Content Comprehension - English Language Proficiency Test
Card 0 of 148
"The period under five years of age is one of very rapid growth. There is probably no other time in the life history of the individual when the body and mind are so responsive to environment and impressions, and when so much can be done to build up good health as during the preschool age."
-Passage adapted from Healthy Children: A Volume Devoted to the Health of the Growing Child, by Sara Josephine Bake (1920)
What is the main idea of the above excerpt?
"The period under five years of age is one of very rapid growth. There is probably no other time in the life history of the individual when the body and mind are so responsive to environment and impressions, and when so much can be done to build up good health as during the preschool age."
-Passage adapted from Healthy Children: A Volume Devoted to the Health of the Growing Child, by Sara Josephine Bake (1920)
What is the main idea of the above excerpt?
Although the other options are either true, or have information from the excerpt, the central/main idea is that t_he most critical time in child development is in the first five years._
Each sentence in the excerpt supports this main idea. In the first sentence children under 5 develop rapidly. The second sentence states that "there is no other time in the history of an individual," which in turn suggests that this time but be the most important/critical.
Although the other options are either true, or have information from the excerpt, the central/main idea is that t_he most critical time in child development is in the first five years._
Each sentence in the excerpt supports this main idea. In the first sentence children under 5 develop rapidly. The second sentence states that "there is no other time in the history of an individual," which in turn suggests that this time but be the most important/critical.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Passage adapted from The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903)
Again Hal's whip fell upon the dogs. They threw themselves against the breast-bands, dug their feet into the packed snow, got down low to it, and put forth all their strength. The sled held as though it were an anchor. After two efforts, they stood still, panting. The whip was whistling savagely, when once more Mercedes interfered. She dropped on her knees before Buck, with tears in her eyes, and put her arms around his neck.
"You poor, poor dears," she cried sympathetically, "why don't you pull hard?--then you wouldn't be whipped." Buck did not like her, but he was feeling too miserable to resist her, taking it as part of the day's miserable work.
One of the onlookers, who had been clenching his teeth to suppress hot speech, now spoke up:--
"It's not that I care a whoop what becomes of you, but for the dogs' sakes I just want to tell you, you can help them a mighty lot by breaking out that sled. The runners are froze fast. Throw your weight against the gee-pole, right and left, and break it out."
A third time the attempt was made, but this time, following the advice, Hal broke out the runners which had been frozen to the snow. The overloaded and unwieldy sled forged ahead, Buck and his mates struggling frantically under the rain of blows. A hundred yards ahead the path turned and sloped steeply into the main street. It would have required an experienced man to keep the top-heavy sled upright, and Hal was not such a man. As they swung on the turn the sled went over, spilling half its load through the loose lashings. The dogs never stopped. The lightened sled bounded on its side behind them. They were angry because of the ill treatment they had received and the unjust load. Buck was raging. He broke into a run, the team following his lead. Hal cried "Whoa! whoa!" but they gave no heed. He tripped and was pulled off his feet. The capsized sled ground over him, and the dogs dashed on up the street, adding to the gayety of Skaguay as they scattered the remainder of the outfit along its chief thoroughfare.
The theme of the passage is ________________.
Passage adapted from The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903)
Again Hal's whip fell upon the dogs. They threw themselves against the breast-bands, dug their feet into the packed snow, got down low to it, and put forth all their strength. The sled held as though it were an anchor. After two efforts, they stood still, panting. The whip was whistling savagely, when once more Mercedes interfered. She dropped on her knees before Buck, with tears in her eyes, and put her arms around his neck.
"You poor, poor dears," she cried sympathetically, "why don't you pull hard?--then you wouldn't be whipped." Buck did not like her, but he was feeling too miserable to resist her, taking it as part of the day's miserable work.
One of the onlookers, who had been clenching his teeth to suppress hot speech, now spoke up:--
"It's not that I care a whoop what becomes of you, but for the dogs' sakes I just want to tell you, you can help them a mighty lot by breaking out that sled. The runners are froze fast. Throw your weight against the gee-pole, right and left, and break it out."
A third time the attempt was made, but this time, following the advice, Hal broke out the runners which had been frozen to the snow. The overloaded and unwieldy sled forged ahead, Buck and his mates struggling frantically under the rain of blows. A hundred yards ahead the path turned and sloped steeply into the main street. It would have required an experienced man to keep the top-heavy sled upright, and Hal was not such a man. As they swung on the turn the sled went over, spilling half its load through the loose lashings. The dogs never stopped. The lightened sled bounded on its side behind them. They were angry because of the ill treatment they had received and the unjust load. Buck was raging. He broke into a run, the team following his lead. Hal cried "Whoa! whoa!" but they gave no heed. He tripped and was pulled off his feet. The capsized sled ground over him, and the dogs dashed on up the street, adding to the gayety of Skaguay as they scattered the remainder of the outfit along its chief thoroughfare.
The theme of the passage is ________________.
Hal is clearly being punished for his mistreatment of the dogs. Had he treated them in a more humane way, they would not have run off and caused the sled to run over him.
