FREE AP English Language and Composition Rhetorical Analysis Practice Test Question and Answer

Question 1

What one of the following statements best supports the speaker's claim that death "has no parallel" (line 3)?

Accepted Answer

Outdoes all other accidents (line 3)

Answer

The claim that death 'has no parallel' means it is incomparable or unmatched in its significance. The statement 'Outdoes all other accidents' directly supports this by asserting that death surpasses all other misfortunes or events in its impact and uniqueness, thus having no equal.

Question 2

The phrase "There are... at night" (line 8) serves primarily as a rhetorical device to show

Accepted Answer

Illustrate a generalization made in the previous sentence.

Answer

In rhetoric, a common technique is to follow a general statement with specific examples to make it more tangible. The phrase 'There are... at night' likely provides vivid imagery or particular instances that illustrate and elaborate upon a broader point or generalization made in the preceding sentence, making the abstract idea more concrete for the reader.

Question 3

Except for one, all of the following are found in the two statements on lines 4–7.

Accepted Answer

Dramatic irony.

Answer

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience possesses knowledge that a character in a narrative does not, creating a discrepancy between what is said and what is truly understood. This literary device is typically found in plays or stories. While metaphor, personification, repetition, and simile are common rhetorical figures in descriptive text, dramatic irony is less likely to be present in just two descriptive statements unless there's a clear narrative context.

Question 4

The speaker's main objective in the opening paragraph is to

Accepted Answer

Discuss the gravity and after-effects of death.

Answer

The opening paragraph of a text typically establishes the central theme and tone. If the speaker describes death as having 'no parallel' and causing 'terrible and melancholy' changes, their main objective is to emphasize the profound seriousness, weight, and lasting consequences of death, thus discussing its gravity and after-effects.

Question 5

"It" refers to in line 5

Accepted Answer

The thing (line 2).

Answer

Pronoun reference requires identifying the noun or concept the pronoun replaces in the preceding text. If 'it' in line 5 refers to 'the thing' in line 2, it indicates a continuation of the discussion about a specific, previously introduced concept or entity. This maintains coherence and clarity in the passage's argument.

English Language and Composition Exam Practice Test

English Language and Composition Exam Practice Test

FREE AP English Language and Composition Rhetorical Analysis Practice Test Question and Answer