Advanced Placement English Language and Composition2010-2011 Course Syllabus and PoliciesCourse PhilosophyAdvanced Placement English Language and Composition is a rigorous andchallenging college-level course. According to the College Board (2006), “t hecourse engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a varietyof periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writers whocompose for a variety of purposes. Both their reading and their writing shouldmake students aware of the interactions among a writer’ s purposes, audienceexpectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and theresources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. Particular emphasiswill be placed on the expository, analytical, and argumentative writing that formsthe basis of academic and professional communication as well as the personaland reflective writing that fosters the development of writing facility in anycontext.” 1

Course ObjectivesIncorporated with both the fiction and nonfiction readings of the course, studentswill not only read critically and analytically, but they will also produce a variety ofwritten responses as they explore various modes of discourse. As specified bythe AP English Language and Composition Course Description, upon completingthe course students will demonstrate the ability to:“An alyze and interpret samples of good writing, identifying and explainingan author’ s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques;Apply effective strategies and techniques in their own writing;Create and sustain arguments based on readings, research, and/orpersonal experience;Demonstrate understanding and mastery of standard written English as

well as stylistic maturity in their own writings;Write in a variety of genres and contexts, both formal and informal,employing appropriate conventions;Produce expository and argumentative compositions that introduce acomplex central idea and develop it with appropriate, specific evidence,cogent explanations, and clear transitions; andMove effectively through the stages of the writing process, with carefulattention to inquiry and research, drafting, revising, editing, and review.” 21 The College Board, AP English Course Description, May 2007, p. 62 The College Board, AP English Course Description, May 2007, p. 61Furthermore, as students explore literature published in various time periods andparts of the world, particularly America, the students will, as suggested by DavidJolliffe:“U nderstand how poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction prose written inAmerica from the seventeenth century to the present represent theexperiences of people who were native to American soil, people whoemigrated to America, and people who were brought to America againsttheir will as America was colonized and developed into the complex entityit is today;Understand how the American experience has influenced the developmentof English language” 3; andExamine the arguments presented in all written texts, both fiction andnonfiction, as they produce clear, correct, and effective written analysis ofthe rhetoric surrounding each piece.In order to achieve these course objectives, A.P. English is taught and graded atthe college-level and requires a high level of student commitment. Studentresponsibility is much greater than in honors courses.Course TextbooksThe following textbooks are issued to all students during the first week of class:Trimmer, Joseph F. and Heather Milliet The RiversideReader. Boston:

Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009.McMichael, George and J.C. Levenson, eds. Concise Anthology ofAmerican Literature,5th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice River, 2001.Additional works are included with various units of study during the course.Class GuidelinesClassroom RulesStudents are expected to behave and perform at a college-age maturity level. Thehighest level of respect will be shown at all times toward the instructor, fellowstudents, and their ideas and beliefs. Students are also expected to abide by allrules in the student handbook.3 From “ Blending AP English Language and American Literature” by David Jolliffe, 2005.2Course WebsiteStudents are expected to check the website daily for assignments andannouncements. Information is posted online regarding excessiveabsences, makeup work, late work, and answers to frequently asked questions.TutoringTutoring is happily provided to any student. Please make an appointment if youwould like to meet in the morning. Formal tutoring will take place Tuesday,Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons from 2:30-3:30 PM in room 159.Academic Integrity CodeBecause of the accelerated course content and atmosphere, as well as the clearexpectations for academic honesty, it is the responsibility of each student toadhere to a high code of honor and integrity. It is in an atmosphere of trust thatlearning will take place. This relationship of mutual respect between the studentand the teacher requires honesty in all situations.Cheating and dishonesty undermine the integrity of the entire education systemand ultimately cheat students out of a quality and comprehensive education.Cheating on any assignment (major or minor) will result in an automatic zero.

