501 critical reading questions p14

501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14 501 critical reading questions p14

b the cause is unstoppable.

c the supporters of the cause should establish a commune

d the cause itself is always changing

e change can only come about gradually

239. The cause the men refer to throughout the passage is

a democracy

b communism

c capitalism

d insurgency

e freedom

240. Doc Burton is best described as

a an objective observer

b a representative of the government

c a staunch supporter of the cause

d a visionary leader

e a reluctant participant

241. According to Doc Burton, the strikes are like tfte

infection (line 42) because

a the strikes are life-threatening

b many of the strikers are ill

c the size of the group has swollen

d the strikes are a reaction to an injury

e the strikes are taking place on a battleground

242. By comparing group-men to a living organism (lines

48–50), Doc Burton

a reinforces his idea that individuals are lost in the larger whole

b shows that group-men is constantly changing and growing

c supports his assertion that the strikers are like an infection

d explains why he is with the strikers

e reflects his opinion that the strikes’ success depends

upon unity within the group

128

501 Critical Reading Questions

243. According to Doc Burton, the main difference between group-men

and the individual is that

a individuals can be controlled but groups cannot

b individuals do not want to fight but groups do

c individuals may believe in a cause but groups do not

d groups are often crazy but individuals are not

e people in groups can reassure one another

244. It can be inferred from this passage that Doc Burton

believes the cause

a is just an excuse for fighting

b is reasonable

c will fail

d will correct social injustice

e will make America a more democratic place

245. Doc Burton repeats the word migftt in lines 56 and 62 because

a he doesn’t believe Mac is sincere about the cause

b he really wants Mac to consider the possibility that

the group is blind to the cause

c he is asking a rhetorical question

d he doesn’t want Mac to know the truth about the cause

e he wants Mac to see that he isn’t really serious in his

criticism of the cause

Questions 257–265 are based on the following

passage.

(1)

(5)

In this passage, written in 1925, writer Edith Wharton distinguishes between

subjects suitable for short stories and those suitable for novels.

It is sometimes said that a “good subject” for a short

story should always be capable of being expanded into a

novel

The principle may be defendable in special cases; but

it is certainly a misleading one on which to build any

general theory Every “subject” (in the novelist’s sense of

the term) must necessarily contain within itself its own

dimensions; and one of the fiction-writer’s essential gifts is

that of discerning whether the subject which presents

itself to him, asking for incarnation, is suited to the

proportions of a short story or of a novel If it appears to

be adapted to both the chances are that it is

(10) inadequate to either

It would be a great mistake, however, to try to base a

hard-and-fast theory on the denial of the rule as on its

assertion Instances of short stories made out of subjects

that could have been expanded into a

(20)

(25)

(30)

(35)

(40)

(45)

(50)

novel, and that are yet typical short stories and not mere stunted nov- els, will occur to everyone General rules in art are useful chiefly as a lamp in a mine, or a handrail down a black stairway; they are neces- sary for the sake

of the guidance they give, but it is a mistake, once they are formulated, to be too much in awe of them

There are at least two reasons why a subject should find expression in novel-form rather than as a tale; but neither is based on the num- ber of what may be conveniently called incidents, or external hap- penings, which the narrative contains There are novels of action which might be condensed into short stories without the loss of their distinguishing qualities The marks of the subject requiring a longer development are, first, the gradual unfolding of the inner life of its characters, and secondly the need of producing in the reader’s mind the sense of the lapse of time Outward events of the most varied and excit- ing nature may without loss of probability

be crowded into a few hours, but moral dramas usually have their roots deep in the soul, their rise far back in time; and the suddenest-seeming clash in which they culminate should be led up to step by step if it is to explain and justify itself

There are cases, indeed, when the short story may make use of the moral drama at its culmination If the incident dealt with be one which a single retrospective flash sufficiently lights up, it is qualified for use as a short story; but if the subject be so complex, and its successive phases so interesting, as to justify elaboration, the lapse of time must necessarily be suggested, and the novel-form becomes appropriate