Hal is clearly being punished for his mistreatment of the dogs. Had he treated them in a more humane way, they would not have run off and caused the sled to run over him.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
This passage is adapted from President Woodrow Wilson's Speech to Congress (1917) asking for a Declaration of War against Germany.
It is a distressing and oppressive duty, gentlemen of the Congress, which I have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts -- for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.
The theme of this passage can best be described as _______________.
This passage is adapted from President Woodrow Wilson's Speech to Congress (1917) asking for a Declaration of War against Germany.
It is a distressing and oppressive duty, gentlemen of the Congress, which I have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts -- for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.
The theme of this passage can best be described as _______________.
After stating that America's entry into World War I will come at a great cost, President Wilson goes on to link his reasons for going to war with the lofty goals upon which our nation was founded.
After stating that America's entry into World War I will come at a great cost, President Wilson goes on to link his reasons for going to war with the lofty goals upon which our nation was founded.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 "Camelot—Camelot," said I to myself. 2 "I don't seem to remember hearing of it before… Name of the asylum, likely."
3 It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. 4 The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds, and there were no people, no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on. 5 The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-prints in it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels on either side in the grass—wheels that apparently had a tire as broad as one's hand.
6 Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old, with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over her shoulders, came along. … 7 The circus man paid no attention to her; didn't even seem to see her. 8 And she—she was no more startled at his fantastic make-up than if she was used to his like every day of her life. 9 She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she happened to notice me, then there was a change! 10 Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. 11 And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her view. 12 That she should be startled at me instead of at the other man, was too many for me; I couldn't make head or tail of it.
In Sentence 10, what does “timorously” mean?
1 "Camelot—Camelot," said I to myself. 2 "I don't seem to remember hearing of it before… Name of the asylum, likely."
3 It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. 4 The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds, and there were no people, no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on. 5 The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-prints in it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels on either side in the grass—wheels that apparently had a tire as broad as one's hand.
6 Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old, with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over her shoulders, came along. … 7 The circus man paid no attention to her; didn't even seem to see her. 8 And she—she was no more startled at his fantastic make-up than if she was used to his like every day of her life. 9 She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she happened to notice me, then there was a change! 10 Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. 11 And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her view. 12 That she should be startled at me instead of at the other man, was too many for me; I couldn't make head or tail of it.
In Sentence 10, what does “timorously” mean?
The dictionary definition of timorous is fearful, nervous, or lacking confidence. However, you also could infer this definition from the rest of the girl’s body language in Sentence 10: “Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open… she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear.”
Passage adapted from Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
The dictionary definition of timorous is fearful, nervous, or lacking confidence. However, you also could infer this definition from the rest of the girl’s body language in Sentence 10: “Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open… she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear.”
Passage adapted from Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 "Camelot—Camelot," said I to myself. 2 "I don't seem to remember hearing of it before… Name of the asylum, likely."
3 It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. 4 The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds, and there were no people, no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on. 5 The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-prints in it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels on either side in the grass—wheels that apparently had a tire as broad as one's hand.
6 Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old, with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over her shoulders, came along. … 7 The circus man paid no attention to her; didn't even seem to see her. 8 And she—she was no more startled at his fantastic make-up than if she was used to his like every day of her life. 9 She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she happened to notice me, then there was a change! 10 Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. 11 And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her view. 12 That she should be startled at me instead of at the other man, was too many for me; I couldn't make head or tail of it.
What is the overall tone of the passage?
1 "Camelot—Camelot," said I to myself. 2 "I don't seem to remember hearing of it before… Name of the asylum, likely."
3 It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. 4 The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds, and there were no people, no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on. 5 The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-prints in it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels on either side in the grass—wheels that apparently had a tire as broad as one's hand.
6 Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old, with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over her shoulders, came along. … 7 The circus man paid no attention to her; didn't even seem to see her. 8 And she—she was no more startled at his fantastic make-up than if she was used to his like every day of her life. 9 She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she happened to notice me, then there was a change! 10 Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. 11 And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her view. 12 That she should be startled at me instead of at the other man, was too many for me; I couldn't make head or tail of it.
What is the overall tone of the passage?
The lush, vivid sensory details and the idyllic landscape make the tone peaceful and serene. However, the character’s uneasiness at the foreignness of the landscape also makes the tone a bit unsettled. We can tell that all is not as it seems in this lovely setting, and the words portend something major on the horizon.
Passage adapted from Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
The lush, vivid sensory details and the idyllic landscape make the tone peaceful and serene. However, the character’s uneasiness at the foreignness of the landscape also makes the tone a bit unsettled. We can tell that all is not as it seems in this lovely setting, and the words portend something major on the horizon.
Passage adapted from Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
Compare your answer with the correct one above
"The period under five years of age is one of very rapid growth. There is probably no other time in the life history of the individual when the body and mind are so responsive to environment and impressions, and when so much can be done to build up good health as during the preschool age."
-Passage adapted from Healthy Children: A Volume Devoted to the Health of the Growing Child, by Sara Josephine Bake (1920)
Which of the following is the best definition for how responsiveis used in the passage?