Please be aware that the Academic Integrity Code will be upheld and defended inthis class.Excessive Absences/Make-up WorkStudents who are absent often miss key instruction needed for the days andweeks to come. Whenever possible, please give advance notice to the dates thatwill be missed. When an absence cannot be avoided, it is the student’ sresponsibility to find out about missed assignments and to make up the necessarywork.Grading PoliciesThe school year consists of two semesters with three six-weeks grading periodseach. By district policy, the course must have at least three major grades per sixweeks. By campus policy, the minor grade component consists of at least fourgrades per six weeks. Per the respective policies, major grades carry 70% andminor grades carry 30% of the grade average. Major assessments may consist oftimed writings, processed papers, AP multiple choice preparation tests, essayexams over studied works and modes of discourse, or projects. Minorassessments may include Writer’ s Notebook entries, quizzes, papers, group work,class discussions, or Socratic seminars.Feedback given by the instructor on all writing assignments addresses, asappropriate, the student’ s ability to use “a wide-ranging vocabulary appropriatelyand effectively, a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of3subordination and coordination, logical organization, enhanced by specifictechniques to increase coherence, such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis,a balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail, and an effective use ofrhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice, andachieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure.” 4

Students are encouraged to discuss their grades with their instructor at any timeduring the year. However, students wishing to discuss their grades must do soduring a scheduled appointment before or after school. Discussions about gradeson particular assignments will not take place immediately after receiving a grade orduring class time.Course OverviewThe course is a blend of fiction and nonfiction readings exposing students tovarious writing styles, rhetorical purposes, and social criticisms. Toward this aim,students—b oth independently and collectively—a ssess each piece of writing as anargument, sorting through the writer’ s intentional choice of language and rhetoricalstrategies in an effort to decipher accurate historical and social meaning. Studentsare subsequently expected to merge their analysis with contemporary issues andevents, synthesizing their reading with various world perspectives.Yearlong Assignments/Learning ActivitiesCurrent Issues ProjectStudents in the Advanced Placement English program must understand“t hat part of being good writers is being involved, informed citizens, peoplewho are aware of important issues being discussed in their community,nation, and world and who are capable of contributing intelligently toconversations about these issues. Effective citizen rhetoricians, therefore,should read newspapers and news magazines thoroughly, experienceprogramming in the media that treats issues fully and fairly, and considercarefully the reasoned opinions of peers, parents, and other adults.” 5In order to encourage student growth in developing an informed worldview,students are expected to actively collect articles from magazines,newspapers, and the school’ s subscription of on-line databases. Eachgrading period, students must gather six high-quality sources ofapproximately 1,000-5,000 words on one contemporary issue. For eachsource students must carefully read and notate, provide the correct MLAcitation, and compose an original, objective summary of the article. The

4 From the AP English Language Course Requirements available onhttp://apcentral.collegeboard.com.5 From David Jolliffe’ s comments in “ Student Performance Questions and Answers: 2004 APEnglish Language and Composition Free Response Questions” p. 127-128.4collection of sources should provide various viewpoints on a sufficientlynarrow topic. In addition to keeping students abreast of contemporaryissues, these sources and summaries are used throughout the year forpreparation for the synthesis essay, oral argumentative debates, andwritten timed essays and processed compositions.The Writer’ s Notebook and Writing PortfolioResearch indicates that a person’ s writing will improve if they write everyday, even if an instructor never reads it; therefore, students maintain a“W riter’ s Notebook” as a place to record class notes, vocabulary, prewriting,drafts of assignments and ideas to discuss, as well as respond to variouswriting tasks given in class responding to the literature examined. Studentsshould have their notebooks with them in class everyday and be preparedto conference with their instructor and peers regarding the content of theirdaily entries.The writing portfolio is accumulated throughout the year and serves as afinal assessment. Students keep both electronic and paper files in whichthey collect processed papers, timed writings, Writer’ s Notebook entries,and published pieces. Students meet periodically with their peers and theirinstructor to evaluate the content of the portfolio and their progress asstudent-writers.Socratic SeminarsThroughout the course, students take an active role in closely examiningand critiquing literature and contemporary issues, not only in writing butorally through student-led discussion. Thus, Socratic seminars take placefrequently to encourage divergent thinking and allow students throughopen-ended questions to think critically, analyze multiple meanings in atext, and express ideas with clarity and confidence. The dialogue is

