READING COMPREHENSION TEST 17 Minutes — 20 Questions ppt

3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 202 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. READING COMPREHENSION TEST 17 Minutes — 20 Questions Directions: There are two passages in this test. Each passage is followed by several questions. After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer sheet. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary. Passage I There can be little doubt that women artists have been most prominent in photography and that they have made their greatest contribution in this field. One reason for this is not difficult to ascertain. As several 5 historians of photography have pointed out, photography, being a new medium outside the traditional academic framework, was wide open to women and offered them opportunities that the older fields did not. It might be added that photography lends 10 itself more readily to being practiced part-time and at home. As a matter of fact there are many women photographers who have been able to combine being a wife and mother with being active and successful photographers, sometimes using their kitchen as a 15 photographic darkroom. All these observations apply to the first woman to have achieved eminence in photography, and that is Julia Margaret Cameron. Born in 1815 in Calcutta into an upper-middle-class family and married to 20 Charles Hay Cameron, a distinguished jurist and member of the Supreme Court of India, Julia Cameron was well known as a brilliant conversationalist and a woman of personality and intellect who was unconventional to the point of eccentricity. Although 25 the mother of six children, she adopted several more and still found time to be active in social causes and literary activities. After the Camerons settled in England in 1848 at Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight, she became the center of an artistic and literary 30 circle that included such notable figures as the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson and the painter George Frederick Watts. Pursuing numerous activities and taking care of her large family, Mrs. Cameron might have been remembered as still another rather remarkable and 35 colorful Victorian lady had it not been for the fact that, in 1863, her daughter presented her with photographic equipment, thinking her mother might enjoy taking pictures of her family and friends. Although forty- eight years old, Mrs. Cameron took up this new hobby 40 with enormous enthusiasm and dedication. She was a complete beginner, but within a very few years she developed into one of the greatest photographers of her period and a giant in the history of photography. She worked ceaselessly as long as daylight lasted and 45 mastered the technical processes of photography, at that time far more cumbersome than today, turning her coal house into a darkroom and her chicken house into a studio. To her, photography was a “divine art” and in it she found her vocation. In 1864 she wrote 50 triumphantly under one of her photographs, “My First Success,” and from then until her death in Ceylon in 1874 she devoted herself wholly to this art. Working in a large format (her portrait studies are usually about 11 inches by 14 inches) and requiring a 55 long exposure (on the average five minutes), she produced a large body of work that stands up as one of the notable artistic achievements of the Victorian period. The English art critic Roger Fry believed that her portraits were likely to outlive the works of artists 60 who were her contemporaries; and her friend Watts, then a very celebrated portrait painter, inscribed on one of her photographs, “I wish I could paint such a picture as this.” Her work was widely exhibited, and she received gold, silver, and bronze medals in England, 65 America, Germany, and Austria. No other female artist of the nineteenth century achieved such acclaim and no other woman photographer has ever enjoyed such success. Her work falls into two main categories on which 70 her contemporaries and people today differ sharply. Victorian critics were particularly impressed by her allegorical pictures, many of them based on the poems of her friend and neighbor Tennyson. Contemporary taste much prefers her portraits and finds her narrative 75 scenes sentimental and sometimes in bad taste. Yet, not only Julia Cameron, but the painters of that time 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 203 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. loved to depict subjects such as The Five Foolish Virgins or Pray God, Bring Father Safely Home. Still, today her fame rests upon her portraits for, as she 80 herself said, she was intent upon representing not only the outer likeness but also the inner greatness of the people she portrayed. Working with the utmost dedication, she produced photographs of such eminent Victorians as Tennyson, Browning, Carlyle, Trollope, 85 Longfellow, Watts, Darwin, Ellen Terry, Sir John Herschel, who was a close friend of hers, and Mrs. Duckworth, the mother of Virginia Woolf. These photographs are among the greatest ever made and should answer the question once and for all whether 90 photography is a fine art and whether women are capable of artistic achievements equal to those of men. 1. Which of the following conclusions can be reasonably drawn from the passage’s discussion of Julia Margaret Cameron? A. She was a traditional homemaker until she discovered photography. B. Her work holds a significant place in the history of photography. C. She was unable to achieve in her lifetime the artistic recognition she deserved. D. Her eccentricity has kept her from being taken seriously by modern critics of photography. 2. According to the passage, Cameron is most respected by modern critics for her: F. portraits. G. allegorical pictures. H. use of a large format. J. service in recording the faces of so many twentieth century figures. 