The effect of compactness and instantaneity sought in the short story is attained mainly by the observance of two “unities”—the old traditional one of time, and that other, more modern and complex, which requires that any rapidly enacted episode shall be seen through only one pair of eyes

One thing more is needful for the ultimate effect of probability; and that is, never let the character who serves as reflector record anything not naturally within his register It should be the storyteller’s first care to choose this reflecting mind deliberately, as one would choose a building-site, or decide upon the orientation of one’s house, and when this is done, to live inside the mind chosen, trying to feel, see and react exactly as the latter would, no more, no less, and, above all, no other- wise Only thus can the writer avoid attributing incongruities of thought and metaphor to his chosen interpreter

246. In the opening sentence (lines 1–2), the author

a states her main idea

b states the idea she will disprove

c presents an example of the point she will prove

d presents an anecdote to capture the reader’s attention

e presents evidence for her thesis

247. The author’s main purpose in this passage is to

a provide guidelines for choosing the narrator in a novel

b provide tips for making short stories and novels more realistic

c debunk several myths about writing novels

d explain why some tales are better for novels than short stories

e provide strategies for writers to develop ideas for

short stories and novels

248. The author believes that rules for writing

a should always be strictly adhered to

b should only be general guidelines

c should be revised regularly

d are just good common sense

e are too theoretical

249. In lines 15–18 the author uses

a analogy

b personification

c hyperbole

d foreshadowing

e innuendo

250. According to the author, which factor(s) determine

whether a subject is suitable for a novel instead of

a short story?

I the number of incidents in the story

II the need to show the development of the character(s) III the need to reflect the passage of time

a I only

b I and II only

c II and III only

d I and III only

e all of the above

131

501 Critical Reading Questions

251. In lines 32–37, the author

a contradicts the rule established in the previous paragraph

b clarifies the rule established in the previous paragraph

c shows an example of the rule established in the

previous paragraph

d justifies the rule established in the previous paragraph

e provides a new rule

252. According to the author, two defining characteristics

of a short story are

a complexity and probability

b moral dilemmas and sudden clashes

c retrospection and justification

d metaphor and congruity

e limited time and point of view

253. In line 46, tftis reflecting mind refers to

a the author

b the narrator

c the reader

d a story’s translator

e a story’s editor

Questions 265–273 are based on the following

passage.

(1)

(5)

This excerpt is from the final scene of the play George Bernard Shaw’s 1916 play Pygmalion, when Professor Higgins learns just how well he taught

Liza.

HIGGINS: If you’re going to be a lady, you’ll have to give

up feeling neglected if the men you know don’t spend half their time snivel- ing over you and the other half giving you black eyes If you can’t stand the coldness

of my sort of life, and the strain of it, go back to the gutter Work ’til you are more a brute than a human being; and then cuddle and squabble and drink ’til you fall asleep Oh, it’s a fine life, the life of the gutter It’s real: it’s warm: it’s violent: you can feel it through the thickest skin: you can taste it and smell it without any training or any work Not like Science and Literature and

Classi-(10)

(15)

cal Music and Philosophy and Art You find me cold, unfeeling, self- ish, don’t you? Very well: be off with you

to the sort of people you like Marry some sentimental hog or other with lots of money, and a thick pair of lips

to kiss you with and a thick pair of boots to kick you with If you can’t appreciate what you’ve got, you’d better get what you can appreciate

(25)

(30)

(35)

(40)

(45)

(50)

(55)

LIZA (desperate): Oh, you are a cruel tyrant I can’t talk

to you: you turn everything against me: I’m always in the wrong But you know very well all the time that you’re nothing but a bully You know I can’t go back to the gutter, as you call it, and that I have no real friends in the world but you and the Colonel You know well I couldn’t bear to live with a low common man after you two; and it’s wicked and cruel of you to insult me by pretending I could You think I must go back to Wimpole Street because I have nowhere else to go but father’s But don’t you be too sure that you have me under your feet to be trampled on and talked down I’ll marry Freddy, I will, as soon as he’s able to support me

