Untangle a long sentence from an older text
Grade 11 Reading Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
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A Nation of Associations (public-domain book excerpt in an 1840 translation, with background and word notes): Background: [1] Alexis de Tocqueville, a French writer, traveled through the United States in 1831 and 1832 to study how its people governed themselves. [2] He published Democracy in America in two volumes, in 1835 and 1840, and Henry Reeve translated it into English. [3] These sentences come from a chapter of the second volume on the clubs and societies Americans form, copied from Reeve's translation with each cut marked.
From Democracy in America, Volume 2 (1840): [4] Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all dispositions, constantly form associations. [5] They have not only commercial and manufacturing companies, in which all take part, but associations of a thousand other kinds… [6] …If it be proposed to advance some truth, or to foster some feeling by the encouragement of a great example, they form a society. [7] Wherever, at the head of some new undertaking, you see the government in France, or a man of rank in England, in the United States you will be sure to find an association. [8] I met with several kinds of associations in America, of which I confess I had no previous notion; and I have often admired the extreme skill with which the inhabitants of the United States succeed in proposing a common object to the exertions of a great many men, and in getting them voluntarily to pursue it. [9] I have since traveled over England, whence the Americans have taken some of their laws and many of their customs; and it seemed to me that the principle of association was by no means so constantly or so adroitly used in that country.
Word notes: [10] An association is a club or society formed for a shared purpose. [11] Conditions here means stations in life, and dispositions means kinds of temper. [12] If it be proposed means if someone proposes, and a man of rank is a nobleman. [13] Whence means from which, and adroitly means skillfully. [14] Reeve's printing doubles the l in traveled, and it is changed here to the U.S. spelling. [15] The cuts leave out a list of kinds of associations and a sentence listing what they build.
Ari is restating sentence 7 in plain words. Which restatement keeps its meaning?
- In the United States, just as in France and England, the government or a nobleman usually takes the lead in new projects.
- France would look to its government, England to a nobleman; in the United States, an association leads.
- Americans form associations because they have no men of rank, as the word notes explain.
- In the United States, an association usually leads new projects.
Luz is finding where sentence 9 makes its claim about England. Which part carries that claim?
- “whence the Americans have taken some of their laws and many of their customs”
- “and it seemed to me”
- “the principle of association was by no means so constantly or so adroitly used in that country”
- “I have since traveled over England”
Tala is splitting sentence 8 into two plain sentences. Which split keeps its meaning?
- I met several kinds of associations in America. The Americans had never imagined them, but I admired their skill.
- I met several kinds of associations in America that I had never imagined. I have often admired how skillfully Americans get many people to choose a shared goal and work for it willingly.
- I met several kinds of associations in America. Of which I confess I had no previous notion.
- I met several kinds of associations in America that I had never imagined. I have often admired how skillfully Americans force many people to work toward a shared goal against their wishes.
Jun is restating sentence 6 in plain words. Which restatement keeps its meaning?
- When someone wants to spread an idea or a feeling by setting a strong example, Americans start a society.
- When a nobleman proposes an idea, Americans form a society around him, as the notes explain.
- Americans start a society whenever they have a new idea of any kind.
- When someone wants to spread an idea or a feeling, Americans wait for one great leader to set the example for them.
Pia is finding where sentence 8 makes its claim about American skill. Which part carries that claim?
- “of which I confess I had no previous notion”
- “I have often admired the extreme skill with which the inhabitants of the United States succeed in proposing a common object”
- “to the exertions of a great many men”
- “I met with several kinds of associations in America”
Bo is splitting sentence 5 into two plain sentences. Which split keeps its meaning?
- They have commercial and manufacturing companies, in which everyone takes part. They have few other kinds of associations.
- They have not only commercial and manufacturing companies, in which all take part. But associations of a thousand other kinds in the country.
- They have commercial and manufacturing companies. Everyone takes part in their thousand other kinds of associations.
- They have commercial and manufacturing companies, in which everyone takes part. They also have associations of a thousand other kinds.
Two Newcomers at the Dance (public-domain novel excerpt with background and word notes)
Background: [1] Jane Austen published Pride and Prejudice in England in 1813, and the novel is set among country families of her own time. [2] In this chapter two wealthy young men, Mr. Bingley and his friend Mr. Darcy, arrive at a public dance in a small market town. [3] The sentences are copied exactly from the novel's third chapter, with the one cut marked.
From Pride and Prejudice (1813): [4] Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike: he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. [5] …His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report, which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. [6] The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend. [7] Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room: he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. [8] Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves.
Word notes: [9] Gentlemanlike means having a gentleman's manners, and a countenance is a face or its expression. [10] Unaffected means natural, and mien is a person's look or bearing. [11] Ten thousand a year means an income of ten thousand pounds a year, a very large fortune then. [12] A disgust here is a strong dislike, and to turn the tide is to reverse its direction. [13] Forbidding means unfriendly, and Netherfield is the house Mr. Bingley has rented nearby. [14] The cut leaves out a sentence about Mr. Bingley's sisters.
Zee is finding where sentence 6 gives the reason the tide of Mr. Darcy's popularity turned. Which part gives that reason?
- “for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased”
- “not all his large estate in Derbyshire”
- “the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley”
- “which turned the tide of his popularity”
Kira is splitting sentence 7 into two plain sentences. Which split keeps its meaning?
- Mr. Bingley soon got to know all the important people in the room. Lively and open, dancing every dance and sorry that the ball closed so early.
- Mr. Bingley soon got to know all the important people in the room. He was lively and open, danced two dances, and talked of giving a ball at Netherfield.
- Mr. Bingley soon got to know all the important people in the room. He was lively and open, danced every dance, was sorry the ball ended so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield.
- Mr. Bingley soon got to know all the important people in the room, who were lively and open and danced every dance. He talked of giving a ball at Netherfield.
Ren is restating sentence 8 in plain words. Which restatement keeps its meaning?
- Qualities as pleasant as Mr. Bingley's need no praise from anyone else.
- Qualities as pleasant as Mr. Bingley's need a great deal of explaining.
- Mr. Bingley has some qualities that people can see.
- Mr. Bingley's ten thousand a year speaks for itself to the whole room at the dance.
Noah is splitting the first half of sentence 6, up to the reason after “for,” into two plain sentences. Which split keeps its meaning?
- The gentlemen admired him, the ladies found him handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was admired for about half the evening. Then his manners caused a dislike that reversed his popularity, because he was found to be shy.
- The gentlemen admired him, the ladies found him handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was admired for about half the evening. Then Mr. Bingley's manners caused a dislike that reversed his popularity, because he was found to be proud.
- The gentlemen admired him, the ladies found him handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was admired for about half the evening. Till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity.
- The gentlemen admired him, the ladies found him handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was admired for about half the evening. Then his manners caused a dislike that reversed his popularity, because he was found to be proud.