3. The author uses which of the following methods to develop the second paragraph (lines 16-52)? A. A series of anecdotes depicting Cameron’s energy and unconventionality B. A presentation of factual data demonstrating Cameron’s importance in the history of photography C. A description of the author’s personal acquaintance with Cameron D. A chronological account of Cameron’s background and artistic growth 4. Which of the following can reasonably be inferred from the last sentence of the passage? I. Some people have claimed that photography is not a fine art. II. Some people have claimed that women lack the ability to produce great works of art. III. No man has been able to equal Cameron’s achievement in photography. F. I only G. II only H. I and II only J. I, II and III 5. When the author says that Cameron had found “her vocation” (line 49), his main point is that photography: A. offered Cameron an escape from the confines of conventional social life. B. became the main interest of her life. C. became her primary source of income. D. provided her with a way to express her religious beliefs. 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 204 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 6. The main point of the third paragraph is that Cameron: F. achieved great artistic success during her lifetime. G. is the greatest photographer that ever lived. H. was considered a more important artist during her lifetime than she is now. J. revolutionized photographic methods in the Victorian era. 7. According to the passage, the art of photography offered women artists more opportunities than did other art forms because it: A. did not require expensive materials. B. allowed the artist to use family and friends for subject matter. C. was non-traditional. D. required little artistic skill. 8. The Five Foolish Virgins and Pray God, Bring Father Safely Home are examples of: F. portraits of celebrated Victorians. G. allegorical subjects of the sort that were popular during the Victorian era. H. photographs in which Cameron sought to show a subject’s outer likeness and inner greatness. J. photographs by Cameron that were scoffed at by her contemporaries. 9. According to the passage, which of the following opinions of Cameron’s work was held by Victorian critics but is NOT held by modern critics? A. Photographs should be based on poems. B. Her portraits are too sentimental. C. Narrative scenes are often in bad taste. D. Her allegorical pictures are her best work. 10. The author’s treatment of Cameron’s development as a photographer can best be described as: F. admiring. G. condescending. H. neutral. J. defensive. 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 205 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. THERE IS NO TEST MATERIAL ON THIS PAGE. 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 206 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. Passage II Perhaps nothing did more to intensify the strife between North and South, and to emphasize in a most dramatic way the determination of abolitionists to destroy slavery, than the Underground Railroad. 5 Slaves who ran away were irritating and troublesome enough, and the South had been plagued with them from the earliest days of slavery. But when free blacks and whites, fired with an almost fanatical zeal, undertook systematically to wreak havoc on an 10 institution that meant so much to the South, it was almost too much to bear. It was this organized effort to undermine slavery, this manifestation of the workings of a presumably higher law, that put such a strain on intersectional relations and sent antagonists 15 and protagonists of slavery scurrying headlong intothe 1850s determined to have their uncompromising way. The name Underground Railroad was probably coined shortly after 1831 when steam railroads became popular. There are several versions of how the 20 movement got its name. A plausible one concerns a slave, Tice Davids, who escaped from his Kentucky master in 1831 and got across the Ohio River. Although the master was in hot pursuit, he lost all trace of the slave after crossing the river, and was 25 so confounded that he declared the slave must have “gone off on an underground road.” That was entirely possible, for by 1831 there were plenty of “underground” roads on the Ohio river, and they had stations, conductors, and means of conveyance. From 30 that time, down to the outbreak of the Civil War, the Underground Railroad operated in flagrant violation of the federal fugitive slave laws. It was the most eloquent defiance of the slaveholders that abolitionists could make. 35 In the case of anything so full of adventure and danger as the Underground Railroad, it is difficult to separate fiction from fact. There are stories of breathtaking escapes and exciting experiences that would be quite incredible save for unquestionable 40 verification by reliable sources. After the Railroad had developed an efficient organization, there was a generality of practice that makes possible a brief description of its operation. All, or almost all, of the operations took place at night, for that was the only 45 time when the fugitive and his helpers felt even partially secure. Slaves prepared to make their escape by taking supplies from their masters and, if necessary, by disguising themselves. Those of fair complexion frequently passed as white persons and sometimes 50 posed as their own masters. Darker ones posed as servants on their way to meet their owners. There are several cases on record where fugitives were provided at crucial moments with white babies in order to make their claims of being nurses appear more convincing. 