intended to be exploratory and involves the suspension of biases andprejudices. Prior to the seminar, students are expected to read the text(s)thoroughly, marking it and highlighting key passages; familiarizethemselves with unique vocabulary; brainstorm insights regarding theauthor’ s writing style and intended meaning; and create questions forfurther discussion. During the seminar, students are expected to participateactively by speaking, listening, and drawing others into the discussion;respect the opinions and ideas of others; refrain from interrupting; andsupport their ideas with evidence.AP Multiple Choice Passage PreparationAs recommended by College-Board consultants at the AP Summer Instituteat Rice University (2004-2006), Advanced Placement multiple choice testswill be administered periodically throughout each six weeks and taken as a5major grade. The passages and questions created by the AdvancedPlacement program are very challenging and must be practiced seriouslyfor students to be successful on the national exam in May. Passages aregiven in advance during the first semester only to aid in studentunderstanding and increased confidence for mastering this portion of theexam; when passages are given in advance, students must prepare thepassage according to the following guidelines:1. Highlight every other sentence.2. Define every word they do not know or are unsure about. Writethese words and their denotations at the bottom of the passage.Define according to the appropriate part of speech.3. Make at least three legible, significant marginal notations perparagraph. These notations should not only identify rhetoricaldevices but should also connect those devices to meaning.4. Summarize each paragraph in one sentence.5. Summarize the entire passage in one sentence.6. Identify the author’ s purpose for each paragraph.7. Identify the author’ s overall purpose for the passage.Passages may be collected at any time as a minor grade or part of a majorgrade. The time invested in preparing passages and reading closely iswell-spent and will pay off not only on the AP test but also in the student’ sability to read critically at the college-level. Peer and teacher-student

conferencing also provides feedback during the preparation process.Advanced Writing Terminology, Grammar Instruction, and VocabularyBuildingJunior students in an AP English Language and Composition course areexpected to demonstrate mastery of Standard Written English. However,grammar mini-lessons will be incorporated throughout the semester andpracticed in the Writer’ s Notebook based on student need. In addition,students will be given a list of course terminology the first week of schoolwhich must be learned, practiced, and mastered by the end of the firstgrading period. Students learn vocabulary in context through the study ofthe written works, maintaining an ongoing list of unfamiliar words, whichmust subsequently be defined and utilized in various writing assignments intheir Writer’ s Notebook.First SemesterIntroduction to the course, approximately 1-2 weeksAs the school year begins and the majority of students enter an AdvancedPlacement course for the first time, much attention is given to familiarizingstudents with (1) the expectations and syllabus for the course, (2) the format of the6AP English Language and Composition Exam, (3) a nine-point AP style gradingrubric for free response timed writings and essays, (4) the explanation andassignment of the on-going Current Issues Project, (5) the philosophy of andexpectations for maintaining the Writer’ s Notebook and cumulative writingportfolio, (6) Socratic seminar guidelines and expectations, (6) AP multiple choicepreparation plans, and (7) an overview of advanced writing and critical readingterminology and grammar.Unit 1Defining the American Voice, 5-6 weeksThere's the country of America, which you have to defend, but there's also theidea of America.

America is more than just a country, it's an idea. An idea that's supposed to becontagious. -BonoStudents will read a variety of nonfiction and fiction selections that explorevariations of the American experience; among the many “vo ices” heard during thisunit are those of a former slave, an Indian-American, an African-American, aformer American president, and an Asian-American. The idea of persona inautobiography is also discussed in correlation with both Douglass’ s and Franklin’ spersonal narratives.Reading SelectionsNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, FrederickDouglassThe Autobiography, Benjamin FranklinOn Writing Well, William ZinsserIn addition, the following reading selections are included as time allows andnot necessarily read and analyzed in their entirety:The Way to Rainy Mountain, Scott Momaday; The Interesting Life ofOlaudah Equiano, Equiano; “T he National Anthem,” Francis Scott Key; “IHear America Singing,” Walt Whitman; “I , Too,” Langston Hughes; “Enperseguirme mundo…” Sor Juana de la Cruz; “Pl enos Poderes,” PabloNeruda; “N ow and Then, America,” Pat Mora; “Ame rica,” Claude McKay;“F ish Cheeks,” Amy Tan; “I ndian Takeout,” Jhumpa Lahiri; “Bl ack Men andPublic Spaces,” Brent Staples; “N otes from the Hip- Hop Underground,”Shelby Steele; “O nly Daughter,” Sandra CisnerosWriting FocusOn Writing Well7In the process of forming their identity as student-writers, the semesterbegins with the reading of William Zinsser’ s classic, On Writing Well.Aspects of effective writing presented in the text are discussed,experimented with, and implemented in student writing. In the process,students converse regarding the defining elements of “g ood” writing and

