AP Lang Exam Review PacketLaroche 2018 (adapted from Damlos 2017)

This guide has been designed to take you through the next two weeks of preparation for the AP exam. As you complete this guide during class, you should remember that there are still a few things you can do at home to improve your score.  The first thing you can do is read – read the news, read a difficult text for 30 minutes a day (fiction or non-fiction), read to learn, and read to sharpen your language skills. Secondly, you can read through some of the high-scoring sample essays on the APCentral website.

MULTIPLE CHOICE52-55 Questions - 1 Hour - 45% of Exam Score

Tips:1. Decide, in advance, in what order to address the questions.  Some students find it helpful to

skim the questions (questions only, not answers) to look for keywords (ie. purpose, speaker, tone, etc) before reading the passage.  Since the MC questions are usually repetitive, this is not always time effective, but if this strategy makes you feel better, go ahead.  If you find it distracting or pointless, SKIP IT.  You also can skip around the test and complete the passages in any order.  Decide if you want to do the easy passages first or save them until the end.  The same goes for the easy questions.

2. Use everything at your disposal.  Use context clues from the passage by reading the whole sentence the question is concerned with, as well as the surrounding sentences.  Sometimes, even other questions might give you a hint or perhaps help you remember something you forgot you read.

3. Don’t guess; think critically.  First eliminate the definitely wrong answers and try to get it down to two potentially correct answers.  If you can’t get it down to two choices, skip the question all together and come back at the end.  Don’t forget to at least come back and guess as leaving any question unanswered can only hurt you.

4. Relax.  Take a deep breath and do whatever you can to calm your nerves before you start the test.  If you find yourself panicking or rushing, do something to reset and feel more controlled. You have 60 minutes to answer at most 55 questions.  You want to answer questions at a good pace, but don’t get sloppy.  Just keep breathing and remember that in the grand scheme of things, this test is a very minor thing.  All you can do is try your best.

Lesson 1 Directions part 1: Go through the following question stems and order them from least to most difficult (in each sub-category).  Then group all questions into three new categories: 1) definitely answer first; 2) definitely answer last; 3) questions you have no strong feelings about.  Do all of this in the margins.   

AP English Language Multiple Choice EXAMPLE Question Stems Questions about Rhetoric 1. The shift in point of view has the effect of … 2. The syntax of lines _____ to _____ serves to … 3. The author’s reference/allusion to “___” serves primarily to … 4. The second sentence is unified by metaphorical references to … 5. As lines _____ and _____ are constructed, "_____" is parallel to which of the following? 6. The antecedent for "_____" is … 7. The diction in the piece is best described as…

8. The syntax in the piece is best described as … 9. In paragraph __ the author employs which of the following rhetorical strategies … 10. One prominent stylistic characteristic of the piece is the use of… 11. The primary rhetorical function of lines--- “____” is to … 12. In the sentence “___” the speaker employs all of the following EXCEPT…

Questions about the Author's Meaning and Purpose 13. Which of the following best identifies the meaning of "_____"? 14. Which of the following best describes the author's purpose in the last sentence? 15. The author’s primary purpose is to… 16. The primary audience of the piece could be described as… 17. The authors uses (this certain image) for the purpose of… 18. The author emphasizes "_____" in order to … 19. The reason for the shift in tone in paragraph __ is due to … 20. The sympathy (or other word) referred to in line _____ is called "adjective" because it … 21. What is the function of _____ ? 22. The phrase, “__” functions primarily as …

Questions about the Main Idea 23. The theme of the second paragraph is … 24. The speaker's attitude is best described as one of … 25. The tone of the piece (or parts of it) is one of… 26. In context, the sentence "_____" is best interpreted as which of the following? 27. The atmosphere is one of … 28. Which of the following would the author be LEAST likely to encourage? 29. Which of the following best summarizes the main topic of the passage … 30. In the piece, the author makes all of the following assumptions about his/her readers EXCEPT…

Questions about Organization and Structure 31. The quotation "_____" signals a shift from … 32. The tone of the passage shifts from one of___ to one of ___. 33. The speaker's mention of "_____" is appropriate to the development of her argument by … 34. The type of argument employed by the author is most similar to which of the following? 35. The author uses a pattern of organization best described as … 36. The relationship between _____ and _____ is explained primarily by the use of which of the following? 37. Which of the following best describes the function of the ____ paragraph in relation to the paragraphs that precede it …

Questions about Rhetorical Modes 38. The pattern of exposition exemplified in the passage can best be described as … 39. The author's use of description is appropriate because … 40. Which of the following best describes the author's method? 41. Because the author uses expository format, he is able to … 42. The speaker's rhetorical strategy is to … 43. The author contrasts ___ and ___ in order to …

Questions about Citations44. The purpose of footnote ___ is to inform the reader the quotation in line ___…

Directions Part 2: Create a guide using the list of tips above that is very specific to you.  Make all the decisions now about order, timing, guessing strategies, relaxation techniques, etc.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. (optional)

Lesson 2 Directions: Fill out the following chart to make sure you know all of the potential rhetorical devices that could be on your test.  If you need to prioritize, do all the ones you don’t know first.  