55 At times men posed as women and women as men. Easily the most outstanding Negro conductor on the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman. Although frail of body and suffering from recurrent spells of dizziness, she not only escaped from slavery 60 herself, but conveyed many others to freedom, including her sister, her two children, and her aged mother and father. She is said to have gone south nineteen times and to have emancipated more than three hundred slaves. Unable to read or write, she 65 nevertheless displayed remarkable ingenuity in the management of her runaway caravans. She preferred to start the journey on Saturday night, so that she could be well on her way before the owners had an opportunity the following Monday to advertise the 70 escape of their slaves. She tolerated no cowardice and threatened to kill any slave who wished to turn back. Well known in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, where she frequently delivered the escaped slaves, she preferred to lead them all the way to Canada after the 75 passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, explaining that she could not trust Uncle Sam with her people any longer. The very nature of the institution prevents any accurate estimate of the number of slaves who found 80 freedom by the Underground Railroad. Governor Quitman of Mississippi declared that between 1810 and 1850 the South lost 100,000 slaves valued at more than $30 million. This is a much larger figure than the census gives for Negroes in the North who were 85 born in slaveholding states, but Wilbur H. Siebert believes that it is fairly accurate. He is certain, for example, that approximately 40,000 passed through Ohio alone. The Underground Railroad intensified the 90 resentment that the South felt toward outside interference. It was not realized that the Railroad ran inside the South. Not only Northerners participated in its management, but Southern whites and blacks were among its most valuable engineers and conductors, and 95 all the passengers were Negroes desperately anxious to get away from the peculiar institution of the South. 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 207 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 11. The “eloquent defiance” mentioned in line 33 most likely refers to: A. the violation of the federal fugitive slave laws. B. attacks made on slavery by abolitionists in Congress. C. the slaveholders’ arguments in support of slavery. D. the outbreak of Civil War. 12. The passage suggests that had it been known that the Underground Railroad was supported by Southerners as well as by Northerners: F. friction between the South and North might have lessened. G. the South might have given up its fight to preserve the institution of slavery. H. Southern slaveowners might have succeeded in stopping the Underground Railroad. J. even more slaves might have had the courage to attempt escape. 13. The main point of the first paragraph is that the Underground Railroad: A. systematically destroyed the slave-based economy of the South. B. demonstrated the North’s lack of understanding of how important the institution of slavery was to the South. C. dramatically intensified the conflict between the North and the South. D. demonstrated the persistence with which slaves tried to escape their situation. 14. According to the passage, many of the stories about the Underground Railroad: F. are only believable because they have been confirmed by dependable sources. G. were invented by abolitionists seeking to undermine the institution of slavery. H. were spread by slaveholders to intensify conflict with the North. J. were based on facts, but published as fictional stories. 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 208 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 15. According to the passage, which of the following methods was NOT generally practiced on the Underground Railroad? A. Slaves would steal from their masters so as to have provisions for their journey. B. Slaves usually traveled during the day so as to appear as normal as possible. C. Slaves sometimes disguised themselves as members of the opposite sex. D. Slaves sometimes posed as their own masters. 16. It can be inferred from the passage that the number of slaves who successfully escaped the South between 1810 and 1850 was: F. not more than 40,000. G. as high as 100,000. H. less than the number of escaping slaves who were caught. J. consistent with Northern census figures. 17. In can be inferred from the details in the 4th paragraph (lines 56-77) that: A. slaveowners could be persuaded by Harriet Tubman to emancipate their slaves. B. in her efforts to help slaves escape, Harriet Tubman usually disguised herself as a train conductor. C. slaveowners could do little to spread the news of an escaped slave on a Sunday. D. Harriet Tubman was often unnecessarily cruel to the slaves she helped. 18. Harriet Tubman took escaping slaves all the way to Canada because: F. she felt that the law passed in 1850 meant that escaped slaves were not safe even in the North. G. she had become too well known in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. H. escaped slaves’ chances for employment were greater in Canada. J. after 1850 the Underground Railroad completely bypassed the northern cities she was familiar with. 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 STOP! END OF SECTION 3 DO NOT TURN TO ANY OTHER SECTION. 209 19. The passage suggests that the term Underground Railroad may have come into use because: A. the word “underground” implied illegality. B. it referred to the fact that slaves disappeared as if they had some way of traveling underground. C. the growing system of steam railroads provided an excellent means of travel for escaping slaves. D. antagonists of slavery dug a network of tunnels to aid escaping slaves. 20. Which of the following are mentioned as tactics employed by Harriet Tubman in her efforts to emancipate slaves? I. Sending letters to family members II. Planning her rescue attempts on specific days III. Threatening to kill slaves who had second thoughts F. I only G. I and II only H. II and III only J. I, II and III . ◆ 3 202 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. READING COMPREHENSION TEST 17 Minutes — 20 Questions Directions: There are two passages in this test. Each passage is followed by several questions. After reading. condescending. H. neutral. J. defensive. 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 205 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. THERE IS NO TEST MATERIAL ON THIS PAGE. 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 206 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. Passage II Perhaps nothing. beliefs. 3 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 3 204 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 6. The main point of the third paragraph is that Cameron: F. achieved great artistic success during her lifetime. G. is the greatest photographer