explore nuances of the relationship between the writer, audience, andpurpose for composition. Zinsser’ s principles are referenced throughout thecourse, serving as the definition of effective writing and as a foundation forcourse writing expectations.Assertion Free-Response Timed WritingsIn addition, students write their first free-response timed essay in responseto Question 3 on the 1999 AP Exam. Students respond to this promptinitially with little teacher instruction. Prior to returning the instructor-scoredessays, the 9-point rubric and released rangefinders are analyzed bystudents in small learning groups and discussed as a class. When thescored papers are then returned to the students, they wield from both thesmall and large group discussions points for individual improvement andrevision. Teacher-student conferencing also takes place after school, asneeded. Finally, students rewrite the composition for an improved score;this improved score becomes a major grade for the first grading period.Unit 2American Rhetoric: Gods, Patriots, and Politics—6 weeksWe should dwell upon arguments, and impress the motives of persuasion upon our ownhearts,till we feel the love of them. – Isaac WattsStudents will read nonfiction selections, primarily speeches, as they are introducedto the art of persuasion and argument. The Rhetorical Triangle, Subject-Occasion-Audience-Purpose-Speaker-Tone (SOAPSTone), and Overview-Parts-Title-Interrelationships-Conclusion (OPTIC) strategies are taught to the students,providing them a bank of strategies to draw from as they encounter challengingwritten and visual texts during the remainder of the year. In addition, studentsanalyze in their reading and employ in their writing the rhetorical appeals (e.g.logos, pathos, ethos), various rhetorical modes, devices, and strategies (e.g.

exposition, argumentation, description, narration, polysyndeton, asyndeton,anaphora, epistrophe, parallelism, chiasmus, praeteritio, antithesis, euphemism,metonymy, parallelism, allusion, analogy, understatement, hyperbole, syllogism),and common logical fallacies (e.g. non sequitur, oversimplification, hastygeneralization, either/or reasoning, argument from doubtful or unidentifiedauthority, argument ad hominem, begging the question, post hoc, false analogy).Special attention is also paid in this unit to rhetoric in advertising, as studentscritique both popular commercials and print advertisements. As part of this8analysis, students work collectively and independently to describe the targetedaudience, techniques used to attract attention, the lifestyles, values, and points ofview represented, intentional omissions or logical fallacies, dominant rhetoricalappeals, and the overall purpose and implied message of each selectedadvertisement.Reading Selections“Si nners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards; TheDeclaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson; The American Crisis,Thomas Paine; “G ettysburg Address,” Abraham Lincoln; “L etter fromBirmingham Jail” , Martin Luther King, Jr.; “T he Penalty of Death,” H.L.Mencken; “L ive Free and Starve,” Chitra Divakaruni; “T he Singer Solution toWorld Poverty,” Peter Singer; “W hy Don’ t We Complain,” William Buckley,Jr.; “W hy I Stopped Being a Vegetarian,” Laura Fraser; “T oo MuchPressure,” Colleen Wenke; “F ive Myths About Immigration” , David Cole;“L et’ s Tell the Story of All America’ s Cultures,” Ji-Yeon Mary Yuhfill;“U nnatural Killers,” John Grisham; “F rankenstein Must Be Destroyed:Chasing the Monster of TV Violence,” Brian Siano; “W hat, Then, Is to BeDone?” Peter Brimelow; “Mu lticulturalism is Misguided,” Trudy RubinWriting FocusThe Researched Speech