Rhetorical Device Definition Example (bonus if you come up with the example entirely on your own)

Compare/contrast

Audience

Connotation/denotation

Attitude

Metaphor

Aristotelian appeals(ethos, pathos, logos)

Oxymoron

Analogy

Irony

Counterargument

Inductive reasoning

Deductive reasoning

Diction

Figurative language

Imagery

Implication

Irony

Juxtaposition

Occasion

Purpose

Repetition

Rhetoric

Speaker

Rhetorical triangle

Style

Symbolism

Syntax

Themes

Tone

Voice

Alliteration

Allusion

Anecdote

Concession

Didactic

Euphemism

Exemplification

Hyperbole

Idiom

Onomatopoeia

Paradox

Parallelism

Parody

Personification

Sarcasm

Satire

Synecdoche

Understatement

Types of structure/organization/modes

Definition Example (name a text)

Narration

Description

Classification/division

Cause/effect

Compare/contrast

Process analysis

Analogy

Definition

Lesson 3 Inaugural Address Barack Obama, 2009

1. My fellow citizens:2. I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful3. for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices4. borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his5. service to our nation, as well as the generosity and6. cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.7. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential8. oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of9. prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so10. often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and11. raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on12. not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high13. office, but because We the People have remained faithful14. to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding15. documents.  So it has been. So it must be with this16. generation of Americans.17. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.18. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of19. violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a20. consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of21. some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices22. and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been23. lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is24. too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings25. further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen26. our adversaries and threaten our planet.  These are the27. indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less28. measurable but no less profound is a sapping of29. confidence across our land — a nagging fear that30. America's decline is inevitable, and that the next31. generation must lower its sights[…]32. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture,33. the time has come to set aside childish things. The time34. has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our35. better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that36. noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the37. God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all38. deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of39. happiness.  In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we40. understand that greatness is never a given. It must be41. earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or42. settling for less. It has not been the path for the43. faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or44. seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has45. been the risk takers, the doers, the makers of things —

46. some celebrated but more often men and women47. obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long,48. rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.49. For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and50. traveled across oceans in search of a new life.  For us,51. they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured52. the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.  For us,53. they fought and died, in places like Concord and54. Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.  Time and again55. these men and women struggled and sacrificed and56. worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a57. better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of58. our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of59. birth or wealth or faction.60. This is the journey we continue today. We remain the61. most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers62. are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our63. minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no64. less needed than they were last week or last month or last65. year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of66. standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off67. unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed.68. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves69. off, and begin again the work of remaking America[…]70. So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are71. and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's72. birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots73. huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.74. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing.75. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the76. outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of77. our nation ordered these words be read to the people:78. "Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of79. winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ...80. that the city and the country, alarmed at one common81. danger, came forth to meet [it]."82. America. In the face of our common dangers, in this83. winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless84. words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the85. icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be86. said by our children's children that when we were tested87. we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn88. back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon89. and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of90. freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Direction: Use the text to answer the following questions.  The best answers will provide line numbers and quotes as support.  

1. Through the speech and the speech alone, what details about the speaker are revealed?  

2. What details about the occasion in which the speech is being given are revealed?

3. What type of audience is the speech meant for?  Describe the audience in detail and explain how you know.

4. For what purpose is the speech being given?  Look beyond the obvious here.

5. If you had to name a “subject/topic” for this speech, what would it be?

6. Describe the tone of the speaker.  How do you know?

7. What is the main argument of the speech?

8. Find three-five rhetorical devices being used and describe how these devices work together in order establish this argument.

