ACT Reading : Identifying and Analyzing Important Details in Humanities Passages
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Reading
All ACT Reading Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #111 : Humanities
Passage adapted from "Of One Defect in Our Government" in Essays of Michael, Seigneur de Montaigne in The Complete Works of Michael de Montaigne (1580, trans. C. Cotton, ed. W. Hazlitt 1842)
My late father, a man that had no other advantages than experience and his own natural parts, was nevertheless of a very clear judgment, formerly told me that he once had thoughts of endeavoring to introduce this practice; that there might be in every city a certain place assigned to which such as stood in need of anything might repair, and have their business entered by an officer appointed for that purpose. As for example: I want a chapman to buy my pearls; I want one that has pearls to sell; such a one wants company to go to Paris; such a one seeks a servant of such a quality; such a one a master; such a one such an artificer; some inquiring for one thing, some for another, every one according to what he wants. And doubtless, these mutual advertisements would be of no contemptible advantage to the public correspondence and intelligence: for there are evermore conditions that hunt after one another, and for want of knowing one another's occasions leave men in very great necessity.
I have heard, to the great shame of the age we live in, that in our very sight two most excellent men for learning died so poor that they had scarce bread to put in their mouths: Lilius Gregorius Giraldus in Italy and Sebastianus Castalio in Germany: and I believe there are a thousand men would have invited them into their families, with very advantageous conditions, or have relieved them where they were, had they known their wants. The world is not so generally corrupted, but that I know a man that would heartily wish the estate his ancestors have left him might be employed, so long as it shall please fortune to give him leave to enjoy it, to secure rare and remarkable persons of any kind, whom misfortune sometimes persecutes to the last degree, from the dangers of necessity; and at least place them in such a condition that they must be very hard to please, if they are not contented.
My father in his domestic economy had this rule (which I know how to commend, but by no means to imitate), namely, that besides the day-book or memorial of household affairs, where the small accounts, payments, and disbursements, which do not require a secretary's hand, were entered, and which a steward always had in custody, he ordered him whom he employed to write for him, to keep a journal, and in it to set down all the remarkable occurrences, and daily memorials of the history of his house: very pleasant to look over, when time begins to wear things out of memory, and very useful sometimes to put us out of doubt when such a thing was begun, when ended; what visitors came, and when they went; our travels, absences, marriages, and deaths; the reception of good or ill news; the change of principal servants, and the like. An ancient custom, which I think it would not be amiss for every one to revive in his own house; and I find I did very foolishly in neglecting it.
Based on the passage, which of the following is true?
Lilius Gregorius Giraldus was an Italian scientist, and Sebastianus Castalio a German professor of philosophy.
The narrator thinks that keeping a journal of household accounts is a great idea, yet he has not done so himself.
Small accounts, payments, and disbursements must be recorded by a secretary.
The narrator's father was a financial supporter of several prominent intellectuals.
The narrator's father organized the public resource to help people learn of each other's needs described in the first paragraph.
The narrator thinks that keeping a journal of household accounts is a great idea, yet he has not done so himself.
Nowhere in the passage does it say that the narrator's father supported prominent intellectuals; the narrator discusses his father in the first paragraph and the support of prominent intellectuals in the second, and the ideas do not overlap in this way. The narrator's father also did not actually implement or organize the plan for the public resource to help people learn of each other's needs that is described in the first paragraph; we're told that he "that he once had thoughts of endeavoring to introduce this practice," but we're not told that he accomplished this. "Small accounts, payments, and disbursements must be recorded by a secretary" is false, as the passage describes these as, "small accounts, payments, and disbursements, which do not require a secretary's hand." Finally, "Lilius Gregorius Giraldus was an Italian scientist, and Sebastianus Castalio a German professor of philosophy" is false because the passage doesn't tell us that Giraldus was a scientist or Italian, or that Castalio was a professor of philosophy or German. The countries are mentioned as where each man died, but have nothing to do with his citizenship or background. The only remaining answer choice is the correct one: "The narrator thinks that keeping a journal of household accounts is a great idea, yet he has not done so himself." This is supported by two parts of the last paragraph: its introduction, "My father in his domestic economy had this rule (which I know how to commend, but by no means to imitate)," and its conclusion, "An ancient custom, which I think it would not be amiss for every one to revive in his own house; and I find I did very foolishly in neglecting it."
