case, delivered the opinion of the court.This case turns upon the constitutionality of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, passed in 1890, providing for separate railway carriages for the white and colored races. Acts 1890, No. 111, p. 152.The first section of the statute enacts"that all railway companies carrying passengers in their coaches in this State shall provide equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races by providing two or more passenger coaches for each passenger train, or by dividing the passenger coaches by a partition so as to secure separate accommodations: Provided, That this section shall not be construed to apply to street railroads. No person or persons, shall be admitted to occupy seats in coaches other than the ones assigned to them on account of the race they belong to." The Supreme Court’s ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson was problematic because

A
the court was not able to overturn the Louisiana state law that required passengers be separated by race.
B
the court did not have any Black justices among its members.
C
it was unclear if Plessy (who was of mixed race) broke the law by sitting in the whites-only coach.
D
it was based on the belief that segregation was permissible as long as the facilities were equal.
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Read the excerpt from the US Supreme court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).The statute of Louisiana, acts of 1890, c. 111, requiring railway companies carrying passengers in their coaches in that State, to provide equal, but separate, accommodations for the white and colored races, by providing two or more passenger coaches for each passenger train, or by dividing the passenger coaches by a partition so as to secure separate accommodations; and providing that no person shall be permitted to occupy seats in coaches other than the ones assigned to them, on account of the race they belong to; and requiring the officer of the passenger train to assign each passenger to the coach or compartment assigned for the race to which he or she belong; and imposing fines or imprisonment upon passengers insisting on going into a coach or compartment other than the one set aide for the race to which he or she belongs; and conferring upon officers of the train power to refuse to carry on the train passengers refusing to occupy the coach or compartment assigned to them, and exempting the railway company from liability for such refusal, are not in conflict with the provisions either of the Thirteenth Amendment or of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Which best explains why the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson was unconstitutional?

A
The Supreme Court’s ruling allowed states to deny equal protection to any person within its jurisdiction.
B
Since the 14th Amendment did not make concessions for people born outside the US, the Supreme Court’s decision could not be applied.
C
The Supreme Court’s decision gave individual states the freedom to make their own laws in relation to the treatment of people of color.
D
Since segregation laws did not provide equal protections or liberties to people of color, the ruling was not consistent with the 14th Amendment.
3

Read the excerpt from Black Boy.Then my father was called; he came forward jauntily, smiling. He tried to kiss my mother, but she turned away from him. I only heard one sentence of what he said.“I’m doing all I can, Your Honor,” he mumbled, grinning.It had been painful to sit and watch my mother crying and my father laughing and I was glad when we were outside in the sunny streets. Back at home my mother wept again and talked complainingly about the unfairness of the judge who had accepted my father’s word.What societal norm of the early twentieth century does this excerpt reflect?

A
Women cherished their domestic roles within the home.
B
Men were considered more able and trustworthy than women.
C
Judges spent a great deal of time reviewing court cases.
D
Courts were impartial mediators in marital disputes.
4

Read this line from "Harlem." Or does it explode?Read this line from "The Weary Blues."Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.What sense do both of these lines rely on?

A
the sense of touch
B
the sense of hearing
C
the sense of sight
D
the sense of smell
5

Read the excerpt from Black Boy.Again I was faced with choices I did not like, but I finally agreed. After all, my hate for my father was not so great and urgent as my hate for the orphan home. My mother held to her idea and one night a week or so later I found myself standing in a room in a frame house. My father and a strange woman were sitting before a bright fire that blazed in a grate. My mother and I were standing about six feet away, as though we were afraid to approach them any closer.Wright explains his difficult choice in this excerpt in order to show that he was

A
willing to do anything to leave the orphanage.
B
trying to do anything to help his mother.
C
afraid of his father and the strange woman.
D
angry at his father and the strange woman.
6

Which correctly demonstrates MLA formatting?

A
One way of going about research is “by browsing the academic search engine at your school library.” (Scott 56)
B
One way of going about research is “by browsing the academic search engine at your school library” (Scott 56).
C
One way of going about research is “by browsing the academic search engine at your school library (Scott 56).”
D
One way of going about research is “by browsing the academic search engine at your school library. (Scott 56)”
7

Read the excerpt from a text about online learning.“Virtual schools were growing quite quickly,” said Christina Martin, a policy analyst at the Cascade Policy Institute, a free-market think tank based in Portland, Ore. . . .The big issue, she said, was fairness. Some students have access to virtual schools because they have a learning coach to stay home with them, while others don’t. Also, Internet connections can be costly, and not every family has one. And families have to pay for their own printing. . . . “An adult must stay with a child during the day and make sure they’re doing their work.” This information would best support a claim about students’ need for

A
personal coaches.
B
Internet supervision.
C
high-tech gadgets.
D
equal access to technology.
8

Read the passage from A New Astronomy, by David Todd.From Polaris a line of small stars curves toward the handle of the Dipper, meeting the upper one of a pair of the third magnitude. This pair, with another farther on and parallel to it, form the 'Little Dipper,' Polaris being the end of its handle. The group is Ursa Minor. Opposite the handle of the great Dipper, and at about the same distance from Polaris, are five rather bright stars forming a flattened letter W. They are the principal stars of Cassiopeia.What strategy does the author use in his choice of language to convey his message?

A
persuasive influence
B
facts and statements
C
sequence of events
D
experts’ logic and reason
9

Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.How does King support this claim?