"The period under five years of age is one of very rapid growth. There is probably no other time in the life history of the individual when the body and mind are so responsive to environment and impressions, and when so much can be done to build up good health as during the preschool age."
-Passage adapted from Healthy Children: A Volume Devoted to the Health of the Growing Child, by Sara Josephine Bake (1920)
Which of the following is the best definition for how responsiveis used in the passage?
To be responsive, or to respond to something, indicates that an action is taken. If you respond to someone's email, you sent an email back (action). "Responsive" is the adjective form of the verb "to respond" and when used in a more scientific way, it means that a subject reacts to some sort of stimulus. If a person is in a coma, they are not being responsive to the environment around them. To be responsive means to react quickly and positively.
To be responsive, or to respond to something, indicates that an action is taken. If you respond to someone's email, you sent an email back (action). "Responsive" is the adjective form of the verb "to respond" and when used in a more scientific way, it means that a subject reacts to some sort of stimulus. If a person is in a coma, they are not being responsive to the environment around them. To be responsive means to react quickly and positively.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow, attend to the history of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia.
2 … According to the custom which has descended from age to age among the monarchs of the torrid zone, Rasselas was confined in a private palace, with the other sons and daughters of Abyssinian royalty, till the order of succession should call him to the throne.
3 The place which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had destined for the residence of the Abyssinian princes was a spacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, surrounded on every side by mountains, of which the summits overhang the middle part. 4 The only passage by which it could be entered was a cavern that passed under a rock, \[and the\] outlet of the cavern was concealed by a thick wood, and the mouth which opened into the valley was closed with gates of iron, forged by the artificers of ancient days, so massive that no man, without the help of engines, could open or shut them.
5 From the mountains on every side rivulets descended that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility, and formed a lake in the middle, inhabited by fish of every species, and frequented by every fowl whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water. 6 This lake discharged its superfluities by a stream, which entered a dark cleft of the mountain on the northern side, and fell with dreadful noise from precipice to precipice till it was heard no more.
In Sentence 5, what does “rivulets” mean?
1 Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow, attend to the history of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia.
2 … According to the custom which has descended from age to age among the monarchs of the torrid zone, Rasselas was confined in a private palace, with the other sons and daughters of Abyssinian royalty, till the order of succession should call him to the throne.
3 The place which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had destined for the residence of the Abyssinian princes was a spacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, surrounded on every side by mountains, of which the summits overhang the middle part. 4 The only passage by which it could be entered was a cavern that passed under a rock, \[and the\] outlet of the cavern was concealed by a thick wood, and the mouth which opened into the valley was closed with gates of iron, forged by the artificers of ancient days, so massive that no man, without the help of engines, could open or shut them.
5 From the mountains on every side rivulets descended that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility, and formed a lake in the middle, inhabited by fish of every species, and frequented by every fowl whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water. 6 This lake discharged its superfluities by a stream, which entered a dark cleft of the mountain on the northern side, and fell with dreadful noise from precipice to precipice till it was heard no more.
In Sentence 5, what does “rivulets” mean?
We see from the passage that the rivulets “descended \[and\] that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility.” In other words, the rivulets are a physical feature that bring greenness (verdure) to the valley. The only choice that makes sense is “brooks.”
Passage adapted from Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia (1759)
We see from the passage that the rivulets “descended \[and\] that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility.” In other words, the rivulets are a physical feature that bring greenness (verdure) to the valley. The only choice that makes sense is “brooks.”
Passage adapted from Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia (1759)
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow, attend to the history of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia.
2 … According to the custom which has descended from age to age among the monarchs of the torrid zone, Rasselas was confined in a private palace, with the other sons and daughters of Abyssinian royalty, till the order of succession should call him to the throne.
3 The place which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had destined for the residence of the Abyssinian princes was a spacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, surrounded on every side by mountains, of which the summits overhang the middle part. 4 The only passage by which it could be entered was a cavern that passed under a rock, \[and the\] outlet of the cavern was concealed by a thick wood, and the mouth which opened into the valley was closed with gates of iron, forged by the artificers of ancient days, so massive that no man, without the help of engines, could open or shut them.
5 From the mountains on every side rivulets descended that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility, and formed a lake in the middle, inhabited by fish of every species, and frequented by every fowl whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water. 6 This lake discharged its superfluities by a stream, which entered a dark cleft of the mountain on the northern side, and fell with dreadful noise from precipice to precipice till it was heard no more.
In Sentence 6, what is meant by “superfluities”?
1 Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow, attend to the history of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia.
2 … According to the custom which has descended from age to age among the monarchs of the torrid zone, Rasselas was confined in a private palace, with the other sons and daughters of Abyssinian royalty, till the order of succession should call him to the throne.
3 The place which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had destined for the residence of the Abyssinian princes was a spacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, surrounded on every side by mountains, of which the summits overhang the middle part. 4 The only passage by which it could be entered was a cavern that passed under a rock, \[and the\] outlet of the cavern was concealed by a thick wood, and the mouth which opened into the valley was closed with gates of iron, forged by the artificers of ancient days, so massive that no man, without the help of engines, could open or shut them.