Lesson 4 A Vindication of the Rights of Women Mary Wollstonecraft, 1792

1. The education of women has, of late, been more2. Attended to than formerly; yet they are still reckoned3. A frivolous sex, and ridiculed or pitied by the writers4. Who endeavor by satire or instruction to improve them.5. It is acknowledged that they spend many of the first6. Years of their lives in acquiring a smattering of7. Accomplishments; meanwhile strength of body and8. Mind are sacrificed to libertine notions of beauty, to9. The desire of establishing themselves, - the only10. Way women can rise in the world, - by marriage. And11. This desire making mere animals of them, when they12. Marry they act as such children may be expected to13. Act: - they dress; they paint, and nickname God’s14. Creatures.  - Surely these weak beings are only fit15. For a seraglio!  - Can they be expected to govern a16. Family with judgment, or take care of the poor babes17. Whom they bring into the world?18. If then it can be fairly deduced from the present conduct19. Of the sex, from the prevalent fondness for pleasure20. Which take place of ambition and those nobler passions21. That open and enlarge the soul; that the instruction which22. women have hitherto received has only tended,23. With the constitution of civil society, to render them24. Insignificant objects of desire - mere propagators of25. Fools!  If it can be proved that in aiming to accomplish26. Them, without cultivating their understandings, they are27. Taken out of their sphere of duties, and made ridiculous28. And useless when their short-lived bloom of beauty is

29. Over, i presume that rational men will excuse me for30. Endeavoring to persuade them to become more31. Masculine and respectable.32. Indeed the word masculine is only a bugbear: there is33. Little reason to fear that women will acquire too much34. Courage or fortitude; for their apparent inferiority with35. Respect to bodily strength, must render them, in some36. Degree, dependent on men in the various relations of37. Life, but why should it be increased by prejudices that38. Give a sex to virtue, and confound simple truths with39. Sensual reveries?40. Women are, in fact, so much degraded by mistaken41. Notions of female excellence, that I do not mean to42. Add a paradox when I assert, that this artificial43. Weakness produces a propensity to tyrannize, and gives44. Birth to cunning, the natural opponent of strength, which45. Leads them to play off those contemptible infantine airs46. That undermine esteem even whilst they excite desire.47. Let men become more chaste and modest, and if48. women do not grow wiser in the same ratio, it will be49. Clear that they have weaker understandings.  It seems50. Scarcely necessary to say, that I now speak of the sex51. In general.  Many individuals have more sense than their52. Male relatives; and, as nothing preponderates where53. There is a constant struggle or an equilibrium, without54. It has naturally more gravity, some women govern their55. Husbands without degrading themselves, because56. Intellect will always govern.

Directions: After reading the passage, answer the following questions.

1. What does the author’s reference to “seraglio” (15) serve as?

2. What does the syntax of lines 9-17 serve to do?

3. What is the primary rhetorical function of lines 18-25?

4. How would you describe the author’s purpose in the last sentence?

5. How would you describe the primary audience of the piece?

6. What does the phrase “Women are, in fact, so much degraded by mistaken notions of female excellence, that I do not mean to add a paradox when I assert, that this artificial weakness produces a propensity to tyrannize” (40-43) primarily function as?

7. Describe the speaker’s attitude.

8. Summarize the main topic of the passage.

9. In the piece, what assumptions does the author make about her readers?

10. What type of argument is being employed by the author?

11. What pattern of organization does the author use?  Describe.

12. Describe the function of the last paragraph (40-56) in relation to the paragraphs that precede it.

13. How would you describe the author’s method?

14. Why is the author’s use of description appropriate?

15. How would you describe the pattern of exposition in the passage?

Lesson 5 Directions: Take 10 minutes to read through this passage line by line annotating for details about the speaker of the speech, occasion speech is being given, audience the speech is meant for, purpose speech is being given, subject of the speech, tone of the speaker, and any rhetorical devices that are being used. Then take 10 minutes and answer the 11 multiple choice questions following the passage.  After you’ve answered all questions, read through the answers and explanations.  

PASSAGEGettysburg Address (Abraham Lincoln, 1863)1. Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived2. in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.  Now we are engaged in a 3. great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long4. endure.

5. We are met on a great battle-field of that war.  We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a6. final resting-place for those who here gave their lives, that that nation might live.  It is altogether7. fitting and proper that we should do this.  But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot8. consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground.  The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here,9. have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.

10. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they11. did here.  It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who12. fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.  It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great 13. task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause14. for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these 15. dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom,16. and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

QUESTIONS1. What is the effect of the speaker’s use of “our” in line 1?

a. It proposes that all Union soldiers have a common ancestor.b. It establishes a shared concern between the speaker and the audience.c. It challenges traditional American notions of individualism.d. It encourages naysayers to join his position.e. It demonstrates his first-hand experience with the issue at hand.

