Reading literrature 5 ppt

36. Mrs. Mallard repeats the word “free” several times. What is it that she will be free from? a. debt b. fear c. criticism from others d. having to do with what someone else wants e. problems with family members who can’t mind their own business 37. The last sentence of the excerpt states, “A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination.” What does Mrs. Mal- lard believe is a crime? a. insisting that someone do what you want instead of what they want b. getting married c. being happy when someone you love has died d. selfishly wanting to do everything your way e. welcoming death 38. From what you learn in the passage, what rela- tionship do you think Mrs. Mallard had with her husband? a. She loved him, but he did not love her. b. He loved her, but she did not love him. c. They loved each other and were kind to each other. d. They fought constantly. e. They were estranged from each other. Questions 39 through 44 refer to the following poem. How Does the Speaker Feel about War? War Is Kind Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind. Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky And the affrighted steed ran on alone, Do not weep. War is kind. Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment Little souls who thirst for fight, These men were born to drill and die The unexplained glory flies above them Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom— A field where a thousand corpses lie. Do not weep, babe, for war is kind. Because your father tumbled in the yellow trenches, Raged at his breast, gulped and died, Do not weep. War is kind. Swift, blazing flag of the regiment Eagle with crest of red and gold, These men were born to drill and die Point for them the virtue of slaughter Make plain to them the excellence of killing And a field where a thousand corpses lie. Mother whose heart hung humble as a button On the bright splendid shroud of your son, Do not weep.War is kind. —Stephen Crane, 1899 39. The speaker repeats the line “War is kind” five times in the poem. Why? a. He wants to emphasize the truth of this line. b. He is talking to five different people. c. He is talking about several wars. d. It will take a lot to convince listeners that this line is true. e. It is the theme of the poem. 40. Which of the following words best describes the tone of the poem? a. celebratory b. mournful c. sarcastic d. angry e. tender 41. Which of the following best conveys the theme of the poem? a. War is unkind, but necessary. b. There is no virtue in war. c. We should not weep for soldiers, because they died in glory. d. Everyone must sacrifice in a war. e. There are many ways to die in a war. – GED LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, READING PRACTICE QUESTIONS– 360 (1) (5) (10) (15) (16) (20) (25) (30) 42. The speaker addresses three people in the poem: a maiden (line 2), a babe (a child, line 16), and a mother (line 28). What feeling in these listeners is the speaker addressing? a. their grief b. their pride c. their anger d. their joy e. their fear 43. From what you know about the speaker in the poem, what do you think he would do if his country went to war? a. join the military right away b. travel around the country trying to rally sup- port for the war c. protest against the war d. cover the war as a reporter e. hurt himself so he would not have to fight 44. The speaker calls the “kingdom” of the “battle- god” (lines 13–14) a “field where a thousand corpses lie” (line 15) and repeats line 15 again in line 27. What is the effect of this line and its repetition? a. It demonstrates the might of the battle god. b. It shows how many casualties you can expect in a war. c. It reminds us to expect many deaths in a battle. d. It makes us fear the anger of such a powerful god. e. It shows us that the battle-god is a terrible god who should not be worshipped. Questions 45 through 49 refer to the following excerpt. What’s Wrong with Biff and Happy? [Biff is talking with his brother, Happy. They are together with their parents in the home where they grew up.] BIFF: [with rising agitation] Hap, I’ve had twenty or thirty different kinds of jobs since I left home before the war, and it always turns out the same. I just realized it lately. In Nebraska, when I herded cattle, and the Dakotas, and Ari- zona, and now in Texas. It’s why I came home now, I guess, because I realized it. This farm I work on, it’s spring there now, see? And they’ve got about fifteen new colts. There’s nothing more inspiring or—beautiful than the sight of a mare and a new colt. And it’s cool there now, see? Texas is cool now, and it’s spring. And whenever spring comes to where I am, I sud- denly get the feeling, my God, I’m not gettin’ anywhere! What the hell am I doing, playing around with horses, twenty-eight dollars a week! I’m thirty-four years old, I oughta be makin’ my future. That’s when I come running home. And now, I get here, and I don’t know what to do with myself. [After a pause] I’ve always made a point of not wasting my life, and every time I come back here I know that all I’ve done is to