5 From the mountains on every side rivulets descended that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility, and formed a lake in the middle, inhabited by fish of every species, and frequented by every fowl whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water. 6 This lake discharged its superfluities by a stream, which entered a dark cleft of the mountain on the northern side, and fell with dreadful noise from precipice to precipice till it was heard no more.
In Sentence 6, what is meant by “superfluities”?
Knowing that “superfluous” describes something excess or unnecessary would help with this question, but context clues can also give you the answer. In Sentence 6, we see that these “superfluities” are carried by a stream and fall “with dreadful noise from precipice to precipice.” In other words, the sentence is describing excess water that drains from the lake and falls in the form of roaring waterfalls.
Passage adapted from Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia (1759)
Knowing that “superfluous” describes something excess or unnecessary would help with this question, but context clues can also give you the answer. In Sentence 6, we see that these “superfluities” are carried by a stream and fall “with dreadful noise from precipice to precipice.” In other words, the sentence is describing excess water that drains from the lake and falls in the form of roaring waterfalls.
Passage adapted from Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia (1759)
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow, attend to the history of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia.
2 … According to the custom which has descended from age to age among the monarchs of the torrid zone, Rasselas was confined in a private palace, with the other sons and daughters of Abyssinian royalty, till the order of succession should call him to the throne.
3 The place which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had destined for the residence of the Abyssinian princes was a spacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, surrounded on every side by mountains, of which the summits overhang the middle part. 4 The only passage by which it could be entered was a cavern that passed under a rock, \[and the\] outlet of the cavern was concealed by a thick wood, and the mouth which opened into the valley was closed with gates of iron, forged by the artificers of ancient days, so massive that no man, without the help of engines, could open or shut them.
5 From the mountains on every side rivulets descended that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility, and formed a lake in the middle, inhabited by fish of every species, and frequented by every fowl whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water. 6 This lake discharged its superfluities by a stream, which entered a dark cleft of the mountain on the northern side, and fell with dreadful noise from precipice to precipice till it was heard no more.
Based on the context of Sentence 4, what does “artificers” mean?
1 Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow, attend to the history of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia.
2 … According to the custom which has descended from age to age among the monarchs of the torrid zone, Rasselas was confined in a private palace, with the other sons and daughters of Abyssinian royalty, till the order of succession should call him to the throne.
3 The place which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had destined for the residence of the Abyssinian princes was a spacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, surrounded on every side by mountains, of which the summits overhang the middle part. 4 The only passage by which it could be entered was a cavern that passed under a rock, \[and the\] outlet of the cavern was concealed by a thick wood, and the mouth which opened into the valley was closed with gates of iron, forged by the artificers of ancient days, so massive that no man, without the help of engines, could open or shut them.
5 From the mountains on every side rivulets descended that filled all the valley with verdure and fertility, and formed a lake in the middle, inhabited by fish of every species, and frequented by every fowl whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water. 6 This lake discharged its superfluities by a stream, which entered a dark cleft of the mountain on the northern side, and fell with dreadful noise from precipice to precipice till it was heard no more.
Based on the context of Sentence 4, what does “artificers” mean?
While “artifice” traditionally means cunning and trickery, it can also mean artfulness. This is the meaning that makes most sense in the context of Sentence 4’s description of the “gates of iron.” The enormous gates were artfully constructed by skilled artisans or craftspeople. None of the other choices have textual support.
Passage adapted from Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia (1759)
While “artifice” traditionally means cunning and trickery, it can also mean artfulness. This is the meaning that makes most sense in the context of Sentence 4’s description of the “gates of iron.” The enormous gates were artfully constructed by skilled artisans or craftspeople. None of the other choices have textual support.
Passage adapted from Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia (1759)
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 It has afforded the Author great amusement and satisfaction, during the progress of this work, to learn, from country friends and from a variety of ludicrous statements concerning himself in provincial newspapers, that more than one Yorkshire schoolmaster lays claim to being the original of Mr. Squeers. 2 One worthy, he has reason to believe, has actually consulted authorities learned in the law, as to his having good grounds on which to rest an action for libel; another, has meditated a journey to London, for the express purpose of committing an assault and battery on his traducer; a third, perfectly remembers being waited on, last January twelve-month, by two gentlemen, one of whom held him in conversation while the other took his likeness; and, although Mr. Squeers has but one eye, and he has two, and the published sketch does not resemble him (whoever he may be) in any other respect, still he and all his friends and neighbours know at once for whom it is meant, because—the character is so like him.
3 While the Author cannot but feel the full force of the compliment thus conveyed to him, he ventures to suggest that these contentions may arise from the fact, that Mr. Squeers is the representative of a class, and not of an individual. 4 Where imposture, ignorance, and brutal cupidity, are the stock in trade of a small body of men, and one is described by these characteristics, all his fellows will recognise something belonging to themselves, and each will have a misgiving that the portrait is his own.
In the context of Sentence 2, what is the “worthy”?