HIGGINS (sitting down beside fter): Rubbish! You shall

marry an ambassador You shall marry the Governor-General of India or the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, or somebody who wants a deputy- queen I’m not going

to have my masterpiece thrown away on Freddy

LIZA: You think I like you to say that But I haven’t forgot what you said a minute ago; and I won’t be coaxed round as if I was a baby or a puppy If I can’t have kindness, I’ll have independence

HIGGINS: Independence? That’s middle class blasphemy

We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us

on earth

LIZA (rising determinedly): I’ll let you see whether I’m

dependent on you If you can preach, I can teach I’ll

go and be a teacher

HIGGINS: What’ll you teach, in heaven’s

name? LIZA: What you taught me I’ll

teach phonetics HIGGINS: Ha! ha! ha!

LIZA: I’ll offer myself as an assistant to Professor

Nepean

HIGGINS (rising in a fury): What! That impostor! that

humbug! that toadying ignoramus! Teach him my methods! my discoveries! You take one step in his

direction and I’ll wring your neck (He lays ftands on fter.)

Do you hear?

LIZA (defiantly resistant): Wring away What do I care? I knew you’d strike me some day (He lets fter go, stamping witft rage at ftaving for- gotten ftimself, and recoils so ftastily tftat fte stumbles back into ftis seat on tfte ottoman.) Aha! Now I know how to deal with you.

What a fool I was not to think of it before! You can’t take away the knowledge you gave me You said I had

a finer ear than you And I can be civil and kind to people, which is more than you can Aha! That’s done you, Henry Higgins, it has Now I don’t care that

(snapping fter fin- gers) for your bullying and your big

talk I’ll advertise it in the papers that your duchess is only a flower girl that you taught, and that she’ll teach

a nybody to be a duchess just the same in six months

for a thousand guineas Oh, when I think of myself crawling under your feet and being trampled on and called names, when all the

(60) time I had only to lift up my finger to be as good as

you, I could just kick myself

254. In lines 1–15, Higgins contrasts the life of tfte gutter with his sort of life, which is best described as

a the life of an ambassador

b the life of the rich and famous

c the life of a tyrant

d the life of a scholar

e the life of the working class

255. Wimpole Street (line 23) is most likely

a a fashionable area

b where Professor Nepean resides

c where Higgins teaches

d where Freddy lives

e where Liza grew up

256. Liza wants Higgins to

a appreciate her work

b help her find a suitable husband

c marry her

d teach her everything he knows

e treat her with more respect

257. The word common in line 21 means

a usual

b unrefined

c popular

d average

e shared by two or more

258. In lines 43–46, Higgins proves that

a he is a bully

b Liza can’t teach with Professor Nepean

c Professor Nepean is a fake

d he and Liza depend upon each other

e he knows better than Liza

134

501 Critical Reading Questions

259. Higgins’ use of the word masterpiece in line 30 implies that

a he is an artist

b he thinks Liza is very beautiful

c he thinks of Liza as his creation

d he is in love with Liza

e Liza is his servant

260. Which of the following best describes what Higgins

has taught Liza?

a the history of the English language

b how to speak and act like someone from the upper class

c how to be independent of others

d how to understand literature and philosophy

e how to appreciate scholarly work

261. In lines 37–61, the main reason Higgins is so upset is because

a Liza threatens to teach his methods to others

b he realizes he has been a bad teacher

c he realizes he is as abusive as someone from tfte gutter.

d he realizes he cannot control Liza

e he realizes Liza does not love him anymore

262. The passage implies that Liza’s most significant

transformation in the play is from

a lower class to upper class

b ignorant to educated

c oppressed to empowered

d single to married

e cold to compassionate

Questions 274–281 are based on the following

passage.

(1)

(5)

In this excerpt from Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre, the narrator

decides to leave Lowood, the boarding school where she has lived for eight

years.

Miss Temple, through all changes, had thus far continued

superin- tendent of the seminary; to her instruction I

owed the best part of my acquirements; her friendship

and society had been my continual sol- ace: she had

stood me in the stead of mother, governess, and, latterly,

companion At this period she married, removed with her

husband (a clergyman, an excellent man, almost worthy

of such a wife) to a dis- tant county, and consequently

was lost to me