waste my life. HAPPY: You’re a poet, you know that, Biff? You’re a—you’re an idealist! BIFF: No, I’m mixed up very bad. Maybe I oughta get married. Maybe I oughta get stuck into something. Maybe that’s my trouble. I’m like a boy. I’m not married, I’m not in business, I just—I’m like a boy. Are you content, Hap? You’re a success, aren’t you? Are you content? HAPPY: Hell, no! BIFF: Why? You’re making money, aren’t you? HAPPY: [moving about with energy, expressive- ness] All I can do now is wait for the merchan- dise manager to die. And suppose I get to be merchandise manager? He’s a good friend of mine, and he just built a terrific estate on Long Island. And he lived there about two months and sold it, and now he’s building another one. He can’t enjoy it once it’s finished. And I know that’s just what I would do. I don’t know what the hell I’m workin’ for. Sometimes I sit in my apartment—all alone. And I think of the rent I’m paying. And it’s crazy. But then, it’s what I always wanted. My own apartment, a car, and plenty of women. And still, goddammit, I’m lonely. —Arthur Miller, from Death of a Salesman (1949) – GED LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, READING PRACTICE QUESTIONS– 361 (1) (5) (10) (15) (20) (25) (30) (35) (40) (45) 45. Biff has come home because a. he needs a vacation. b. he isn’t earning enough money at his new job. c. he feels like he isn’t getting anywhere in life. d. he likes to be home in springtime. e. he misses his family. 46. Which of the following sentences best describes what’s wrong with Happy? a. You can’t run away from yourself. b. Money can’t buy happiness. c. What goes around, comes around. d. Good things come to those who wait. e. Money is the root of all evil. 47. Which of the following sentences best describes what’s wrong with Biff? a. He needs to stop being selfish and find some- one to love. b. He needs to grow up and stop acting like a baby. c. He needs to pick one career and work hard until he achieves success. d. He needs to stop moving around so much and just stay in one place. e. He needs to accept who he is and stop search- ing elsewhere for happiness. 48. Why isn’t the merchandise manager happy? a. He doesn’t have enough money. b. He knows Happy is after his job. c. The more he has, the more he wants. d. He is lonely. e. He didn’t like the way his estate was built. 49. Based on this excerpt, which of the following can we conclude about Happy’s name? a. It is ironic. b. It is appropriate. c. It is a nickname. d. It is not his real name. e. It is symbolic. Questions 50 through 53 refer to the following passage. Why Is the Man Screaming? Edvard Munch’s 1893 painting “The Scream” is a powerful work of art that has true aesthetic value. In its raw depiction of the unavoidable human emotions of alienation, anxiety and fear, “The Scream” invites meaningful introspection as the viewer internalizes its message of the vul- nerability of the human psyche. “The Scream” is a very dynamic and yet frightening painting. The blood-red sky and eerie water/air seem to be moving and twirling, even enveloping the screaming man’s mind as he stands on a bridge completely disregarded by passers-by who do not share in his horror. View- ers of the painting cannot help but ask: Why is the man screaming? And why is he alone in is scream? What is he afraid of? Or, what has he realized or seen that is making him scream? Why aren’t the others as affected as he? The threat must be internal, yet the brushstrokes, colors and perspective seem to indicate that the horror is also bound to something in nature, something outside of the man. In any case, the agony and alienation are inescapable. Some- thing horrible has happened or been realized by the man who cannot contain his horror, but has not affected the others on the bridge. That the people in the background are calm and do not share this horror conveys a truth regarding the ownership of our own feelings. We are often alone in our feelings, as can be especially noticed when we are in pain. The hor- ror is the man’s own; he must carry it himself. In this expressionist piece, the black, red, and orange colors are both bold and dark, illuminat- ing and haunting at the same time. Remarkably, the light from the blood-reds and vibrant oranges in the distant sky seem to be somewhat detached from the figure in the forefront, failing to reach his persona, suggesting that there is lit- tle to illuminate his (and the viewer’s) fears. The man’s face is nondescript; in fact, it almost looks more like a skull than a living man’s face, hollow with two simple dots to indicate the nostrils, no hair, no wrinkles of the skin. This could be any man or woman, left to deal with his or her own horrors. – GED LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, READING PRACTICE QUESTIONS– 362 (1) (5) (10) (15) (20) (25) (30) (35) (40) (45) 50. Which of the following best describes what is depicted in the painting? a. a man screaming as he falls through the sky b. a man standing alone on a bridge and screaming c. several people on a bridge, with the man in the forefront screaming d. several people on a bridge, all of them screaming e. something horrible happening to people on a bridge 51. According to the author, what might be making the man scream? a. He has seen something horrible. b. He has realized something horrible about himself. c. He has realized that he is alone. d. all of the above e. None of the above; we have no idea what is making him scream. 