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Reading Assessment II. Anglo-Saxon Prose

DIRECTIONS Answer these questions about the excerpt from The Ecclesiastical History of the English Peopleby the Venerable Bede

                              from The Ecclesiastical History of the English People by the Venerable Bede From that time, the south part of Britain, destitute of armed soldiers, of martial stores, and of all its active youth, which had been led away by the rashness of the tyrants, never to return ... suffered many years under two very savage foreign nations, the Scots from the west, and the Picts from the north. We call these foreign nations, not on account of their being seated out of Britain, but because they were remote from that part of it which was possessed by the Britons ... On account of the irruption of these nations, the Britons sent messengers to Rome with letters in mournful manner ... An armed legion was immediately sent them, which, arriving in the island, and engaging the enemy, slew a great multitude of them, drove the rest out of the territories of their allies, and having delivered them from their cruel oppressors, advised them to build a wall between the two seas across the island, that it might secure them, and keep off the enemy; and thus they returned home with great triumph . . . But the former enemies, when they perceived that the Roman soldiers were gone, immediately coming by sea, broke into the borders, trampled and overran all places, and like men mowing ripe corn, bore down all before them. Hereupon messengers are again sent to Rome, imploring aid ... A legion is accordingly sent again, and, arriving unexpectedly in autumn, made great slaughter of the enemy ... Then the Romans declared to the Britons, that they could not for the future undertake such troublesome expeditions for their sake, advising them rather to handle their weapons like men, and undertake themselves the charge of engaging their enemies, who would not prove too powerful for them, unless they were deterred by cowardice; and, thinking that it might be some help to the allies, whom they were forced to abandon, they built a strong stone wall from sea to sea ... This famous wall, which is still to be seen, was built at the public and private expense, the Britons also lending their assistance. It is eight feet in breadth, and twelve in height, in a straight line from east to west, as is still visible to beholders ... After their departure, the Scots and Picts, understanding that they had declared they would come no more, speedily returned, and growing more confident than they had been before, occupied all the northern and farthest part of the island, as far as the wall ... At last, the Britons, forsaking their cities and wall, took to flight and were dispersed. The enemy pursued, and the slaughter was greater than on any former occasion; for the wretched natives were torn in pieces by their enemies, as lambs are torn by wild beasts. Thus, being expelled their dwellings and possessions, they saved themselves from starvation, by robbing and plundering one another, adding to the calamities occasioned by foreigners ... till the whole country was left destitute of food, except such as could be procured in the chase.

 

COMPREHENSION

Directions Answer these questions about the excerpt from The Ecclesiastical History of the English Peopleby the Venerable Bede


1.According to Bede, what caused the lack of an active youth in Britain?

A. The youth had gone to sea.

B. The youth had been killed in battles with the Scots and Picts.

C. The people were destitute.

D. The people were afraid to fight.

E. Tyrants took them away.

2.For what reason does Bede claim that the Scots and Picts were “foreign nations”?

A. They lived in a remote part of the island.

B. They were invaders.

C. They were from outside Britain.

D. They were not Christian.

E. They were Nordic raiders.

3.Which of the following was an immediate effect of the first invasion of Britain described in the passage?

A. The Picts and Scots were slaughtered.

B. The Britons sent messengers to Rome.

C. The Romans abandoned the Britons.

D. The Romans were forced to flee.

E. A defensive wall was built to defend the Britons.

4.According to the context, what does the word slew, in line 9, mean?

A. chased

B. killed

C. overran

D. frightened

E. removed

5.According to Bede, what caused the Scots and Picts to return?

A. The defensive wall was never built.

B. The Britons were unable to defend themselves.

C. There were too few resources in their own countries.

D. They realized that the Romans had departed.

E. They wished to join the Romans.

6.According to the context, what does the word imploring, in line 16, mean?

A. refusing

B. expecting

C. issuing

D. begging

E. remembering

7.According to the context, what does the word deterred, in line 21, mean?

A. frightened

B. ashamed

C. restrained

D. amused

E. reassured

8.Why did the Scots and Picts become “more confident than they had been before”?

A. They had overcome Roman defenses.

B. They knew that the Romans would not return.

C. They had captured the northernmost part of the island.

D. The Britons had abandoned their cities.

E. The Britons had demonstrated their inability to fight.


9.To what does Bede compare the Scots and Picts?

A. Britons

B. Romans

C. wild beasts

D. lambs

E. the natives

10.According to Bede, how did some Britons save themselves?

A. They joined the Scots and Picts.

B.They robbed other Britons.

C. They fled to Rome.

D. They defeated the invaders.

E. They built a defensive wall.

11.From the context, what do you conclude that the word calamities, in line 30, means?

A. wars

B. friendships

C. illnesses

D. deaths

E. disasters

12.Which group or individual is the main protagonist in this passage?

A. the Romans

B. the Picts

C. the Scots

D. the Britons

E. Bede

13.Which of the following best describes the main external conflict represented in this passage?

A. man against man

B. man against nature

C. man against society

D. man against fate

E. man against the divine

14.What is the overall tone of this passage?

A. angry

B. ironic

C. authoritative

D. skeptical

E. sarcastic

15.From this selection, what do you conclude the author’s main purpose was?

A. to inform

B. to persuade

C. to instruct

D. to entertain

E. to tell a story


 

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 2474

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