1 It has afforded the Author great amusement and satisfaction, during the progress of this work, to learn, from country friends and from a variety of ludicrous statements concerning himself in provincial newspapers, that more than one Yorkshire schoolmaster lays claim to being the original of Mr. Squeers. 2 One worthy, he has reason to believe, has actually consulted authorities learned in the law, as to his having good grounds on which to rest an action for libel; another, has meditated a journey to London, for the express purpose of committing an assault and battery on his traducer; a third, perfectly remembers being waited on, last January twelve-month, by two gentlemen, one of whom held him in conversation while the other took his likeness; and, although Mr. Squeers has but one eye, and he has two, and the published sketch does not resemble him (whoever he may be) in any other respect, still he and all his friends and neighbours know at once for whom it is meant, because—the character is so like him.
3 While the Author cannot but feel the full force of the compliment thus conveyed to him, he ventures to suggest that these contentions may arise from the fact, that Mr. Squeers is the representative of a class, and not of an individual. 4 Where imposture, ignorance, and brutal cupidity, are the stock in trade of a small body of men, and one is described by these characteristics, all his fellows will recognise something belonging to themselves, and each will have a misgiving that the portrait is his own.
In the context of Sentence 2, what is the “worthy”?
If we read the rest of the passage, we can see that the “worthy” in question consulted lawyers to see if he could “rest an action for libel” against (in other words, sue) the author. This man did so because of the perceived great resemblance of the author’s character, a schoolteacher, to himself. Thus we can conclude that the man himself is another schoolteacher. “Worthy” is typically used for someone whose character or class is particularly fine, so the author’s use of this word here is sarcastic.
Passage adapted from Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby (1838).
If we read the rest of the passage, we can see that the “worthy” in question consulted lawyers to see if he could “rest an action for libel” against (in other words, sue) the author. This man did so because of the perceived great resemblance of the author’s character, a schoolteacher, to himself. Thus we can conclude that the man himself is another schoolteacher. “Worthy” is typically used for someone whose character or class is particularly fine, so the author’s use of this word here is sarcastic.
Passage adapted from Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby (1838).
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 All her life Miss Elizabeth Dwarris had been a sore trial to her relations. 2 A woman of means, she ruled tyrannously over a large number of impecunious cousins, using her bank-balance like the scorpions of Rehoboam to chastise them, and, like many another pious creature, for their soul’s good making all and sundry excessively miserable. 3 Nurtured in the evangelical ways current in her youth, she insisted that her connections should seek salvation according to her own lights; and, with harsh tongue and with bitter gibe, made it her constant business to persuade them of their extreme unworthiness. 4 She arranged lives as she thought fit, and ventured not only to order the costume and habits, but even the inner thought of those about her: the Last Judgment could have no terrors for any that had faced her searching examination. 5 She invited to stay with her in succession various poor ladies who presumed on a distant tie to call her Aunt Eliza, and they accepted her summons, more imperious than a royal command, with gratitude by no means unmixed with fear, bearing the servitude meekly as a cross which in the future would meet due testamentary reward.
In Sentence 5, what does “imperious” most likely mean?
1 All her life Miss Elizabeth Dwarris had been a sore trial to her relations. 2 A woman of means, she ruled tyrannously over a large number of impecunious cousins, using her bank-balance like the scorpions of Rehoboam to chastise them, and, like many another pious creature, for their soul’s good making all and sundry excessively miserable. 3 Nurtured in the evangelical ways current in her youth, she insisted that her connections should seek salvation according to her own lights; and, with harsh tongue and with bitter gibe, made it her constant business to persuade them of their extreme unworthiness. 4 She arranged lives as she thought fit, and ventured not only to order the costume and habits, but even the inner thought of those about her: the Last Judgment could have no terrors for any that had faced her searching examination. 5 She invited to stay with her in succession various poor ladies who presumed on a distant tie to call her Aunt Eliza, and they accepted her summons, more imperious than a royal command, with gratitude by no means unmixed with fear, bearing the servitude meekly as a cross which in the future would meet due testamentary reward.
In Sentence 5, what does “imperious” most likely mean?
Here, you could notice that “imperial,” or emperorly, shares a root with “imperious.” We can also derive the word’s meaning from context, though. The poor ladies are “forced to accept her summons,” and her imperiousness is greater than “a royal command.” The only choice that makes sense in this context is peremptory.
Passage adapted from W. Somerset Maugham’s The Merry-Go-Round (1904)
Here, you could notice that “imperial,” or emperorly, shares a root with “imperious.” We can also derive the word’s meaning from context, though. The poor ladies are “forced to accept her summons,” and her imperiousness is greater than “a royal command.” The only choice that makes sense in this context is peremptory.
Passage adapted from W. Somerset Maugham’s The Merry-Go-Round (1904)
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 With one of her relations only, Miss Dwarris found it needful to observe a certain restraint, for Miss Ley, perhaps the most distant of her cousins, was as plain-spoken as herself, and had, besides, a far keener wit whereby she could turn rash statements to the utter ridicule of the speaker. 2 Nor did Miss Dwarris precisely dislike this independent spirit; she looked upon her in fact with a certain degree of affection and not a little fear. 3 Miss Ley, seldom lacking a repartee, appeared really to enjoy the verbal contests, from which, by her greater urbanity, readiness, and knowledge, she usually emerged victorious: it confounded, but at the same time almost amused, the elder lady that a woman so much poorer than herself, with no smaller claims than others to the coveted inheritance, should venture not only to be facetious at her expense, but even to carry war into her very camp. 4 …No cherished opinion of Miss Dwarris was safe from satire—even her evangelicism was laughed at, and the rich old woman, unused to argument, was easily driven into self-contradiction; and then—for the victor took no pains to conceal her triumph—she grew pale and speechless with rage.