Example Question #111 : Act Reading
Passage adapted from "Of One Defect in Our Government" in Essays of Michael, Seigneur de Montaigne in The Complete Works of Michael de Montaigne (1580, trans. C. Cotton, ed. W. Hazlitt 1842)
My late father, a man that had no other advantages than experience and his own natural parts, was nevertheless of a very clear judgment, formerly told me that he once had thoughts of endeavoring to introduce this practice; that there might be in every city a certain place assigned to which such as stood in need of anything might repair, and have their business entered by an officer appointed for that purpose. As for example: I want a chapman to buy my pearls; I want one that has pearls to sell; such a one wants company to go to Paris; such a one seeks a servant of such a quality; such a one a master; such a one such an artificer; some inquiring for one thing, some for another, every one according to what he wants. And doubtless, these mutual advertisements would be of no contemptible advantage to the public correspondence and intelligence: for there are evermore conditions that hunt after one another, and for want of knowing one another's occasions leave men in very great necessity.
I have heard, to the great shame of the age we live in, that in our very sight two most excellent men for learning died so poor that they had scarce bread to put in their mouths: Lilius Gregorius Giraldus in Italy and Sebastianus Castalio in Germany: and I believe there are a thousand men would have invited them into their families, with very advantageous conditions, or have relieved them where they were, had they known their wants. The world is not so generally corrupted, but that I know a man that would heartily wish the estate his ancestors have left him might be employed, so long as it shall please fortune to give him leave to enjoy it, to secure rare and remarkable persons of any kind, whom misfortune sometimes persecutes to the last degree, from the dangers of necessity; and at least place them in such a condition that they must be very hard to please, if they are not contented.
My father in his domestic economy had this rule (which I know how to commend, but by no means to imitate), namely, that besides the day-book or memorial of household affairs, where the small accounts, payments, and disbursements, which do not require a secretary's hand, were entered, and which a steward always had in custody, he ordered him whom he employed to write for him, to keep a journal, and in it to set down all the remarkable occurrences, and daily memorials of the history of his house: very pleasant to look over, when time begins to wear things out of memory, and very useful sometimes to put us out of doubt when such a thing was begun, when ended; what visitors came, and when they went; our travels, absences, marriages, and deaths; the reception of good or ill news; the change of principal servants, and the like. An ancient custom, which I think it would not be amiss for every one to revive in his own house; and I find I did very foolishly in neglecting it.
How many books did the narrator's father have kept concerning his house, and what were they?
One: a day-book
Three: a day-book, a book in which small accounts were recorded, and a journal
Two: a day-book and a book in which small accounts were recorded
Three: a day-book, a memorial of household affairs, and a journal
Two: a day-book and a journal
Two: a day-book and a journal
In the passage's final paragraph, the narrator states, "besides the day-book or memorial of household affairs, where the small accounts, payments, and disbursements . . . were entered . . . he ordered him whom he employed to write for him, to keep a journal, and in it to set down all the remarkable occurrences, and daily memorials of the history of his house." By reading this part of the passage carefully, we can tell that the narrator's father had two books kept concerning his house: "the day-book," also called the "memorial of household affairs," and the "journal" of "remarkable occurrences, and daily memorials of the history of his house." If one reads too quickly and misreads the function of the "or" conjunction as renaming the "day-book" as the "memorial of household affairs," or assumes the "day-book" is a book distinct from its description of "where the small accounts, payments, and disbursements . . . were entered," it's easy to mistakenly think that three books are being discussed.
Example Question #11 : Literary Analysis Of American Poetry
Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)
The first two lines of this poem imply all but which of the following?
Bradstreet felt that her writing was not strong.
Bradstreet kept her book from being seen by most.
Bradstreet felt that her book was somehow inferior.
None of the other answers are correct.
Bradstreet intended to publish her book immediately after writing it.
Bradstreet intended to publish her book immediately after writing it.
The first two lines imply that Bradstreet feels her book (the "offspring") is "ill-formed" and the product of a "feeble mind," which indicates she did not think her writing was strong and did not want it seen by anyone else. The fact that it remained "by her side" after she wrote it indicates that she had no plans to publish it.
Example Question #12 : Literary Analysis Of American Poetry
Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)
The third and fourth lines of the poem imply all but which of the following?
Bradstreet felt that her friends had erred in publishing the book.
The book was published overseas and not in her own country.
None of the other answers are correct.
The book was published with Bradstreet's knowledge.
The book was published by friends of Bradstreet.
The book was published with Bradstreet's knowledge.
Nothing in these lines indicates that Bradstreet had any knowledge that her friends were publishing her book "abroad," and the fact that she charaterizes them as "less wise than true" indicates that she found their actions unwise and deceitful.
Example Question #13 : Literary Analysis Of American Poetry
Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)
Lines 11–14 imply all but which of the following?
Bradstreet felt the need to revise the book since it bore her name.
The more Bradstreet revised the book, the more new errors she saw.
None of the other answers are correct.
Bradstreet felt she corrected the errors in the original book.
