Quotations,
or quotes for short, are statements written or spoken, that are repeated by
others to make a point. The point may be to show what a certain person believes
about something. They may be referred to in speeches or print as words of
wisdom. Many popular quotes are humorous or witty. There are a number of good
sources of quotations. You can use a book that contains a large collection and
find the topics you're interested in by using the index. There are some good
sites on the Internet where topics can be found by using a keyword in a search
field.
The
source you use will tell you who said or wrote the words. It will usually also
show you how to find other quotations from the same individual.
You
will often find quotations that contradict (disagree with) each other. For
example, here are two quotes that were found by searching the topic “money”:
- “When I
was young, I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that
I am old, I know it is” - Oscar Wilde
-
“No matter how little money and how few
possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich” - Louis Sabin
See
if you can answer the following questions:
1.
“The liberty of speaking and writing
guards our other liberties.” - Thomas
Jefferson
Which
statement contradicts the above quote?
a.
Freedom of the press is an important right.
b.
People should be free to express their opinions in speech and written words.
c.
Freedom of religion should not be limited.
d.
To protect liberty, governments should stop people from saying unpopular
things.
2.
Which quote indicates that cats are thinkers?
a.
“If you would know a man, observe how he
treats a cat.” - Robert Heinlein
b.
“Cats are mysterious kind of folk - there
is more passing in their minds than we are aware of.” - Sir Walter Scott
c.
“As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a
cat.” - Ellen Perry Berkeley
d.
“What greater gift than the love of a
cat?” - Charles Dickens
3.
“You know it's love when all you want is
that person to be happy, even if you're not part of their happiness.” - Julia
Roberts
According
to this quote, __________
a.
Love must be painful.
b.
Love is never real.
c.
Love is unselfish.
d.
Love can never last.
4.
“Teaching should be such that what is
offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty.” - Albert
Einstein
Einstein
is saying that _______
a.
Students learn best when they feel that what they're learning is important to
them.
b.
Teachers should offer cash awards to students for doing their homework.
c.
Never make students work hard.
d.
Teachers should wrap their assignments in real wrapping paper.
5.
“This is a court of law, young man, not a
court of justice.” - Oliver Wendell
Holmes, Jr.
Which
statement comes closest to the meaning of the above quote?
a.
You entered the wrong building.
b.
Law and order is always a bad thing.
c.
Basketball players never play fair!
d.
Laws aren't always fair.
Reading #2: “Tattoo” (High Intermediate level)
Justin’s
mom had set down the house rules with aplomb. Only the most obtuse person would
have failed to understand: no tattoos, nobody piercings and no co-ed sleepovers
while living in the house of Elaine Tucker Brown. Still, the day Justin turned
18, he lied to his mother about where he was going and headed straight to the tattoo
parlor, as if impervious to his mother’s wrath. He got a light blue heart the
size of an orange permanently etched on his arm. Above this work of art was the
word, “Blessed.” No, Justin was not stupid, but he was obstinate. Elaine saw
this as an act of sheer defiance. She was incensed, her anger exacerbated by
the fact that Justin had breezed into the house, found her in the kitchen,
taken off his shirt with a smile and said, “Got it!” “No, Justin. Let me tell
you what you’ve got,” Elaine said angrily. “You’ve got five minutes to go
upstairs and pack a bag. I’m taking you to Pop-Pops.” The ride to Pop-Pop’s
house was chilly, to say the least. Elaine berated Justin for everything she
could think of, which wasn’t much because he was a straight A senior with a
full academic scholarship to his top college pick. He had a kind heart and
started a foundation in the ninth grade, which donated used sporting equipment
to underprivileged kids in South Africa. Elaine pulled up to her father’s door
and ordered Justin out. Not 10 minutes later, her cell phone rang. “Elaine,
have you lost it? You are kicking a boy as good as him out the house for a
tattoo – that says ‘Blessed,’ no less?” her father asked, incredulous. “You
will miss him so much. Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face, Elaine. Come
pick this young man up.” Elaine, having grown up obeying most of her parents’
demands, turned her car around and went back to pick up her son. Justin was
surprisingly contrite. “Sorry for being so disrespectful, Mom,” he said
earnestly. “I will try to follow house rules from now on.”
Questions:
1)
What other title would best fit this passage?
A.
“House Rules”
B.
“Visiting Pop-Pop”
C.
"Straight A's"
D.
“Body Piercings”
2)
What details does the author include which may make the reader sympathetic to
Justin? Check all that are correct.
A.
He is described as obstinate.
B.
He is portrayed as kind-hearted.
C.
He is described as a straight student.
D.
He is described as receiving a full scholarship to college.
3)
Which proverb does Elaine learn in this passage? A. Don’t make much ado about
nothing.
B.
Familiarity breeds contempt.
C.
No arguments will give courage to the coward.
D.
If words suffice not, blows must follow.
4)
Which proverb does Justin seem to learn by the end of this passage?
A.
Look before you leap.
B.
Pleasure bought with pain, hurts.
C.
Youth’s first duty is reverence to parents.
D.
If men had all they wished, they would often be ruined.
5)
Which is the best antonym for obtuse?
A.
foolhardy
B.
intelligent
C.
passionate
D.
stubborn
6)
What was Justin's attitude when he showed his mother the tattoo?
A.
willfully defiant
B.
cautiously jubilant
C.
convincingly contrite
D.
noticeably melodramatic
7)
Which is the best antonym for impervious ?
A.
elated
B.
impenetrable
C.
invigorated
D.
vulnerable
8)
Which is the best antonym for exacerbate?
A.
defend
B.
relegate
C.
mitigate
D.
understate
9)
"You are kicking a boy as good as
him out the house for a tattoo – that says ‘Blessed,’ no less?"
The
above sentence has a grammatical error. What is it, and how should it be fixed?
A.
good should be well
B.
him should be he
C.
'Blessed' should be "Blessed"
D.
less should be lest
10)
Using the passage as a guide, which is the best interpretation of the idiom,
cut off your nose to spite your face?
A.
calling something bad that is not
B.
trying to teach something too difficult
C.
loving a person less for what he has done
D.
pursuing revenge and hurting yourself in the process
11)
"Justin was surprisingly
contrite." Choose the best way to rewrite the above sentence:
A.
Justin was surprisingly relaxed.
B.
Justin was surprisingly remorseful.
C.
Justin had surprisingly lost his bad attitude.
D.
Justin had surprisingly become somber.
Have
you ever done anything rebellious? Explain.
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