2. The speaker’s tone in the passage as a whole can BEST be described asa. dispassionate and clinical.b. conciliatory and forgiving.c. reverent and humble.d. aloof and condescending.e. decisive and indignant.

3. The word “fathers” (line 1) MOST LIKELY represents men who area. parents.b. founders.c. authoritative.d. innovative.e. theologians.

4. The passage as a whole can BEST be described as a. a commemoration that gives way to criticism.b. a case for how the past can influence the future.c. an outline of causes that seem to be true of all human conflict.d. an alternation between the promise and peril of building a new nation.e. an illustration of the interplay between memory and experience.

5. The phrase “new birth of freedom” (line 15) is conceptually parallel to a. “Four score… created equal” (lines 1-2).b. “We have… might live” (lines 5-6).c. “The brave… or detract” (lines 8-9).d. “The world… did here” (lines 10-11).e. “It is… nobly advanced” (lines 11-12).

6. The author uses the phrase “for those who here gave their lives; that that nation might live” (line 6) to a. emphasize the paradox of willingly going to one’s death.b. compare the actions of these soldiers to those from Classical antiquity.c. describe the tragic loss of men who died for no discernible result.d. connect the lives of the soldiers to the bigger life of the nation.e. question the need for violence as a method of conflict resolution.

7. The sentence beginning “The world with little note…” (lines 10-11) employs all the following EXCEPTa. parallel structure.b. antithesis.c. anastrophe.d. formal diction.e. juxtaposition.

8. How does the author advance his rhetorical purpose in lines 12-16 (“It is… the earth”)?a. He develops an analogy between the virtues of the dead soldiers to the characteristics of a

great Democracy.b. He employs a series of dashes to imply that the country will remain forever fragmented.c. He provides a list of problems that can only be solved through faith and devotion to God.d. He directly addresses the audience to suggest that a unified country needs a strong and

decisive leader.e. He emphasizes the amount of effort required to unify the country through the repetition of

clauses beginning with “that.”

9. What is the relationship between lines 1-2 (“Fourscore… equal”) and lines 2-7 (“now we are engaged… do this”)?a. Lines 1-2 speak of the past in terms of spatial proximity, and lines 2-7 speak of the present

with a sense of spatial distance.b. Lines 1-2 rely on alliterative speech patterns, and lines 2-7 rely on cacophonic words and

phrases.c. Lines 1-2 establish the speaker’s credibility on the subject, and lines 2-7 illustrate an

emotional moment in the country’s history.

d. Lines 1-2 outline the challenges faced by the country’s founders, and lines 2-7 detail how those challenges have changed over time.

e. Lines 1-2 are solemn remembrance of fallen soldiers, and lines 2-7 are an accusation of those who never had to sacrifice.

10. The first sentence of this passage (lines 1-2) is unified by metaphorical references to a. the passage of time.b. the Founding Fathers.c. childbirth.d. the American Revolution.e. the Fourth of July.

11. What is the speaker’s PRIMARY purpose in lines 1-4?a. To introduce the idea of warb. To remind the audience that they are all part of the same nationc. To give a sense of the passage of time and compare the birth of the nation with the present

dayd. To give the audience a sense of urgencye. To remind the audience who he is and why he has the authority to speak

ANSWERS1. B: The pronoun “our” indicates shared ownership of the nation, it’s principles, and its egalitarian philosophy.

Given that the two phrases describing the “new nation” (“conceived in Liberty” and “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”) imply a right to personal freedom and equal opportunity, the collective pronoun choice works to support these ideas.  Lincoln is not setting himself above his audience. Rather he is including them in this plight by making this issue part of a collective, national struggle.  A is too scientific.  C is close, but has little to do with “rugged individualism” and more to do with establishing shared concern.  D is incorrect because Lincoln isn’t addressing Confederate soldiers.  E is wrong because he is not demonstrating “first-hand experience” with an event that happened 80 years before.

2. C: Though the whole speech contains moments that are either reverent or humble, the best representation of both comes in the most famous one-liner from the speech in lines 7-8, “But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we can not consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground.”  All three of verbs in the anaphora (repetition) have spiritual connotations and in choosing words this way, Lincoln is now not only casting this event into the history of the country, but proclaiming it to be a sacred event.  In their deaths, the soldiers have “consecrated it [the battlefield]” which works to give the event additional significance.  Lincoln, as he does elsewhere, personifies the dead and downplays the contributions, however well-intentioned, by those who were not present in the battle, a gesture of both reverence and humility.  

