COLEGIO EVEREST CHIHUAHUA

BACHILLERATO ANÁHUAC
FIRST PERIOD EXAM
12th GRADE
ENGLISH
SEPTEMBER 2018

Name: _____________________________________ List no. _________

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.- Causes of total or partial cancellation of the exam:
- Speaking during the exam, even if you have turned it in.
- Lending or borrowing any kind of material.
- Any situation the teacher considers relevant.
- Illegible handwriting.
2.- You must answer with blue or black ink pen, Neatly.
3.- Maximum time to solve the test: 45 minutes.
4.- You can´t use book or dictionary.
5.- Number of questions: 50 POINTS
Correct answers: ___________ Grade:______

from Beowulf (with an excerpt from Beowulf, a graphic novel)

translated by Burton Raffel; Gareth Hinds
Identify the choice that best answers the question.

___ 1. In Beowulf, why does Beowulf sail with his chosen companions to Hrothgar’s kingdom?
a. to bring home treasures from that rich kingdom
b. to win glory by slaying a fire-breathing dragon
c. to help Hrothgar by destroying a monster
d. to take over the throne of Higlac

___ 2. From which fact in Beowulf can the reader infer that Beowulf is honorable?
a. Beowulf refuses to use weapons because Grendel uses none.
b. Beowulf vows to ambush Grendel and destroy the monster.
c. Beowulf is the strongest of the Geats.
d. Higlac is Beowulf’s cousin.

___ 3. In Beowulf, how does Grendel die?

a. Beowulf grips Grendel and chokes him to death.
b. Hrothgar and Beowulf attack Grendel with iron spears.
c. In one-to-one combat, Beowulf tears off Grendel’s arm.
d. The companions of Beowulf attack Grendel with their swords.

___ 4. In Beowulf, what is the main reason Wiglaf thinks that he and his companions should help
Beowulf fight the dragon?
a. Beowulf is too old and sick to fight.
b. Doing so will increase Beowulf’s chances of victory.
c. By fighting, Beowulf’s companions can claim shares in the monster’s treasure.
d. In the past, they had promised to repay Beowulf’s kindness with their loyalty.

___ 5. If a certain place can correctly be described as a lair, which of the following must be true?
a. It serves as a rest stop.
b. It serves as a storage area.
c. It serves as a living or hiding place.
d. It serves as a place for storing weapons.
___ 6. Which of the following things would most likely be described as gruesome?
a. an unusual rock formation
b. an oddly shaped vegetable
c. a horrible automobile accident
d. a demanding physical challenge

___ 7. If an animal can correctly be described as writhing, which of the following must be true?
a. It is chewing.
b. It is enormous.
c. It is squirming.
d. It is multicolored.

___ 8. What does this statement tell you about Grendel, the first monster described in the selection
from Beowulf?
The monster’s / Thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws. . . .
a. He is hungry.
b. He has sharp claws.
c. He is not trustworthy.
d. He has intelligence and cleverness.

9. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first and then Part B.
___ Part A Which of the following best summarizes the theme, or main lesson, of Beowulf?
a. Might makes right.
b. Valor will triumph.
c. Brains are superior to brawn.
d. Wickedness cannot be defeated.
___ Part B Which excerpt from Beowulf best supports the answer to Part A?
a. Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy / Sword, hammered by giants, strong / And
blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons. . . . (lines 528–530)
b. But so massive [a sword] that no ordinary man could lift [it]. . . . / He drew it / From its
scabbard . . . / lifted it high over his head / And struck with all the strength he had left.
(lines 531–536)
c. They spoke about Beowulf, / All the graybeards, whispered together / And said that hope
was gone, that the hero / Had lost fame and his life at once, and would never / Return to
the living. . . . (lines 564–568)
d. . . . Then the Geats’ brave prince entered / Herot, covered with glory for the daring /
Battles he had fought; he sought Hrothgar / To salute him and show Grendel’s head.
(lines 613–616)