5 … Miss Ley, accustomed, when she went abroad in the winter, to let her little flat in Chelsea, had been obliged by unforeseen circumstances to return to England while her tenants were still in possession; and had asked Miss Dwarris whether she might stay with her in Old Queen Street. 6 The old tyrant, much as she hated her relations, hated still more to live alone; she needed some one on whom to vent her temper, and through the illness of a niece, due to spend March and April with her, had been forced to pass a month of solitude; she wrote back, in the peremptory fashion which, even with Miss Ley, she could not refrain from using, that she expected her on such and such a day by such and such a train. 7 It is not clear whether there was in the letter anything to excite in Miss Ley a contradictory spirit, or whether her engagements really prevented it; but, at all events, she answered that her plans made it more convenient to arrive on the day following and by a different train.
In Sentence 6, what does “peremptory” mean?
1 With one of her relations only, Miss Dwarris found it needful to observe a certain restraint, for Miss Ley, perhaps the most distant of her cousins, was as plain-spoken as herself, and had, besides, a far keener wit whereby she could turn rash statements to the utter ridicule of the speaker. 2 Nor did Miss Dwarris precisely dislike this independent spirit; she looked upon her in fact with a certain degree of affection and not a little fear. 3 Miss Ley, seldom lacking a repartee, appeared really to enjoy the verbal contests, from which, by her greater urbanity, readiness, and knowledge, she usually emerged victorious: it confounded, but at the same time almost amused, the elder lady that a woman so much poorer than herself, with no smaller claims than others to the coveted inheritance, should venture not only to be facetious at her expense, but even to carry war into her very camp. 4 …No cherished opinion of Miss Dwarris was safe from satire—even her evangelicism was laughed at, and the rich old woman, unused to argument, was easily driven into self-contradiction; and then—for the victor took no pains to conceal her triumph—she grew pale and speechless with rage.
5 … Miss Ley, accustomed, when she went abroad in the winter, to let her little flat in Chelsea, had been obliged by unforeseen circumstances to return to England while her tenants were still in possession; and had asked Miss Dwarris whether she might stay with her in Old Queen Street. 6 The old tyrant, much as she hated her relations, hated still more to live alone; she needed some one on whom to vent her temper, and through the illness of a niece, due to spend March and April with her, had been forced to pass a month of solitude; she wrote back, in the peremptory fashion which, even with Miss Ley, she could not refrain from using, that she expected her on such and such a day by such and such a train. 7 It is not clear whether there was in the letter anything to excite in Miss Ley a contradictory spirit, or whether her engagements really prevented it; but, at all events, she answered that her plans made it more convenient to arrive on the day following and by a different train.
In Sentence 6, what does “peremptory” mean?
“Peremptory” is defined as imperious, high-handed, or even dictatorial. Even if you didn’t know this, you could still eliminate those answer choices that don’t fit Miss Dwarris’s personality and actions. Magnanimous and munificent both mean generous, lascivious means lustful, and quizzical means puzzled or curious.
Passage adapted from W. Somerset Maugham’s The Merry-Go-Round (1904)
“Peremptory” is defined as imperious, high-handed, or even dictatorial. Even if you didn’t know this, you could still eliminate those answer choices that don’t fit Miss Dwarris’s personality and actions. Magnanimous and munificent both mean generous, lascivious means lustful, and quizzical means puzzled or curious.
Passage adapted from W. Somerset Maugham’s The Merry-Go-Round (1904)
Compare your answer with the correct one above
"During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was - but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit."
Adapted from "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe (1839)
What is the best definition for glimpse in this passage?
"During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was - but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit."
Adapted from "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe (1839)
What is the best definition for glimpse in this passage?
Glimpse means to view/see something for a brief time. "To catch a glimpse" means to see all or only part of something quickly.
Glimpse means to view/see something for a brief time. "To catch a glimpse" means to see all or only part of something quickly.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
"During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was - but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit."
Adapted from "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe (1839)
Which word could best replace pervaded in the above passage?
"During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was - but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit."
Adapted from "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe (1839)
Which word could best replace pervaded in the above passage?
To pervade means to fill, permeate, spread through. Poe describes a feeling of gloom spreading through and FILLING his spirit.
To pervade means to fill, permeate, spread through. Poe describes a feeling of gloom spreading through and FILLING his spirit.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Email
Hi Mrs. Cox,
I completed the conference registration form last week. Just making sure I am good for the 29th? Also, when is our anticipated pay-date from the scoring we started in May?
Thanks,
Jane Doe
The above text is taken from a work email. Which word could best replace the word in bold?
