A.P.* Multiple Choice: The Nobleman's Three Sons
* = Abney Practice

Read the following passage about a nobleman's final conversation with his sons.
Then choose the correct answer for the questions that follow. 

For vocabulary help, move the cursor over the underlined words, and a definition will appear. Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne

 

Quidam nobilis in Anglia, habens terras in Anglia et in Wallia, tres habuit filios. Qui cum morti se appropinquare videret, vocavit tres filios et dixit eis, "Si necesse fieret vos aves fieri, quibus avibus velletis assimilari?" Cui respondit primogenitus, "Ego assimilarer accipitri, quia nobilis ales et de rapina vivit." Medius autem dixit, "Ego sturno, quia socialis est et turmatim volat." Tertius et iunior aliis ait, "Et ego, cygno, quia longum collum habet, ut si quid dictum in corde meo verteretur, bene     5
possem deliberare antequam veniret ad os." Pater autem hoc audiens, dixit primo, "Tu fili, ut video, vivere cupis ex raptu; do tibi terras meas in Anglia, quia terra pacis et iustitiae, et in ea rapere non poteris impune. Tu autem, fili, qui societatem amas, habebis terras meas in Wallia, quae est terra discordiae et guerrae, qui per curialitatem malitiam temperabis incolarum. Tibi autem iuniori nullam terram assigno, qui sapiens eris et per sapientiam tuam sufficienter tibi adquires." Mortuo igitur    10
patre dividentur terra ut pater praedixerat. Frater autem iunior, in sapientia proficiens, factus est capitalis iudex Angliae.



1.  What type of verbal is habens in line 1?

perfect active participle
gerund
present active participle
gerundive


2.  What is the correct translation of the clause
     Qui . . . videret (lines 1-2)?
when he saw that death was approaching him
when he saw that he was drawing near to death
when death saw that it was drawing near to him
when he saw that it was getting to be the time to die


3.  What is the father wondering in the question Si . . .      assimilari in lines 2-3?
why it was necessary to assault the birds and tear      off their wings
whether his sons would take care of the birds after      his death
what kind of birds his sons would like to be
which traits of their grandfathers (ancestors) they
     most admired


4.  What characteristics of the accipiter does the first      son mention (lines 3-4)?
that nobles admire it above all other birds
its swift wings
that it is a hunter
that it lives on the wind


5.  What is remarkable about the sturnus (line 4)?
its gregarious nature
its bellicose tendencies
its soaring flight
its beautiful song


6.  It is posssible, but not necessary, to read iunior
     aliis
(line 4) as an ablative. What is the best
     translation of the phrase?
younger than the others
youngest of all
smaller with respect to its wings
somewhat younger


7. What does the long neck of the cygnus (line 4-6)

    symbolize?
grace under pressure
righting wrongs
think before you speak
the heart shielded from love


8.  Why does the eldest son inherit Anglia, according
     to Tu . . . impune (lines 6-8)?
to bring peace and justice
because he cannot pillage it
to unite the land swiftly
to demonstrate his might


9.  Why does the second son inherit Wallia, according
     to Tu . . . incolarum (lines 8 -9)?
to wage war
to remove evil from life at court
to move like a storm over his foes
because the people at court are friendly


10. Why does the third son inherit nothing, according

     to Tibi . . . adquires (lines 9-10)?
He must learn wisdom.
He lacks experience.
Wisdom will find its own way.
The eldest inherits everything.


11. What is the most accurate translation of

     Mortuo . . . patre (lines 10-11)?
so while their father was dying
therefore, with their father's death
because of their father's death
when their father had therefore died


12. Why did the youngest son go to Anglia?
His wisdom would make him welcome there.
Someone needed to keep an eye on his brother.
His eldest brother offered him sanctuary from the
     middle brother.
It was his father's dying wish to unite the family.