A
by providing the names of corrupt public figures
B
by explaining Birmingham’s segregationists laws
C
by quoting the racist sentiments of city leaders
D
by describing Birmingham’s record of injustice
10

Read the excerpt from “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.Why does King use this allusion?

A
to establish historical precedent for his actions
B
to commemorate a beloved US leader
C
to appeal to his critics’ sense of moral justice
D
to forge a connection with modern political figures
11

Read this introductory sentence.Our county government has neglectfully ignored a national trend in child safety and must enact a bicycle helmet law immediately to right this wrong.Which best describes the tone?

A
engaging
B
critical
C
academic
D
impolite
12

Read the excerpt from Black Boy.From far beyond the horizons that bound this bleak plantation there had come to me through my living the knowledge that my father was a black peasant who had gone to the city seeking life, but who had failed in the city; a black peasant whose life had been hopelessly snarled in the city, and who had at last fled the city—that same city which had lifted me in its burning arms and borne me toward alien and undreamed-of shores of knowing.Which best describes Wright’s realization in this excerpt?

A
Wright acknowledges that the city that destroyed his father’s dreams was the same city that fulfilled his own.
B
Wright acknowledges that his father was destined to fail in the city, just as generations failed after him.
C
Wright acknowledges that his father had the same opportunities in the city he did.
D
Wright acknowledges that his success was based solely on the lessons he learned from his father’s failure.
13

Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. How does King support this claim?

A
by listing churches who support his nonviolent stand
B
by describing nonviolent direct action as a peaceful middle ground
C
by urging church leaders to abandon their “do nothing” approaches
D
by insisting that complacency is preferable to hatred and violence
14

Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.Why does King use this allusion?

A
to compare two historic documents
B
to urge patriotic responsibility
C
to issue a call for action
D
to state a moral dilemma
15

Read the excerpt from Jackie Robinson’s letter to President Eisenhower.As the chief executive of our nation, I respectfully suggest that you unwittingly crush the spirit of freedom in Negroes by constantly urging forbearance and give hope to those pro-segregation leaders like Governor Faubus who would take from us even those freedoms we now enjoy. Your own experience with Governor Faubus is proof enough that forbearance and not eventual integration is the goal the pro-segregation leaders seek. Which best explains the purpose of Robinson’s letter?

A
to appeal to President Eisenhower for the termination of Governor Faubus from public office
B
to bring the problem of inequality among African American communities to President Eisenhower’s attention
C
to request immediate action from President Eisenhower in furthering equal rights for African Americans
D
to ask President Eisenhower about the eventual removal of all Jim Crow laws
16

Read the excerpt from Jackie Robinson’s letter to President Eisenhower.I respectfully remind you sir, that we have been the most patient of all people. When you said we must have self-respect, I wondered how we could have self-respect and remain patient considering the treatment accorded to us through the years.Which best explains why Robinson includes this description of Black people?

A
to warn the president that Black people are tired of waiting and will soon take action
B
to point out that Black people have greatly suffered for far too long
C
to assure the president that Black people would continue to wait patiently
D
to show that he respects the president and all he has done to help Black people
17

Read the excerpt from Jackie Robinson’s letter to President Eisenhower.When you said we must have self-respect, I wondered how we could have self-respect and remain patient considering the treatment accorded to us through the years.This excerpt contains an historical allusion to

A
civil rights activists that advocated for equal rights in the United States throughout the 20th century.
B
the discrimination and bigotry faced by Black people throughout history in the United States.
C
Robinson’s belief that an end to segregation is impossible to achieve in the United States.
D
Robinson’s belief that President Eisenhower is responsible for ending segregation in the United States.
18

Read the following excerpt from Jackie Robinson’s letter to President Eisenhower.As the chief executive of our nation, I respectfully suggest that you unwittingly crush the spirit of freedom in Negroes by constantly urging forbearance and give hope to those pro-segregation leaders like Governor Faubus who would take from us even those freedoms we now enjoy. Your own experience with Governor Faubus is proof enough that forbearance and not eventual integration is the goal the pro-segregation leaders seek. To which specific historic event is Jackie Robinson referring to in the letter?

A
President Eisenhower’s argument over civil rights with Arkansas Governor Faubus at the Summit Meeting of Negro Leaders the day before this letter was written
B
the riots of Harlem, which broke out in response to African Americans’ frustration at job discrimination, police brutality, poor treatment by the armed forces, and lack of access to economic opportunities
C
Governor Faubus’s calling of the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African American students from entering Little Rock Central High School, despite the US Supreme Court’s ruling against segregation
D
the rumored fatal shooting in August 1943 of a white soldier, which culminated in race rioting across the nation
19

How does the mention of Governor Faubus in Jackie Robinson’s letter to President Eisenhower strengthen the main argument of the letter?

A
The reference highlights President Eisenhower’s deep dislike of the governor and shows his willingness to remove him from office.
B
Robinson notes that Governor Faubus spoke during the Summit Meeting of Negro Leaders and became a symbol of civil rights.
C
Robinson uses Governor Faubus as a metaphor for racial segregation and therefore provides a strong visual image.
D
The reference provides a real-life example of a pro-segregationist and his actions, making the need for civil rights more dire.
20

Which best identifies Jackie Robinson’s reason for writing his letter to President Eisenhower?

A
He hopes that the president will take immediate action to curb segregation laws at the federal level.
B
He believes that the president should punish Governor Faubus for his inexcusable actions.
C
He feels that the president has too much sympathy for pro-segregationists like Governor Faubus.
D
He thinks that the president should be commended for his remarks at the Summit Meeting of Negro Leaders.

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