Hi Mrs. Cox,
I completed the conference registration form last week. Just making sure I am good for the 29th? Also, when is our anticipated pay-date from the scoring we started in May?
Thanks,
Jane Doe
The above text is taken from a work email. Which word could best replace the word in bold?
The best answer choice is expected. To anticipate means to expect, predict, or regard as probable. The writer is asking when she can be expect to be paid for her work. The other answer choices all mean something like want, which would not make sense in this context. Yes, the writer wants to be paid, but a "wanted pay-date" would not indicate when her employer intends to actually pay her.
The best answer choice is expected. To anticipate means to expect, predict, or regard as probable. The writer is asking when she can be expect to be paid for her work. The other answer choices all mean something like want, which would not make sense in this context. Yes, the writer wants to be paid, but a "wanted pay-date" would not indicate when her employer intends to actually pay her.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
"His right name was Frank X. Farrell, and I guess the X stood for 'Excuse me.' Because he never pulled a play, good or bad, on or off the field, without apologizin' for it.
'Alibi Ike' was the name Carey wished on him the first day he reported down South, O' course we all cut out the 'Alibi' part of it right away for the fear he would overhear it and bust somebody. But we called him 'Ike' right to his face and the rest of it was understood by everybody on the club except Ike himself."
Adapted from "Alibi Ike" by Ring Lardner (1915)
Which word from the text best supports why Frank X. Farell's nickname was "Alibi Ike?"
"His right name was Frank X. Farrell, and I guess the X stood for 'Excuse me.' Because he never pulled a play, good or bad, on or off the field, without apologizin' for it.
'Alibi Ike' was the name Carey wished on him the first day he reported down South, O' course we all cut out the 'Alibi' part of it right away for the fear he would overhear it and bust somebody. But we called him 'Ike' right to his face and the rest of it was understood by everybody on the club except Ike himself."
Adapted from "Alibi Ike" by Ring Lardner (1915)
Which word from the text best supports why Frank X. Farell's nickname was "Alibi Ike?"
To alibi is to offer an excuse or defense. The first sentence indicates that Frank is always "apologizin'" for all of his actions on the field. An apology is when someone acknowledges an offense or failure, which seems likely to come with a defense or alibi in this case.
To alibi is to offer an excuse or defense. The first sentence indicates that Frank is always "apologizin'" for all of his actions on the field. An apology is when someone acknowledges an offense or failure, which seems likely to come with a defense or alibi in this case.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
This passage is an adapted from Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington (1901)
To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South, were I permitted I would repeat what I say to my own race, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” Cast it down among the eight millions of Negroes whose habits you know, whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of your firesides. Cast down your bucket among these people who have, without strikes and labour wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, builded your railroads and cities, and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South. Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories. While doing this, you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the world has seen. As we have proved our loyalty to you in the past, in nursing your children, watching by the sick-bed of your mothers and fathers, and often following them with tear-dimmed eyes to their graves, so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives, if need be, in defence of yours, interlacing our industrial, commercial, civil, and religious life with yours in a way that shall make the interests of both races one. In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.
The speaker states that, "in all things that are purely social, we can be as separate as the fingers," in order to _________________.
This passage is an adapted from Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington (1901)
To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South, were I permitted I would repeat what I say to my own race, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” Cast it down among the eight millions of Negroes whose habits you know, whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of your firesides. Cast down your bucket among these people who have, without strikes and labour wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, builded your railroads and cities, and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South. Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories. While doing this, you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the world has seen. As we have proved our loyalty to you in the past, in nursing your children, watching by the sick-bed of your mothers and fathers, and often following them with tear-dimmed eyes to their graves, so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives, if need be, in defence of yours, interlacing our industrial, commercial, civil, and religious life with yours in a way that shall make the interests of both races one. In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.
The speaker states that, "in all things that are purely social, we can be as separate as the fingers," in order to _________________.
The key to this statement is the term, "purely social." Since the speaker has given many reasons why African-Americans are essential to the progress of the South, in this statement, he is recognizing that true equality is still a ways off, but that social separation should not stand in the way of "mutual progress."
The key to this statement is the term, "purely social." Since the speaker has given many reasons why African-Americans are essential to the progress of the South, in this statement, he is recognizing that true equality is still a ways off, but that social separation should not stand in the way of "mutual progress."
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 "Camelot—Camelot," said I to myself. 2 "I don't seem to remember hearing of it before… Name of the asylum, likely."
3 It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. 4 The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds, and there were no people, no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on. 5 The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-prints in it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels on either side in the grass—wheels that apparently had a tire as broad as one's hand.
6 Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old, with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over her shoulders, came along. … 7 The circus man paid no attention to her; didn't even seem to see her. 8 And she—she was no more startled at his fantastic make-up than if she was used to his like every day of her life. 9 She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she happened to notice me, then there was a change! 10 Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. 11 And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her view. 12 That she should be startled at me instead of at the other man, was too many for me; I couldn't make head or tail of it.
Which of the following is one of the passage’s main goals?
1 "Camelot—Camelot," said I to myself. 2 "I don't seem to remember hearing of it before… Name of the asylum, likely."