___ 10. Which choice best paraphrases the underlined words in this excerpt from Beowulf?
. . . they could hack at Grendel
From every side, trying to open
A path for his evil soul, but their points
Could not hurt him. . . . (lines 370–373)
a. to kill him
b. to help him escape
c. to turn his soul to God
d. to drive him out of the hall

11. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first and then Part B.
___ Part A Which of the following is the most likely conclusion about Beowulf that can be drawn
from his battle with Grendel’s mother?
a. Beowulf was too old and weak to defeat Grendel’s mother on his own.
b. Beowulf had difficulty killing Grendel’s mother because she was so much smarter than he
was.
c. Beowulf triumphed over Grendel’s mother through his own strength and determination to
win at any cost.
d. Beowulf triumphed over Grendel’s mother through a combination of good fortune and his
own strength and determination.
___ Part B Which excerpt from Beowulf best supports the answer to Part A?
a. . . . Then [Grendel’s mother] carried [Beowulf], armor / And sword and all, to her home;
he struggled / To free his weapon, and failed. (lines 477–479)
b. . . . But her guest [Beowulf] / Discovered that no sword could slice her evil / Skin, that
Hrunting could not hurt her, /. . . If weapons were useless, he’d use / His hands, the
strength in his fingers. (lines 493–505)
c. But [Grendel’s mother] rose / At once and repaid him with her clutching claws, / Wildly
tearing at him. He was weary, that best / And strongest of soldiers; his feet stumbled /
And in an instant she had him down, held helpless. (lines 511–515)
d. Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy / Sword, hammered by giants, strong / And
blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons / But so massive that no ordinary man
could lift [it]. . . . / [He] lifted it high over his head / And struck with all the strength he had
left. . . . (lines 528–536)

___ 12. Which of the following accurately state a reason to characterize Beowulf as an epic?
Choose three options.
a. It depicts a hero who is brought down by a character flaw.
b. It depicts a hero battling forces that threaten the world.
c. It is a story that is told in a serious manner.
d. It tells the story of the hero’s entire life.
e. It uses plain, straightforward language.
f. It uses elevated language.

___ 13. Which of the following characteristics or actions most clearly shows that Beowulf fits the
definition of an epic hero?
a. He is quick to boast about his achievements.
b. He sails a great distance to help people in need.
c. He is as loyal to his followers as they are to him.
d. He fights with extraordinary strength and courage.

___ 14. Which of the following elements of Beowulf is most clearly an archetypal pattern?
a. the sacrificial love of parents for their children
b. the friendship between the Geats and the Danes
c. the struggle between an evil creature and an exemplary hero
d. the importance of being honored in a foreign nation after death

15. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first and then Part B.
___ Part A Which of the following is the most likely reason that the author shows Beowulf as a
warrior at different stages of his life?
a. to show that Beowulf maintained the qualities of an epic hero until his death and so
deserves glory
b. to warn young warriors that their fighting powers will inevitably decline and lead to their
death
c. to portray Beowulf as a superhuman warrior who is never defeated
d. to persuade younger warriors to help older ones in battle
___ Part B Which quotation from Beowulf best supports the answer to Part A?
a. That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime [Grendel] / Knew at once that nowhere on
earth / Had he met a man whose hands were harder; / His mind was flooded with fear [of
Beowulf]. . . . (lines 323–326)
b. [The dragon’s] breath flared, / And he suffered, wrapped around in swirling / Flames—a
king, before, but now / A beaten warrior. . . . (lines 703–706)
c. “. . . I [Wiglaf] swear that nothing / [Beowulf] ever did deserved an end / Like this, dying
miserable and alone. . . .” / Then he ran to his king, crying encouragement / As he dove
through the dragon’s deadly fumes. (lines 766–772)
d. And then twelve of the bravest Geats / Rode their horses around the tower / Telling their
sorrow, telling stories / Of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, . . . Praising him
for heroic deeds, for a life / As noble as his name. . . . (lines 854–859)
___ 16. Which of the following is one correct meaning of the Anglo-Saxon suffix
-some?
a. a large number of a specific thing
b. a negative version of a specific thing
c. decreasing the intensity of a specific thing
d. tending to do or to be a specific thing

