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Directions: The passage below is followed by questions about its content. Answer these passage-based reading questions on the basis of what is stated or implied.
Questions #1-6 are based on the following passage.
Hawaiian quilts, such as those created by Marthe Marques and Helen Friend, reflect an eclectic blend of early American quilt making, Hawaiian tradition, island imagery, spiritual influences, current events, and modern vision. Helen Friend, a recognized contemporary Hawaiian artist, produces quilted artworks inspired by nature’s power, Hawaii’s natural environment, current events, and historic textiles. Her quilt titled I ka Ho’okumuana (In the Beginning) depicts an aerial view of an erupting volcano constructed of appliqued red flames set against a black background fabric. This quilt embraces both the past and the future; it clearly falls within the provenance of a traditional Hawaiian quilt, and at the same time it challenges the boundaries of that definition.
While many historians claim that New England Missionaries brought quilting to the islands in 1820, it has been reported that Hawaiian women fashioned decorative bed coverings, called kapa moe, long before the missionaries’ arrival. Kapa moe were constructed from multiple layers of tapa, a paper-like fabric crafted from mulberry bark. The top layer of tapa was often dyed and decorated with beautiful geometric designs. The layers, each one comprised of a large piece of fabric, were stitched together, possibly to provide additional resilience.
With the arrival of the missionaries, Hawaiian quilters were introduced to American materials, quilting methods and designs. The missionaries brought metal needles, cotton fabrics, and cotton thread to Hawaii. In addition, they taught the native women to work with both patchwork and appliqued quilting. In patchwork quilting, designs on the quilt’s top layer are created by piercing small bits of fabric together to form patterns, then overstitched with contrasting designs when the layers of the quilt are united. With appliqued quilts, the quilt’s top layer is decorated with pieces of fabric cut to form images and designs. While many patchwork quilts incorporate small geometric shapes in various colors aligned to form larger geometric shapes, appliqued quilting allows quilters to express more natural shapes and images.
Question 1 |
defense and rebuttal | |
assertion and evidence
| |
evidence and conjecture | |
entreaty and dissent | |
apology and explanation |
Question 2 |
They integrate traditional culture, early American needlework, and modern imagery. | |
They should be cherished as exquisite examples of traditional Hawaiian needlework. | |
They include designs symbolic of the natural flora and fauna of New England. | |
They ignore the cultural heritage of the Hawaiian Islands. | |
They adopt designs inspired by early American patchwork quilts. |
Question 3 |
depicts historical volcanic eruptions | |
defies practical considerations | |
avoids traditional practices | |
adapts established artistic techniques | |
undermines contemporary aesthetics |
Question 4 |
are examples of traditional bed coverings inspired by the New England missionaries | |
explain how modern quilters adopted the methods of their ancestors | |
can be found in modern Hawaiian households | |
predated the arrival of missionaries on the islands | |
are decorated with elaborate geometric designs |
Question 5 |
impermanence | |
flexibility | |
lightheartedness | |
frailty | |
robustness |
Question 6 |
sewing | |
cutting up | |
creating | |
breaking | |
replacing |
List |
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