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Read the excerpt from Gilgamesh: A New English Version.
At four hundred miles they stopped to eat,
at a thousand miles they pitched their camp.
They had traveled for just three days and nights,
a six weeks' journey for ordinary men.
When the sun was setting, they dug a well,
they filled their waterskins with fresh water,
Gilgamesh climbed to the mountaintop,
he poured out flour as an offering and said,
"Mountain,
bring me a favorable dream."
Which feature of epic poetry does this excerpt most clearly show?
a courageous hero who answers a call to adventure
a journey filled with many challenges
a vast setting of distant landscapes
supernatural forces, such as gods or monsters, that intervene
Consider the passage and theme.
Devin kept a low profile in school. He attended classes and talked with his friends in the hall, but few knew him well. He rarely raised his hand in class and never spoke out of turn. Even in band class, he refused to draw attention to himself. Though he had earned the honor of first-chair saxophone, he did not reveal his passion for his instrument to his classmates.
Then, sophomore year, Devin joined the marching band despite his fear of public scrutiny. The night of the first football game, his palms were sweating and his heart was racing as the band marched onto the field. But as soon as he began to play, his fears were forgotten, and through the glare of the lights he could see the crowd swaying and clapping to the music. Devin was completely at ease during his solo, and after the game a friend told him, "You were great! I didn't know you had it in you."
Theme One: It is important to take risks.
What other theme is addressed in the passage?
People can reveal themselves through their passions.
Music entertains people with varied interests.
A leader knows how to share the
spotlight with others.
Shyness can prevent people from finding social success.
Which examples from Gilgamesh: A New English Version most effectively illustrate the point that Gilgamesh takes risks? Check all that apply.
From far off they saw the Cedar Mountain, / sacred to Ishtar, where the gods dwell, / the slopes of it steep, and rich in cedars
They advanced to the monster's den. Humbaba / charged out roaring at them and said, / "I know you,
Gilgamesh. Don't be a fool."
Gilgamesh felt his courage return. / They charged at Humbaba like two wild bulls.
He could not move forward, could not retreat. / Gilgamesh saw it, he leaped upon him, / he held a knife to Humbaba's throat.
Gilgamesh chopped down the mighty trees, / Enkidu hewed the trunks into timbers.
Read the excerpt from Gilgamesh: A New English Version.
Gilgamesh, hearing his beloved friend,
came to himself. He yelled, he
lifted
his massive axe, he swung it, it tore
into Humbaba's neck, the blood
shot out, again the axe bit flesh
and bone, the monster staggered, his eyes
rolled, and at the axe's third stroke
he toppled like a cedar and crashed to the ground.
In this excerpt, Gilgamesh's characteristics are revealed through
his actions.
his words.
a description.
others' thoughts.
Read the excerpt from Gilgamesh: A New English Version.
Gilgamesh said, "Courage, dear brother,
this is no time to give in to fear.
We have come so far, across so many mountains,
and our journey is about to reach its goal.
You were raised in the wild, with your own hands
you have killed marauding lions and wolves,
you are brave, your heart has been tested in combat.
Though your arms feel weak now and your legs tremble,
you are a warrior, you know what to do.
Shout out your battle-cry, let your voice pound
like
a kettle drum. Let your heart inspire you
to be joyous in battle, to forget about death.
If we help each other and fight side by side,
we will make a lasting name for ourselves,
we will stamp our fame on men's minds forever."
Which evidence from the excerpt best illustrates the point that Gilgamesh is a leader who believes in teamwork?
Gilgamesh said, "Courage, dear brother, / this is no time to give in to fear. / We have come so far, across so many mountains"
You
were raised in the wild, with your own hands / you have killed marauding lions and wolves, / you are brave, your heart has been tested in combat.
Though your arms feel weak now and your legs tremble, / you are a warrior, you know what to do.
If we help each other and fight side by side, / we will make a lasting name for ourselves, / we will stamp our fame on men's minds forever.