___ 17. The verb meddle means “to interfere in other people’s affairs without their permission” or
“to handle or change something in a way that is unwanted or harmful.” Use this information as well
as your knowledge of the suffix -some to choose the correct definition of meddlesome.
a. nosy
b. cruel
c. helpful
d. obnoxious

___ 18. Which of the following underlined phrases is an example of apposition in which one noun
phrase identifies another?
a. The mead hall was the center of activity for an Anglo Saxon lord and his warriors.
b. The mead hall was a place where plans for defense and for conquest were made.
c. The mead hall, a feasting place, was also where victories were celebrated.
d. The mead hall was impressive to visitors because of its splendor.

___ 19. In which of the following sentences is apposition most clearly used to elaborate on a noun
or noun phrase, rather than to simply identify the thing it names?
a. The Romans, feared warriors and conquerors of much of the known world, invaded the
island now called England in 55 B.C.
b. After the Roman troops left, Germanic tribes, the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, conquered
the island.
c. Around the eighth century, Angleland, the name of the island, was a flourishing country.
d. The Vikings, tribes from Scandinavia, repeatedly invaded and looted Angleland.

___ 20. Which of the following sentences illustrates the use of diazeugma?
a. Anglo-Saxon monks studied scripture, but some also wrote histories of their people.
b. Anglo-Saxon blacksmiths created swords that were works of art, from their razor-sharp
blades to their elaborate hilts.
c. Anglo-Saxon King Alfred of Wessex fought the Vikings, defeated them soundly, and
finally united the kingdoms of England into a single country.
d. Anglo-Saxon warriors participated in sports, building their strength, agility, and self-
confidence, and learning to overcome all fears.

___ 21. Which of the following is the most accurate comparison of the portrayal of Beowulf in the
graphic novel of Beowulf and in the original epic poem?
a. In the graphic novel, Beowulf appears nobler than he does in the epic.
b. In the graphic novel, Beowulf appears as brave and determined before battle as he does
in the epic.
c. In the graphic novel, Beowulf appears as a physical giant compared to his warriors, as he
also appears in the epic.
d. In the graphic novel, Beowulf appears frightened when he sees the dragon, but in the
epic Beowulf shows no fear.
 
___ 22. In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf and the dragon are described as eager for battle when
they meet.
The beast came closer; both of them
Were ready, each set on slaughter. (lines 674–675)
Which of the following techniques used by Gareth Hinds in his graphic novel most
clearly captures the hatred between the opponents conveyed in these lines?
a. He uses a sound effect in capital letters—“CLANG”—to dramatize the moment when
Beowulf announces himself to the dragon.
b. He features a panel split between a close-up of Beowulf’s face and a close-up of the
dragon’s face as they prepare to battle.
c. He introduces a rich blue color in his depiction of the cliffs around the dragon’s hiding
place.
d. He uses an extra-tall panel to show the full height of the dragon when it emerges.

___ 23. The excerpt from Gareth Hind’s graphic novel Beowulf depicts the moments just before the
battle between Beowulf and the dragon. Which of the following statements accurately compares
the graphic novel’s presentation of this scene with the presentation in the poem?
a. The presentation in the graphic novel builds suspense by showing the long trek in the
snow to the dragon’s lair. The presentation in the poem builds suspense by describing
Beowulf’s thoughts and feelings of weakness as the battle progresses.
b. The presentation in the graphic novel carefully depicts the fierceness of both Beowulf
and the dragon. The poem’s presentation describes only Beowulf’s fierceness, not that of
the dragon.
c. Both presentations create tension—the graphic novel through wordless images of
Beowulf’s approach, the poem through vivid description of the same scene.
d. Both presentations include details—images in the graphic novel, words in the poem—
that indicate the Geats’ fear that Beowulf may be defeated.