52. According to the author, what is the main effect of viewing this painting? a. We feel sorry for the screamer. b. We feel haunted by his agony and horror. c. We feel relieved that we are not on the bridge. d. We feel a sense of calm and quiet. e. We feel like screaming. 53. Based on the review, we can infer that Munch left the face of the screamer “nondescript” because a. he wanted to show that we are all the screamer. b. he did not like to paint detailed portraits of people, especially their faces. c. he couldn’t decide how to make the person look. d. he wanted the person to look childlike and innocent. e. he wanted the hollow face to contrast with the swirling sky. Questions 54 through 57 refer to the following passage. What Is the New Dress Code Policy? MEMORANDUM TO: All Employees FROM: Helen Suskind, Director, Human Resources Department DATE: March 22, 2005 RE: Implementation of New Dress Code A new dress code for all employees will take effect on September 1. All employees will be required to wear professional business attire while in the office. In this context, professional business attire excludes T-shirts, sleeveless shirts, shorts, jeans, athletic attire, mini- skirts, sandals, flip-flops, and sneakers. The attached sheet provides a complete list of attire that is inappro- priate for the office. Please be sure to review this list carefully. Violations of the new dress code will be handled as follows: ■ First offense: Verbal warning ■ Second offense: Written warning and 30-day probation period ■ Third offense: Dismissal If you have any questions about the parameters of the dress code, please contact Martin Lamb in Human Resources immediately to schedule an appointment. It is important that all employees understand the seri- ousness of this policy. Management based its decision to implement this code upon evidence that the lack of a dress code leads to a decrease in productivity. Our new dress code will help maintain the reputation and integrity of our company by keeping us aware of the need for professionalism. Thank you for your cooperation. 54. According to the new policy, employees a. can wear sandals but not flip-flops. b. can wear short-sleeved shirts but not T-shirts. c. must wear suits or dresses. d. can wear shorts on very hot days. e. cannot wear hats in the office. – GED LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, READING PRACTICE QUESTIONS– 363 55. An employee who violates the dress code for the third time will a. receive a verbal warning. b. receive a written warning. c. be put on probation. d. be dismissed. e. meet with Martin Lamb. 56. According to the memorandum, management decided to implement a formal dress code because a. a formal dress code makes a good impression on customers. b. casual dress may ruin the company’s reputation. c. not having a dress code makes people less productive. d. formal dress reflects management’s personal taste. e. formal dress helps create an atmosphere of cooperation. 57. It is possible to conclude from this memoran- dum that a. the company does not currently have a dress code. b. the dress code has been a controversial issue at the company. c. the company used to have a formal dress code and it is simply being reinstated. d. the employees will be unhappy about the policy. e. there has been a recent change in management. Questions 58 through 61 refer to the following excerpt. What Inspires Thomas? [Thomas Builds-the-Fire is a Spokane Indian living on the Spokane Indian Reservation.] So Thomas went home and tried to write their first song. He sat alone in his house with his bass guitar and waited for the song. He waited and waited. It’s nearly impossible to write a song with a bass guitar, but Thomas didn’t know that. He’d never written a song before. “Please,” Thomas prayed. But the song would not come, so Thomas closed his eyes, tried to find a story with a soundtrack. He turned on the television and watched The Sound of Music on channel four. Julie Andrews put him to sleep for the sixty- seventh time, and neither story nor song came in his dreams. After he woke up, he paced around the room, stood on his porch, and lis- tened to those faint voices that echoed all over the reservation. Everybody heard those voices, but nobody liked to talk about them. They were loudest at night, when Thomas tried to sleep, and he always thought they sounded like horses. For hours, Thomas waited for the song. Then, hungry and tired, he opened his refrigera- tor for something to eat and discovered that he didn’t have any food. So he closed the fridge and opened it again, but it was still empty. In a cere- mony that he had practiced since his youth, he opened, closed, and opened the fridge again, expecting an immaculate conception of a jar of pickles. Thomas was hungry on a reservation where there are ninety-seven different ways to say fry bread. [ ] As his growling stomach provided the rhythm, Thomas sat again with his bass guitar, wrote the first song, and called it “Reservation Blues.” —Sherman Alexie, from Reservation Blues (1995) 58. Based on the passage, we can conclude that Thomas a. does not take good care of himself. b. is poor. c. has always wanted to be in a band. d. is waiting for someone to help him. e. watches too much television. 