3. B: The opening line of the Gettysburg Address is arguably the most famous utterance from the short address. The subject of its main clause, “fathers,” refers to the originary members of the U.S. or the founders as those who “brought forth” (or brought into being) the country (B).  The other distractors may make sense if the reader stretches the ways that “fathers” can be figuratively understood, but in context, Lincoln is making direct reference to the founders of the country (“our” fathers).

4. B: A continuous thread of this speech is the way the author speaks about the nation in past, present and future tenses.  Lines 1-2 refer to a past version of the country rooted in the foundational principles that formed the nation.  Lines 2-9 refers to Lincoln’s present civil-war torn U.S. Lines 10-16 refer to a future ideal nation rooted in the principles of the past retailed earlier in the speech.  The religious motif of the life, death, and resurrection also runs through the speech, giving more meaning to Lincoln’s invocation of “this nation, under God” in the closing line by comparing the life of the nation to patterns in the life of Christ.

5. A: This “new birth” will be in the style of the original birth, which is expressed in the passage’s first sentence (A).  The word “conceived” (line 1) can mean to become pregnant.  This definition is consistent with Lincoln’s

diction choices towards the end of the passage, which suggest that the original conception has come to term. Even the word choices, then, link the description of the idealized past and future U.S. providing additional evidence that Lincoln and his audience must look to our past to move onto our future.  

6. D: Given the overall tone of the speech, it makes sense that Lincoln would characterize the soldiers’ deaths in respectful terms, but there seems to be a loftier rhetorical purpose for doing this as well.   By expressing their death as “those who gave their lives,” he avoids negation and links their death to the living (“live”) of the nation (D).  Through this personification, Lincoln in some senses connects the lives of the soldiers to the bigger life of the nation, thereby giving purpose/meaning to the death and affirming the statement “these dead shall not have died in vain.”

7. C: The only technique not employed in this sentence is anastrophe, or the reversal of the word order within a structure.  The entire line follows the customary word order and grammatical structure.  This sentence does indeed utilize parallelism - A - (antithesis - B - is a parallel structure in which opposites are juxtaposed against one another).  In this quote, little and long contrast one another, as do note and remember.  This antithesis also creates a juxtaposition (E) between the acts of noting, remembering, and forgetting.  Additionally, formal diction (D) is used throughout the entirety of the piece, including these lines.  “The world will little note” is a formal construction.  The speech is being delivered in a formal setting, as a eulogy to those lost at the Battle of Gettysburg, and the language is appropriate to the occasion.

8. E: Readers should immediately notice that this sentence is very long (86 words) and represents about ⅓ of the entire length of the speech as a whole.  Lincoln says there is work left to do - “the great task” - and he lists these in a long string of parallel adjectival clauses all beginning with “that.”  This repetition at the beginning of each of these successive clauses pounds into the ears of the listener and is most likely meant to emphasize the scope or amount of things still left undone.  By linking them all together into one massive sentence, Lincoln advances his rhetorical purpose in this address: to demonstrate that the nation must mend the damage done in the war and move forward into a unified future.  

9. A: The opening lines refer to the U.S. of 87 years ago as “this continent,” yet when Lincoln is referring the country “now,” he labels it as “that nation.” (Take a look at the definitions: That: the one that is farther away and This: the one nearer or more immediate).  A paradox is a logically contradictory statement that reveals some deeper truth or insight.  In Lincoln’s address, the old nation is paradoxically closer (illustrated through the use of the pronoun “this”) to Lincoln than the U.S. of his own time (illustrated through the use of the preposition “that”).  “This” and “that” are words that indicate spatial relationships between a fixed point and another object.  It is interesting that Lincoln does not refer to his contemporaneous U.S. as the nation which is closer to him; he reverses the order and speaks about the U.S. of his fathers (one based on liberty and egalitarianism as being closer to him.  But the proximity is not literally spatial; it is a spatial metaphor to express how his views align more closely with the country in its infancy than the current war-torn U.S., divided by the Civil War.

10. C: Lincoln uses language such as bringing forth and conceived, both of which have strong connotations of the birthing process.  In doing so, he is drawing a direct correlation between the great pains associated with childbirth as well as its rewards, and the pains that went into the creation of the United States.  This metaphorical reference to childbirth helps readers and listeners to draw a parallel between two painstaking but ultimately fruitful acts.