During this unit, student-writers immerse themselves in rhetoric through thecomposition and delivery of a researched persuasive speech on acontemporary social or political topic/issue of their choice. The issue maybe local, state, national, or international and must demonstrate its relevanceto their audience of college-bound AP students. The speech must include:a brief description of the problem and their clear position on the issue; aconvincing presentation, using specific rhetorical strategies, of the direconsequences if this problem is not resolved; and an argument persuadingtheir audience to take some course of action that will alleviate or eliminatethe problem. In addition, the student must use at least five differentrhetorical devices and balance of all three rhetorical appeals effectively.Furthermore, comprehensive research—i ncluding both primary andsecondary sources—i s expected. Each source must be clearly labeled withthe appropriate information for a Modern Language Associationbibliographic entry and a properly formatted bibliography must be attachedto the written copy of their speech.The ultimate goal of the researched persuasive speech is to “h elp studentsgenerate and find sources on topics that are engaging and important forthem, teach them to read those sources analytically and critically, and thenlead them to produce papers that make and develop a strong point or claimby entering into conversation with their research—b y synthesizing9information and perspectives from the sources with their own reasoning andideas.” 6Free-Response Timed WritingsIn addition, timed free-response essay practice continues to be integratedinto the natural progression of the course. As the students focus in theirreading and visual analysis on the rhetoric of various speeches and letters,

they complete the timed free-response question on Abraham Lincoln’ s“Se cond Inaugural Address” from the 2000 AP Exam and LordChesterfield’ s letter to his son from the 2004 AP Exam.Unit 3Persuasion and Purity: The Scarlet Letter Trial, 3-4 weeksWe must convince by reason, not prescribe by tradition. -CyprianReading SelectionsThe Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne“T he Lottery”, Shirley JacksonWriting Focus: The Scarlet Letter TrialThe first semester concludes with students combing their newfoundknowledge of rhetoric to a critical evaluation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’ s TheScarlet Letter. Each student is assigned to a legal team responsible forpreparing a defense that is based on evidence derived from the text. Asstudents examine this work of fiction, they must closely read and carefullyanalyze the text in order to prepare a winning defense for Hester Prynne,Arthur Dimmesdale, or Roger Chillingworth. While students examine howHawthorne achieves various effects with his linguistic and rhetoricalchoices, they also concurrently gather evidence for their case, anticipatecounterarguments, and plan an overall strategy to prove their client is notthe “g uiltiest” sinner. In this process, students produce written opening andclosing arguments, prepare strategic questions for direct and crossexamination,and rehearse key witnesses in the mock courtroom theclassroom becomes.First Semester ExamAt the end of the first semester, students take a 90-minute exam featuring two APfree-response questions from released exams—o ne essay focusing on proseanalysis and rhetoric, the other on argument.6 From the AP English Language and Composition: 2005-2006 Workshop Materials, “ SpecialFocus: Writing Persuasively” p. 15.10Second SemesterUnit 4

Social Criticism: Argument in the Modern American Novel, 6-8 weeksUse soft words and hard arguments. – English ProverbThe unit begins with students immersed in the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald, as theyexamine The Crack-Up and The Great Gatsby simultaneously. One primaryobjective of this unit is to show students the often blurred line between fiction andnonfiction and the way in which an author may criticize society through a fictionalcreation. Students are asked to search for the non-fiction realities of The Crack-Up in the account of Jay Gatz and examine Fitzgerald’ s criticisms of the AmericanDream, the influence of power, and the pursuit of wealth at all costs.Fiction as social criticism continues to inspire student assertions as they then turnto Fitzgerald’ s contemporary, Ernest Hemingway. In their study of Hemingway’ stumultuous and ultimately tragic life, students examine his unique writing style andexperiment with his terse prose and declarative syntax in their own writing. Thedetachment and disillusionment present in A Farewell to Arms turns to adiscussion of student disillusionment and apathy in modern education, developedby reading and analyzing Dr. Bartlett’ s observations in the nonfiction selection,“So uls without Longing.”Reading SelectionsThe Great Gatsby, F. Scott FitzgeraldThe Crack-Up, F. Scott FitzgeraldA Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway“So uls without Longing” by Dr. Robert BartlettWriting FocusExpository Essay: A Modern Proposal for EducationStudents react to their reading of social criticisms by composing their owncritique of the American education system. Prompted by discussion and groupanalysis of “So uls without Longing”, students write an expository essay in whichthey define and explain the problems with the system and suggest solutions.