3 It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. 4 The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds, and there were no people, no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on. 5 The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-prints in it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels on either side in the grass—wheels that apparently had a tire as broad as one's hand.
6 Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old, with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over her shoulders, came along. … 7 The circus man paid no attention to her; didn't even seem to see her. 8 And she—she was no more startled at his fantastic make-up than if she was used to his like every day of her life. 9 She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she happened to notice me, then there was a change! 10 Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. 11 And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her view. 12 That she should be startled at me instead of at the other man, was too many for me; I couldn't make head or tail of it.
Which of the following is one of the passage’s main goals?
The passage spends most of its sentences describing the landscape that the main character is walking through. From the type of scenery (“It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape”) to the sensory details (“The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds”) to the people encountered (the young girl and the circus man), the passage is intent on providing details that clarify setting. The other answer choices might be addressed minimally in different places in the passage, but they are not the main purpose.
Passage adapted from Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
The passage spends most of its sentences describing the landscape that the main character is walking through. From the type of scenery (“It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape”) to the sensory details (“The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds”) to the people encountered (the young girl and the circus man), the passage is intent on providing details that clarify setting. The other answer choices might be addressed minimally in different places in the passage, but they are not the main purpose.
Passage adapted from Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
Compare your answer with the correct one above
1 "Camelot—Camelot," said I to myself. 2 "I don't seem to remember hearing of it before… Name of the asylum, likely."
3 It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. 4 The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds, and there were no people, no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on. 5 The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-prints in it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels on either side in the grass—wheels that apparently had a tire as broad as one's hand.
6 Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old, with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over her shoulders, came along. … 7 The circus man paid no attention to her; didn't even seem to see her. 8 And she—she was no more startled at his fantastic make-up than if she was used to his like every day of her life. 9 She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she happened to notice me, then there was a change! 10 Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. 11 And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her view. 12 That she should be startled at me instead of at the other man, was too many for me; I couldn't make head or tail of it.
Which of the following is another of the passage’s main goals?
1 "Camelot—Camelot," said I to myself. 2 "I don't seem to remember hearing of it before… Name of the asylum, likely."
3 It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. 4 The air was full of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects, and the twittering of birds, and there were no people, no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on. 5 The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-prints in it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels on either side in the grass—wheels that apparently had a tire as broad as one's hand.
6 Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old, with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over her shoulders, came along. … 7 The circus man paid no attention to her; didn't even seem to see her. 8 And she—she was no more startled at his fantastic make-up than if she was used to his like every day of her life. 9 She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she happened to notice me, then there was a change! 10 Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. 11 And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination, till we turned a corner of the wood and were lost to her view. 12 That she should be startled at me instead of at the other man, was too many for me; I couldn't make head or tail of it.
Which of the following is another of the passage’s main goals?
In addition to developing its setting, the passage takes care to note how unnerved the main character is by it. We see that he does not recognize the name of the place he’s in, that he and the other characters are mutually startled by each other, and that even the mode of transportation (wide wheels) are unusual to him. Thus, the passage is indicating that something strange is afoot.
Passage adapted from Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
In addition to developing its setting, the passage takes care to note how unnerved the main character is by it. We see that he does not recognize the name of the place he’s in, that he and the other characters are mutually startled by each other, and that even the mode of transportation (wide wheels) are unusual to him. Thus, the passage is indicating that something strange is afoot.
Passage adapted from Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
Compare your answer with the correct one above
This passage is an adapted from Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington (1901)
To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South, were I permitted I would repeat what I say to my own race, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” Cast it down among the eight millions of Negroes whose habits you know, whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of your firesides. Cast down your bucket among these people who have, without strikes and labour wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, builded your railroads and cities, and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South. Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories. While doing this, you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the world has seen. As we have proved our loyalty to you in the past, in nursing your children, watching by the sick-bed of your mothers and fathers, and often following them with tear-dimmed eyes to their graves, so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives, if need be, in defence of yours, interlacing our industrial, commercial, civil, and religious life with yours in a way that shall make the interests of both races one. In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.
In the passage, whose "buckets" is the speaker calling upon to lower?
This passage is an adapted from Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington (1901)
To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South, were I permitted I would repeat what I say to my own race, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” Cast it down among the eight millions of Negroes whose habits you know, whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of your firesides. Cast down your bucket among these people who have, without strikes and labour wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, builded your railroads and cities, and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South. Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories. While doing this, you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the world has seen. As we have proved our loyalty to you in the past, in nursing your children, watching by the sick-bed of your mothers and fathers, and often following them with tear-dimmed eyes to their graves, so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives, if need be, in defence of yours, interlacing our industrial, commercial, civil, and religious life with yours in a way that shall make the interests of both races one. In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.
In the passage, whose "buckets" is the speaker calling upon to lower?
The opening sentence of the passages addresses, "those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South."
Thus it is clear that the speaker is asking white Southerners to "cast your buckets" in the direction of the eight million African-Americans who already reside in the South.
The opening sentence of the passages addresses, "those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South."
Thus it is clear that the speaker is asking white Southerners to "cast your buckets" in the direction of the eight million African-Americans who already reside in the South.
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