11. C.  This speech begins with the famous words Fourscore and seven years ago, indicating something that happened in the past.  This is an oddly archaic way of speaking about the past, even for Lincoln’s time, adding to the sense of historical significance.  He briefly describes the difficulty with which the U.S. came into being. Then, Lincoln transitions to Now, and discusses what has changed in the intervening years.  This transition gives the listeners a sense of time, and what has happened to the nation during that time.  By comparing the creation of the U.S. with the divisiveness of the Civil War, Lincoln effectively creates a comparison between the two time periods. Both are presented as difficult trials the nation must endure to survive - and reminds his people that even despite this difficult time, they must not be allowed to threaten the sanctity of the Union they fought so hard to create and preserve.

FREE RESPONSE3 Questions - 2 Hours, 15 Minutes (includes 15 minute reading period) - 55% of Exam Score

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAYPlease use this link to access material on the AP Central website.

Lesson 6 Directions: Use your close-reading skills that you fine-tuned during the last series of lessons to annotate the excerpt provided.  You’ve actually already written this essay, but now I want you to take a much closer look at the passage.  Take your time, go paragraph by paragraph, and find EVERYTHING.  Feel free to use your notes on rhetorical devices, modes, organization, etc.

2015 Q2

Lesson 7 Directions:  Go through the rhetorical analysis essay prompts from the last 8 years and answer the following questions.

1. What do the prompts have in common?  What do they all seem to be looking for?

2. How have the prompts changed over the years?  What can you anticipate about the 2018 prompt?

3. What kinds of important information are included in the prompts that might help you in your essay?

4. What kinds of information are included in the prompts that you can most likely ignore when writing your essay?

2017The passage below is the opening to a speech made in 1960 by American journalist and politician Clare Boothe Luce to journalists at the Women’s National Press Club. In this speech, Luce went on to criticize the tendency of the American press to sacrifice journalistic integrity in favor of the perceived public demand for sensationalist stories. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-developed essay, analyze how Luce uses this introduction to prepare the audience for her message. Support your analysis of her rhetoric with specific references to the text.

2016On June 11, 2004, Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of Great Britain, delivered the following eulogy to the American people in honor of the former United States president Ronald Reagan, with whom she had worked closely. Read the eulogy carefully. Then, in a well-developed essay, analyze the rhetorical strategies that Thatcher uses to convey her message.

2015On the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., labor union organizer and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez published an article in the magazine of a religious organization devoted to helping those in need. Read the following excerpt from the article carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the rhetorical choices Chavez makes to develop his argument about nonviolent resistance.

2014In a letter, Abigail Adams writes to her son John Quincy Adams, who is traveling abroad with his father, John Adams, a United States diplomat and later the country’s second president. In a well-developed essay, analyze the rhetorical strategies Adams uses to advise her son.

2013Passage from Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. Write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies Louv uses to develop his argument about the separation between people and nature.

2012On April 10, 1962, as the United States was emerging from a recession, the nation’s largest steel companies raised steel prices by 3.5 percent. President John F. Kennedy, who had repeatedly called for stable prices and wages as part of a program of national sacrifice during a period of economic distress, held a news conference on April 11, 1962, which he opened with the following commentary regarding the hike in steel prices. Write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies President Kennedy uses to achieve his purpose.

2011 ASpeech by Florence Kelley (1859-1932), a United States social worker and reformer who fought successfully for child labor laws and improved conditions for working women, delivered before the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Philadelphia on July 22, 1905. Analyze the rhetorical strategies Kelley uses to convey her message about child labor to her audience.

2011 BLetter written by Samuel Johnson in response to a woman who had asked him to obtain the archbishop of Canterbury’s patronage to have her son sent to the university. Write an essay in which you analyze how Johnson crafts his denial of the woman’s request.

2010 AExcerpt from letter from Benjamin Banneker, former slave, to Thomas Jefferson (1791). Write an essay that analyzes how Banneker uses rhetorical strategies to argue against slavery.

2010 BPassage from The Horizontal World, Debra Marquart’s 2006 memoir about growing up in North Dakota. Analyze the strategies Marquart uses to characterize the upper Midwest.

Lesson 8 Directions: Take ten minutes to read/annotate the prompt and excerpt and plan your essay.   Use the following format as an idea of what to write during your planning.  

2017 Q2

Working Thesis:

Main Idea 1:

Main Idea 2:

Main Idea 3:

Main Idea 4 (optional):

Now, using the prompt and your notes, take five minutes to write an introduction paragraph.  Use the space below to write.