Read the paragraph and the sentence below it.
1Enkidu, who had met the beast, warned Gilgamesh of the dangers involved, explaining that Gilgamesh did not "know the horror that lurks ahead." 2Upon seeing the beast Humbaba, Gilgamesh himself became seized with dread and terror. 3However, despite Enkidu's warning and his own temporary paralysis upon seeing Humbaba, Gilgamesh charged at Humbaba with his axe. 4He demonstrated that he was able to summon the bravery necessary to overcome his fear and attack the frightening beast.
Sentence: In fact, Gilgamesh was so frightened that "terror flooded / his muscles, his heart froze, his mouth went dry, / his legs shook," and "his feet were rooted to the ground."
What is the best place for this sentence if it is added to the paragraph?
before sentence 1
between sentences 2 and 3
between sentences 3 and 4
after sentence 4
Read the passage from Beowulf.
Wealhtheow came in,
Hrothgar's queen, observing the courtesies.
Adorned in her gold, she
graciously saluted
the men in hall, then handed the cup
first to Hrothgar, their homeland's guardian,
urging him to drink deep and enjoy it
because he was dear to them. And he drank it down
like the warlord he was, with festive cheer.
So the Helming woman went on her rounds,
queenly and dignified, decked out in rings,
offering the goblet to all ranks,
treating the household and the assembled troop
until it was Beowulf's turn to take it from her hand.
With
measured words she welcomed the Geat
and thanked God for granting her wish
that a deliverer she could believe in would arrive
to ease their afflictions.
Which inference is most supported by the passage?
Wealhtheow is more interested in wealth and power than she is in the safety of her people.
Wealhtheow is not pleased that Beowulf and his men have arrived to fight with Grendel.
Wealhtheow is nervous speaking in front of Beowulf and his men because she is afraid of
them.
Wealhtheow has not been impressed by the men who have fought Grendel up to this point.
Read the excerpt from Grendel.
Then they would fight. Spears flying, swords whonking, arrows raining from the windows and doors of the meadhall and the edge of the woods. Horses reared and fell over screaming, ravens flew, crazy as bats in a fire, men staggered, gesturing wildly, making speeches, dying or sometimes pretending to be dying, sneaking off. Sometimes the attackers would be driven back, sometimes they'd win and burn the meadhall down, sometimes they'd capture the king of the meadhall and make his people give weapons and gold rings and cows.
It was confusing and frightening, not in a way I could untangle. I was safe in my tree, and the men who fought were nothing to me, except of course that they talked in something akin to my language, which meant that we were, incredibly, related. I was sickened, if only at the waste of it: all they killed—cows, horses, men—they left to rot or burn.
Which statement best describes Grendel's perspective?
He enjoys watching the violent men kill one another.
He admires the powerful weapons and strong men.
He wishes to be part of the excitement somehow.
He feels disgusted by the wasteful nature of war.
Read the reflection from Kara's narrative.
1 Ironically, it is from my much younger—and, I used to think, less wise—brother that I learned the value of being honest even when a lie may seem far more tempting at the time. 2 I knew that what he did that day must have been extremely difficult for him. 3 Yet there he stood, taking responsibility for his actions with not a glimmer of hesitation. 4 It is this determination and resolve to do what is right—even when what is right is not what is easy—that I remembered many years later in college when faced with a similar predicament of my own.
Which line would most strengthen the reflection in Kara's essay if it were added after sentence 4?
When deciding how honest to be about the role I had played in the situation, I kept thinking of my little brother and how he had the wisdom, even at his young age, to do what was right.
After unintentionally breaking my roommate's treasured figurine, I squared my shoulders and took responsibility for my actions, much like my little brother had done all those years ago.
Even though it had been an accident, I
was afraid to admit what had happened and found myself wishing that my younger brother could be there to bolster my courage.
To this day, I still remember the incident as vividly as if it had happened yesterday, and I know it is a valuable lesson I will one day share with children of my own.
Su