Free-Response Timed WritingsStudents continue to develop confidence with the timed essay. Timedwritings focus on the identification of an author’ s attitude or tone and howsuch an attitude is created through the use of rhetorical strategies. Variouspractice attempts conclude with a final major assessment in which students11respond to Question 2 from the 1999 AP exam examining JamaicaKincaid’ s passage, “O n Seeing England for the First Time”.Unit 5The Ramifications of Rhetoric and Religion, 6-7 weeksWhen I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion. – AbrahamLincolnIn this portion of the class, students audit Danteworlds, a virtual course providedby the University of Texas at Austin as a complement to their experience ofreading, analyzing, and discussing Dante’ s Inferno. This integrated multimediajourney combines artistic images, textual commentary, audio recordings ofsignificant Italian verse, and study questions, aiding students in their closeexamination and analysis of Dante’ s Inferno.7 As students utilize this resource,they also listen to and discuss lectures given by Dr. Timothy Shutt as part of TheModern Scholar series. Reading and writing in this unit not only involves applyingthe Rhetorical Triangle to the epic poem and exploring the author’ s specificrhetorical strategies but also opens a forum for examining contemporary religiousrhetoric.Reading SelectionInferno, Dante AlighieriVarious non-fiction articles on contemporary religious events and issuesfrom Time, U.S. News and World Report, Atlantic Monthly, or The NewYorkerWriting FocusModern Inferno Narrative

At the conclusion of our study of the Inferno, students focus on narrativewriting in their creation of an original modern inferno. While students enjoythis opportunity to be creative, they must also imitate in their tale studiedaspects of Dante’ s epic version including the use of allusions, synesthesia,and condemnation of contemporary historical and social figures. The paperis composed over several weeks, allowing time for peer and teacherfeedback during the writing process. The final copy accompanies a visualrepresentation and is presented formally to the class.Synthesis Essay7 Danteworlds is the work of Professor Guy Raffa and is available athttp://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu.12During this unit, students also continue fine-tuning their argument skills asthey tackle the challenge of the new synthesis essay. The Current IssuesProject accumulated throughout the year greatly aids student practice andpreparation during this unit, providing appropriate sources for severalpractice timed essays, as well as oral peer debates. In addition, studentspractice “Sa mple 1” of the synthesis essay provided by the College Board;a critical aspect of this practice is peer and teacher conferencing, as well asdiscussion of sample essays and scoring commentary. The final writingassessment for this area of study is the College Board’ s “Sa mple 2”.Unit 6The Documentary Debate: Fiction or Non-Fiction? 3-4 weeksEvery portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. – OscarWildeIn this unit, students dialogue about the nature of the documentary by examining adocumentary film as a rhetorical argument. In small peer groups, students chooseone film and closely and actively watch it; the viewing must be critical, oftenrequiring a second viewing for thorough comprehension. During the viewing,

students rhetorically analyze the presentation, assessing the filmmaker’ s purpose,the given argument and assertions, the attitude or viewpoint of the director, thecinematic techniques used to produce its point, and how the structure helps thefilm achieve its purpose. Students also find reviews of the film, which aresubsequently annotated and cited according to MLA documentation. As theculminating activity for the assignment, students then prepare a presentation to theclass in which they share their commentary on and criticism of the documentary’ srhetorical argument.Writing FocusTimed WritingAt the conclusion of the presentations, students respond to Question 3 fromthe 2001 AP exam, in which they examine Susan Sontag’ s claim that“p hotography limits our understanding of the world.”Final Test ReviewIn the final two weeks before the exam, students practice multiple choicequestions along with several free-response essays each week. While notall released free-response prompts require a fully developed essay,students review concepts, skills, and terminology learned during the year ina variety of shorter compositions generated during this final test preparationpush.Second Semester Exam13Per campus policy, students who pass the course and the exit-level EnglishLanguage Arts state exam earn exemption from the second semester exam.Consequently, very few students sit for this test. Those students who must takethe exam are given 90-minutes and write two AP free-response essays fromreleased exams not used previously on the first semester exam; again, one essayfocuses on prose analysis and rhetoric, the other on argument.14