Now take a look at the following sample intro paragraph for this essay, taken from the high scoring student response of that year.  Once you’ve read it, answer the following questions.

The speech given by Clare Booth Luce to the Women’s National Press Club was controversial and even condemning of her audience. However, Luce pulls it off by gently preparing the audience for her criticism: she employs the fact that they invited her there to speak, a strong consideration for their feelings, praises of their profession, and a clear plea for open-mindedness.

Questions:1. What are some strengths you notice about this intro paragraph?

2. What does this paragraph do that your paragraph does not do?

3. Is there anything you don’t like about this sample intro paragraph that you think you want to avoid in your own writing?

4. What are some guidelines you can create for yourself to encourage you to write a solid intro paragraph on the day of the exam?

Now take a look at the entirety of the high scoring student response on the AP Central website.  Once you’ve read it, make note of some of the essay’s strengths and tips/skills/ideas you can use yourself on the day of the exam. Use the space below to record your ideas.

ARGUMENT ESSAY

Lesson Directions:  Read through the prompts from the last 8 years and answer the following questions.

1. What do the prompts have in common?  What do they all seem to be looking for?

2. How have the prompts changed over the years?  What can you anticipate about the 2018 prompt?

3. What kinds of important information are included in the prompts that might help you in your essay?

4. What kinds of information are included in the prompts that you can most likely ignore when writing your essay?

2010In his 2004 book, Status Anxiety, Alain de Botton argues that the chief aim of humorists is not merely to entertain but “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” Think about the implications of de Botton’s view of the role of humorists (cartoonists, stand-up comics, satirical writers, hosts of television programs, etc.). Then write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies de Botton’s claim.

2010BThe first Buy Nothing Day—a day on which people are urged to purchase no goods—was organized in Canada in 1992 as a way to increase awareness of excessive consumerism. Consider the implications of a day on which no goods are purchased. Then write an essay in which you develop a position on the establishment of an annual Buy Nothing Day.

2011Passage from Rights of Man, a book written by the pamphleteer Thomas Paine in 1791. Born in England, Paine was an intellectual, a revolutionary, and a supporter of American independence from England. Write an essay that examines the extent to which Paine’s characterization of America holds true today.

2011BAmerican essayist and social critic H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) wrote, “The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” Examine the extent to which Mencken’s observation applies to contemporary society, supporting your position with appropriate evidence.

2012Consider the distinct perspectives expressed in the following statements. “If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide, then you can get yourself to accomplish virtually anything, including those things that other people are certain are impossible.” --William Lyon Phelps, American educator, journalist, and professor (1865–1943) “I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn’t wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine.” --Bertrand Russell, British author, mathematician, and philosopher (1872–1970) In a well-organized essay, take a position on the relationship between certainty and doubt. Support your argument with appropriate evidence and examples.

2013

For centuries, prominent thinkers have pondered the relationship between ownership and the development of self (identity), ultimately asking the question, “What does it mean to own something?” Plato argues that owning objects is detrimental to a person’s character. Aristotle claims that ownership of tangible goods helps to develop moral character. Twentieth-century philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre proposes that ownership extends beyond objects to include intangible things as well. In Sartre’s view, becoming proficient in some skill and knowing something thoroughly means that we “own” it. Think about the differing views of ownership. Then write an essay in which you explain your position on the relationship between ownership and sense of self. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument.

2014Authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman published “The Creativity Crisis” in Newsweek.com in July 2010. They reported that the Torrance Test, a test of creativity that has been administered to millions of people worldwide in 50 languages, indicates that the public’s “creativity quotient” has steadily crept downward since 1990. In their article, Bronson and Merryman cite the claim of Professor Kyung Hee Kim at the College of William and Mary: “It’s very clear, and the decrease is very significant.” Kim reports that it is the scores of younger children in America—from kindergarten through sixth grade—for whom the decline is “most serious.” Bronson and Merryman state that “[t]he potential consequences are sweeping. The necessity of human ingenuity is undisputed. A recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the No. 1 ‘leadership competency’ of the future. Yet it’s not just about sustaining our nation’s economic growth. All around us are matters of national and international importance that are crying out for creative solutions, from saving the Gulf of Mexico to bringing peace to Afghanistan to delivering health care. Such solutions emerge from a healthy marketplace of ideas, sustained by a populace constantly contributing original ideas and receptive to the ideas of others.” One possible approach to this reputed decline in creativity is to explicitly teach creative thinking in school. Write to your school board explaining what you mean by creativity and arguing for or against the creation of a class in creativity.

