Test Information Guide

Field 15: Latin and Classical Humanities
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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Reading Comprehension of Latin

Read the passage below; then answer the five questions that follow.

Vertitur intereā caelum et ruit Ōceanō nox               250
involvēns umbrā magnā terramque polumque
Myrmidonumque dolōs; fūsī per moenia Teucrī
conticuēre; sopor fessōs complectitur artūs.
et iam Argīva phalānx īnstrūctīs nāvibus ībat               255
ā Tenedō tacitae per amīca silentia lūnae
lītora nōta petēns, flammās cum rēgia puppis
extulerat, fātīsque deum dēfēnsus inīquīs
inclūsōs uterō Danaōs et pīnea fūrtim
laxat claustra Sinōn.                                                 260

                                (Vergil, Aeneid II.250–260)

Objective 0001
Demonstrate comprehension of the literal meaning of unadapted passages of Latin prose and poetry.

1. Which of the following best describes the main idea of lines 250–251 (Vertitur intereā caelum et ruit Ōceanō nox involvēns umbrā magnā terramque polumque)?

  1. The sun has risen.
  2. The weather is unpredictable.
  3. The day has ended.
  4. The ocean is mysterious.
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

2. What happens before Sinon lets the hidden Greeks out of the horse?

  1. He slaughters the Trojans along the ramparts.
  2. He sneaks past the Danaan hiding place.
  3. He deceives the Myrmidons in the darkness.
  4. He receives a signal from the royal ship of the Greeks.
Answer
Correct Response: D.

Correct Response: D.

Objective 0002
Demonstrate comprehension based on inference from and analysis of unadapted passages of Latin prose and poetry.

3. The phrase sopor fessōs complectitur artūs (line 254) foreshadows which of the following?

  1. Troy will be defenseless when the Greeks attack.
  2. The Greeks will grow weary of war.
  3. Trojan skill will help them battle their adversaries.
  4. The Greeks will adopt Trojan arts.
Answer
Correct Response: A.

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0003
Translate into English or summarize unadapted phrases, sentences, or short passages of Latin prose and poetry.

4. Lines 255–257 (et iam Argīva phalānx īnstrūctīs nāvibus ībat ā Tenedō tacitae per amīca silentia lūnae lītora nōta petēns) describe which of the following?

  1. the movement of the stars
  2. instructions given to the Greek army
  3. the approach of the Greek fleet
  4. lights and colors visible on shore
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

Objective 0004
Identify and analyze stylistic features in unadapted passages of Latin prose and poetry.

5. The first four feet of line 255 are scanned:

  1. spondee dactyl spondee spondee.
  2. dactyl dactyl spondee spondee.
  3. spondee dactyl dactyl spondee.
  4. dactyl spondee dactyl spondee.
Answer
Correct Response: A.

Correct Response: A.

Language Structures and Language Acquisition

Objective 0006
Apply knowledge of the morphology, syntax, and structure of Latin.

6. Select the response that correctly combines the two sentences below into one sentence that preserves the meaning of the original sentences.

Fīlia in hortō clāmat. Pater fīliam audit.

  1. Pater quī fīliam audit in hortō clāmat.
  2. Pater fīliam in hortō sē audīre clāmat.
  3. Pater fīliam audit quae in hortō clāmat.
  4. Pater fīliam in hortō sē audīvisse clāmat.
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

Objective 0007
Demonstrate familiarity with Greek elements in Latin language and grammar.

7. Use the sentence below from Homer's Iliad to answer the question that follows.

Spelling for the underlined word in a sentence kappa omicron upsilon rho eta nu

Which of the following is the accurate transliteration of the underlined word?

  1. kouphey
  2. kourev
  3. kouren
  4. kouphen
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

Objective 0009
Demonstrate familiarity with theoretical approaches to Latin language acquisition.

8. A Latin teacher introduces a new reading passage about the Roman baths by having students view and discuss pictures of Roman baths, watch a video tour of a Roman bath, and attach new vocabulary words to a model of a Roman bath. Through these prereading activities, the teacher is primarily demonstrating the importance of supporting students' reading comprehension by:

  1. providing students with opportunities to approach a text using a variety of learning styles.
  2. establishing clear expectations for what students will know and be able to do once they have read a text.
  3. allowing students the chance to draw connections between a text and its author.
  4. modeling strategies students can use to monitor their own comprehension of the content of a text.
Answer
Correct Response: A.

Correct Response: A.

Cultural Understanding

Objective 0010
Understand important aspects of the history and geography of the classical world.

9. Which of the following responses best describes a major cause of the Peloponnesian War?

  1. the rebellion of Greek cities against the rule of the Persian Empire
  2. the growth of Athenian power at the expense of other Greek city-states
  3. the expansion of the Roman Empire into the Greek homeland
  4. the creation of a Greek confederation under the leadership of Macedonia
Answer
Correct Response: B.

Correct Response: B.

Objective 0012
Understand the practices of the classical world, the ways in which they reflect the cultures of Greece and Rome, and their effect on later cultures.

10. Which of the following responses best describes a traditional custom of the Saturnalia festival?

  1. Citizens assembled to elect military leaders and government officials.
  2. Slave masters granted temporary privileges to their slaves.
  3. Priests conducted animal sacrifices to honor the founding of Rome.
  4. Families offered prayers and libations to their deceased kin.
Answer
Correct Response: B.

Correct Response: B.