Directions:
The exam has two parts. You must complete both parts of the exam. Please write your answers in a word-processing program and email them as an MS Word or .rtf doc to Prof. Gold at mgold@citytech.cuny.edu with “ENG 1101 Midterm Exam (Your Name)” in the subject line. Your answers should follow MLA format and should use 12pt Times New Roman type.
You should spend no more than two hours on this exam. Exams are due by 5pm today (Thursday, Nov. 8) unless you made alternative arrangements with me after class on Tuesday.
EXAM
PART I:
Read Aaron Betsky’s article, “American Dream,” published in Architect on September 13, 2010. Summarize Betsky’s article using the format we’ve practiced in class.
Your summary must state the thesis of the article in your own words. It should also indicate three or four supporting ideas or stages of thought the author goes through to develop his thesis. You may quote sparingly to convey the flavor of the author’s style and thought, but be sure that your summary (aside from direct quotations) is expressed in your own words. Your summary should consist of one well-developed paragraph.
PART II:
Write a well-developed essay of about 7-10 paragraphs in response to Betsky’s article that compares and contrasts your own experiences, beliefs, and opinions about the role of an academic campus in the learning experiences of students. To what extent do the physical environs of a college shape the kind of learning that goes on within it? How does your own experience of a college campus at an urban public commuter institution compare with those Betsky describes? How have the school campuses in which you’ve learned shaped your own learning experiences?
You can write this essay based on your own experiences or based on the experiences of someone you know or someone you have heard about. You can discuss City Tech or any other institutions at which you’ve learned.
Make sure that in your response, you draw explicit connections between your own experiences and the historical parallels described by Betsky, using quotation marks when quoting directly from his piece.
Note:
If the link to Betsky’s article is not working, you can download a PDF copy of it here.