Bradstreet felt her revisions created new problems in addition to solving old ones.
Bradstreet felt she corrected the errors in the original book.
These lines indicate that Bradstreet did not feel her revisions improved the book, which she saw as hers and therefore necessary to revise. The fact that she says she saw more "spots" after "wash[ing its] face" indicates that she both found more errors and that she felt her revisions made the poems worse somehow.
Example Question #14 : Literary Analysis Of American Poetry
Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)
In the lines "In better dress to trim thee was my mind, / But nought save homespun cloth i' th' house I find," Bradstreet is using the image of dressing a child in better clothes to symbolize __________.
None of the other answers are correct.
her inability to improve the poems in her rough draft
her dislike for the appearance of the book
her desire to have herself represented by her best possible work
her sense of betrayal by her friends in their publishing her book
her inability to improve the poems in her rough draft
Given the context of these lines and the double-meaning of trim, meaning both "to dress" and "to cut in length," the image of dressing a child in better clothes probably refers to her desire to revise the poems into better forms and her inability to do so (because she has only "homespun cloth").
Example Question #15 : Literary Analysis Of American Poetry
Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)
The lines "In critic's hands beware thou dost not come, / And take thy way where yet thou art not known" implies all but which of the following?
Bradstreet is concerned about the reception of her book by critics
Bradstreet wants her book to be seen by new readers
Bradstreet is concerned about the reception of the book in an unfamiliar country
Bradstreet is concerned about what new readers will think of the book
None of the other answers are correct.
Bradstreet wants her book to be seen by new readers
"Take thy way" is an older way of saying "be careful," so in essence Bradstreet is warning her book to be careful with strangers (i.e., new readers in places where her work is not known) and critics.
Example Question #1 : Meaning Of Specified Text: Poetry
Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)
The underlined lines "And for thy mother, she alas is poor, / Which caused her thus to send thee out of door" could be interpreted in but which of the following ways?
Bradstreet is to be pitied for sending such a faulty example of her work into the world.
None of the other answers are correct.
All three of the answer choices beginning "Bradstreet . . . " are correct.
Bradstreet is only allowing publication of the book because she requires money.
Bradstreet is ashamed of the appearance of her "child."
Bradstreet is ashamed of the appearance of her "child."
Nothing in the lines indicates anything about Bradstreet's disappointment at the book's appearance, though some might believe her to be pitiable and in need of money to have allowed such a flawed book (in her eyes) to be published.
Example Question #791 : Gre Subject Test: Literature In English
Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)
The literary technique that Bradstreet uses in addressing her book directly as her "offspring" is __________.
synecdoche
None of the other answers are correct.
personification
apostrophe
metonymy
personification
Personification, which imbues an inanimate object with human traits, is the most likely answer. Apostrophe involves the address of a personified object which is not present, but Bradstreet's poem implies that her "offspring" is close by.
Example Question #63 : Understanding The Content Of Humanities Passages
Adapted from “Talking About Our Troubles” by Mark Rutherford (1901)
We may talk about our troubles to those persons who can give us direct help, but even in this case we ought as much as possible to come to a provisional conclusion before consultation; to be perfectly clear to ourselves within our own limits. Some people have a foolish trick of applying for aid before they have done anything whatever to aid themselves, and in fact try to talk themselves into perspicuity. The only way in which they can think is by talking, and their speech consequently is not the expression of opinion already and carefully formed, but the manufacture of it.
We may also tell our troubles to those who are suffering if we can lessen their own. It may be a very great relief to them to know that others have passed through trials equal to theirs and have survived. There are obscure, nervous diseases, hypochondriac fancies, almost uncontrollable impulses, which terrify by their apparent singularity. If we could believe that they are common, the worst of the fear would vanish.
But, as a rule, we should be very careful for our own sake not to speak much about what distresses us. Expression is apt to carry with it exaggeration, and this exaggerated form becomes henceforth that under which we represent our miseries to ourselves, so that they are thereby increased. By reserve, on the other hand, they are diminished, for we attach less importance to that which it was not worthwhile to mention. Secrecy, in fact, may be our salvation.
Why does the author believe that “It may be a very great relief to them to know that others have passed through trials equal to theirs and have survived?”
“The worst of the fear would vanish”
“Secrecy, in fact, may be our salvation”
“Expression is apt to carry with it exaggeration”
“The only way in which they can think is by talking”
“As a rule, we should be very careful for our own sake not to speak much about what distresses us”
“The worst of the fear would vanish”
The author believes that it is valuable to discuss difficulties you are experiencing with someone who has already been through the same, or similar, difficulties. In the author’s opinion this would cause “the worst of the fear [to] vanish.”
All ACT Reading Resources