2015An anthropologist studying first-year students at a university in the United States writes that friendly phrases like “How are you?,” “Nice to meet you,” and “Let’s get in touch” communicate politeness rather than literal intent. What, if anything, is the value or function of such polite speech? In a well-written essay, develop your position on the value or function of polite speech in a culture or community with which you are familiar. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument.

2016In 1891, Irish Oscar Wilde observed, “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” Wilde claims that disobedience is a valuable human trait and that it promotes social progress. Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which Wilde’s claims are valid. Use appropriate examples from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument.

2017The passage below is an excerpt from Empire of Illusion by Chris Hedges. Read the passage carefully. Then write an essay in which you develop a position on Hedges’ argument that “The most essential skill

in political theatre and a consumer culture is artifice.” Use appropriate, specific evidence to illustrate and develop your position. [passage excluded here]

Lesson 10

Directions: Take 10 minutes to read/annotate the prompt and plan your essay.   Use the following format as an idea of what to write during your planning.  While you have the same amount of time as the rhetorical analysis essay to prepare, you should spend extra time planning and pre-writing since you don’t have to read a long excerpt.  

2014 Q3

Working Thesis:

Main Idea 1:

Main Idea 2:

Main Idea 3:

Main Idea 4 (optional):

Now, read the high-scoring sample response on the AP Central website, and then answer the following questions.

Questions:1. What are some strengths you notice about the intro paragraph?

2. Is there anything you don’t like about this sample intro paragraph that you think you want to avoid in your own writing?

3. What are some guidelines you can create for yourself to encourage you to write a solid intro paragraph on the day of the exam?

4. Describe the transitions between ideas/paragraphs.  What works?  What doesn’t work?

5. List the main ideas of each body paragraph.  How does the writer break up and organize his/her ideas in order to prove the thesis?

6. When you look at your own prewriting for this essay, where does it overlap with what this student did?  Where do they differ?

7. Note the language and creativity being used in this essay.  What do you admire/want to try in your own writing?  What do you want to be careful of?

SYNTHESIS ESSAY

Lesson 11 Directions:  Read through the prompts from the last 8 years and answer the following questions.

1. What do the prompts have in common?  What do they all seem to be looking for?

2. How have the prompts changed over the years?  What can you anticipate about the 2018 prompt?

3. What kinds of important information are included in the prompts that might help you in your essay?

4. What kinds of information are included in the prompts that you can most likely ignore when writing your essay?

2010ARead the following sources (including the introductory information) carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, evaluate the most important factors that a school should consider before using particular technologies in curriculum and instruction.

2010BRead the following sources (including the introductory information) carefully. Then synthesize at least three of the sources into an essay that evaluates daylight saving time and offers a recommendation about its continued use.

2011AImagine that a community is considering organizing a locavore movement. Carefully read the following seven sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay that identifies the key issues associated with the locavore movement and examines their implications for the community.

2011BCarefully read the following six sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-written essay that develops a position on the extent to which government should be responsible for fostering green practices.

2012Carefully read the following seven sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay that argues a clear position on whether the USPS should be restructured to meet the needs of a changing world, and if so, how.

2013Read the following seven sources carefully, including the introductory information for each source. Then, in a well-organized essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, examine the factors a group or agency should consider in memorializing an event or person and in creating a monument.

2014Carefully read the following six sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay that evaluates whether college is worth its cost.

2015Carefully read the following six sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed argument for your own position on whether your school should establish, maintain, revise, or eliminate an honor code or honor system.

2016Carefully read the following six sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay that argues a clear position on whether monolingual English speakers are at a disadvantage today.

2017Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay in which you develop a position on the role, if any, that public libraries should serve in the future.

Lesson 12 Directions: Read through the following sources (provided on the AP Central website) and answer the following questions. DO NOT read the actual prompt yet.

2012 Q1

1. What is the issue being addressed in each of these articles?

2. What stance does each article take?

3. How does each of the articles speak to the others?

4. Is there any source you would immediately toss out?  Why?

5. Find at least two quotes in each article that could potentially be used in an essay you wrote about the topic.

Now read the complete prompt and use your notes to plan out an essay response.

Working thesis:

Main idea 1:

Sources to use:

Main idea 2:

Sources to use:

Main idea 3:

Sources to use:

Final thoughts, revelations, conclusions:

Finally, read the high-scoring sample response for this prompt. Use the space below to make note of the essay’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as tips/tricks/ideas/etc. you can use on the day of the exam.