59. Thomas titles the song “Reservation Blues.” Based on this passage, you can expect the song to be about a. the good times he’s had on the reservation. b. how he and his friends started a band. c. fry bread. d. the sounds he hears at night on the reservation. e. the difficulties of living on a reservation. – GED LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, READING PRACTICE QUESTIONS– 364 (1) (5) (10) (15) (20) (25) (30) (35) 60. Why does Thomas keep opening and closing the refrigerator? a. He keeps hoping food will magically appear. b. He can’t believe that the refrigerator is empty. c. He is angry and wants the door to break off. d. He likes the noise the door makes. e. He is bored. 61. The narrator tells us that “Thomas was hungry on a reservation where there are ninety-seven ways to say fry bread.” What is the purpose of this sentence? a. to show us how important fry bread is to the language b. to show us how hungry Thomas was c. to make us want to try fry bread d. to show us the irony of the situation e. to show us how Thomas was inspired Questions 62 through 65 refer to the following excerpt. What Is the Author’s Father Like? It was an impressive place: old, solidly built, in the Tudor style, with leaded windows, a slate roof, and rooms of royal proportions. Buying it had been a big step for my parents, a sign of growing wealth. This was the best neighborhood in town, and although it was not a pleasant place to live (especially for children), its prestige outweighed its deadliness. Given the fact that he wound up spending the rest of his life in that house, it is ironic that my father at first resisted moving there. He complained about the price (a constant theme), and when at last he relented, it was with grudging bad humor. Even so, he paid in cash. All in one go. No mortgage, no monthly payments. It was 1959, and business was going well for him. Always a man of habit, he would leave for work early in the morning, work hard all day, and then, when he came home (on those days he did not work late), take a short nap before dinner. Sometime during our first week in the new house, before we had properly moved in, he made a curious kind of mistake. Instead of driv- ing home to the new house after work, he went directly to the old one, as he had done for years, parked his car in the driveway, walked into the house through the back door, climbed the stairs, entered the bedroom, lay down on the bed, and went to sleep. He slept for about an hour. Need- less to say, when the new mistress of the house returned to find a strange man sleeping in her bed, she was a little surprised. But unlike Goldilocks, my father did not jump up and run away. The confusion was eventually settled, and everyone had a good laugh. Even today, it still makes me laugh. And yet, for all that, I cannot help regarding it as a pathetic story. It is one thing for a man to drive to his old house by mis- take, but it is quite another, I think, for him not to notice that anything has changed inside it. —Paul Auster, from The Invention of Solitude (1982) 62. Why did the author’s family move into the new house? a. Their old house was falling apart. b. They needed a house with more room. c. The new house was in a prestigious neighborhood. d. The neighborhood was great for children. e. The price was affordable. 63. The passage suggests that the author’s father a. did not like change. b. was a very calculating man. c. was unhappy with his life. d. was very proud of his house. e. had many bad habits. 64. Why does the author think the story of his father’s mistake is pathetic? a. It shows how stubborn his father was. b. It shows how little he knew his father. c. It shows how blind his father was to his needs. d. It shows how little attention his father paid to things around him. e. It shows how attached he was to the old house. – GED LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, READING PRACTICE QUESTIONS– 365 (1) (5) (10) (15) (20) (25) (27) (30) (35) (40) . Death of a Salesman (1949) – GED LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, READING PRACTICE QUESTIONS– 361 (1) (5) (10) ( 15) (20) ( 25) (30) ( 35) (40) ( 45) 45. Biff has come home because a. he needs a vacation. b his or her own horrors. – GED LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, READING PRACTICE QUESTIONS– 362 (1) (5) (10) ( 15) (20) ( 25) (30) ( 35) (40) ( 45) 50 . Which of the following best describes what is depicted. attached he was to the old house. – GED LITERATURE AND THE ARTS, READING PRACTICE QUESTIONS– 3 65 (1) (5) (10) ( 15) (20) ( 25) (27) (30) ( 35) (40)