Read the passage.
Information
,begin italics,This passage is from the opening scene of a play set in Norway and written in the late 1800s. As the passage begins, Torvald Helmer is speaking to his wife, Nora.,end italics,
from ,begin bold,A Doll's House,end bold,
,begin italics,Helmer.,end italics, You are an odd little soul. Very like your father. You always find some new way of wheedling money out of me, and, as soon as you have got it, it seems to melt in your hands. You never know where it has gone. Still, one must take you as you are. It is in the blood; for indeed it is true that you can inherit these things, Nora.
,begin italics,Nora.,end italics, Ah, I wish I had inherited many of papa's qualities.
,begin italics,Helmer.,end italics, And I would not wish you to be anything but just what you are, my sweet little skylark. But, do you know, it strikes me that you are looking rather—what shall I say—rather uneasy today?
,begin italics,Nora.,end italics, Do I?
,begin italics,Helmer.,end italics, You do, really. Look straight at me.
,begin italics,Nora (looks at him,end italics,). Well?
,begin italics,Helmer (wagging his finger at her).,end italics, Hasn't Miss Sweet-Tooth been breaking rules in town today?
,begin italics,Nora.,end italics, No; what makes you think that?
,begin italics,Helmer.,end italics, Hasn't she paid a visit to the confectioner's?
,begin italics,Nora.,end italics, No, I assure you, Torvald—
,begin italics,Helmer.,end italics, Not been nibbling sweets?
,begin italics,Nora.,end italics, No, certainly not.
,begin italics,Helmer.,end italics, Not even taken a bite at a macaroon or two?
,begin italics,Nora.,end italics, No, Torvald, I assure you really—
,begin italics,Helmer.,end italics, There, there, of course I was only joking.
,begin italics,Nora (going to the table on the right).,end italics, I should not think of going against your wishes.
,begin italics,Helmer.,end italics, No, I am sure of that; besides, you gave me your word—,begin italics,(Going up to her.),end italics, Keep your little Christmas secrets to yourself, my darling. They will all be revealed tonight when the Christmas Tree is lit, no doubt.
,begin italics,Nora.,end italics, Did you remember to invite Doctor Rank?
,begin italics,Helmer.,end italics, No. But there is no need; as a matter of course he will come to dinner with us. However, I will ask him when he comes in this morning. I have ordered some good wine. Nora, you can't think how I am looking forward to this evening.
,begin italics,Nora.,end italics, So am I! And how the children will enjoy themselves, Torvald!
(from ,begin underline,A Doll's House,end underline, by Henrik Ibsen)
Question
How does the dialogue help the reader understand the characters Torvald and Nora?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
The stern and indifferent way in which Torvald and Nora address each other shows that there is a lack of tenderness between the two characters.
2.
The highly descriptive language in the dialogue allows the reader to picture Torvald's and Nora's actions on stage as well as what Torvald and Nora look like.
3.
The lengthy and condescending statements Torvald makes contrast with Nora's short, deferential responses, helping to establish the dynamics of their relationship.
4.
The dialogue begins with Torvald scolding Nora for spending money, indicating that Torvald and Nora's relationship is strained because they are struggling with financial difficulties.
The correct answer is 3. The lengthy and condescending statements Torvald makes contrast with Nora's short, deferential responses, helping to establish the dynamics of their relationship. The dialogue reveals Torvald's authoritative and patronizing attitude towards Nora, while Nora's submissive and compliant responses suggest an unequal power dynamic in their relationship.
Children like to feel the joke coming, in this way; they love the anticipation of a laugh, and they will begin to dimple, often, at your first unconscious suggestion of humour. If it is lacking, they are sometimes afraid to follow their own instincts. Especially when you are facing an audience of grown people and children together, you will find that the latter are very hesitant about initiating their own expression of humour. . . . Often at the funniest point you will see some small listener in an agony of endeavour to cloak the mirth which he—poor mite—fears to be ,begin underline,indecorous,end underline,. Let him see that it is "the thing" to laugh, and that everybody is going to.
(from ,begin underline,Stories to Tell Children,end underline, by Sara Cone Bryant)
Question
What does the word ,begin emphasis,indecorous,end emphasis, mean as it is used in this passage?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
disguised
2.
dismissed
3.
imitated
4.
improper
The correct answer is 4. improper. In this passage, the word "indecorous" is used to describe something that is considered inappropriate or not socially acceptable, specifically in relation to laughing or expressing humor.
In the 1840s, women in the United States began fighting for more rights. They first pressed for property rights for married women. After the Civil War, the focus of women's rights activists shifted to voting. Women's rights activists felt that many of the problems women faced, and that American society faced, could be solved by granting women suffrage, or the right to vote.
In 1890, Wyoming became a state, with a provision in its constitution allowing women to vote in that state. In 1893, Colorado became the first state to adopt a state amendment that gave women voting rights. In 1895, Utah became a state and also included a suffrage provision in its constitution, followed by Idaho in 1896. Washington gave women the right to vote in 1910. In 1911, women in California gained voting rights, with Oregon, Kansas, and Arizona granting women suffrage in 1912.
Question
Based on the passage, what can the reader infer about the women's suffrage movement?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
The women's suffrage movement was a unified political movement.
2.
By 1912, the women's suffrage movement no longer faced opposition.
3.
Momentum for women's suffrage gained strength in the western United States.
4.
States were more concerned about women's suffrage than property rights for women.
The correct answer is 3. Momentum for women's suffrage gained strength in the western United States. The passage specifically mentions several western states that granted women suffrage rights, indicating that the movement gained momentum in that region. It does not provide information about the unity of the movement, the level of opposition faced, or the relative concerns of states regarding suffrage versus property rights.
In which lines are the two authors trying to express a similar idea?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
Wilcox: "Each well-born soul must win what it deserves"
Goethe: "Life's field will yield as we make it"
2.
Wilcox: "Gifts count for nothing"
Goethe: "We must not hope to be mowers"
3.
Wilcox: "The sea-seeking river in its course"
Goethe: "This mystical world of ours"
4.
Wilcox: "Or cause the ascending orb of day to wait"
Goethe: "And to gather the ripe gold ears"
The correct answer is 2. Wilcox: "Gifts count for nothing" Goethe: "We must not hope to be mowers"
In both lines, both authors are expressing the idea that relying on natural talents or gifts alone is insufficient for success. They emphasize the importance of effort and hard work to achieve desired outcomes.
from ,begin bold,Matthew Henson's Memoir,end bold,
paragraph 1,Exactly 40° below zero when we pushed the sledges up to the curled-up dogs and started them off over rough ice covered with deep soft snow. It was like walking in loose granulated sugar. Indeed I might compare the snow of the Arctic to the granules of sugar, without their saccharine sweetness, but with freezing cold instead; you cannot make snowballs of it, for it is too thoroughly congealed, and when it is packed by the wind it is almost as solid as ice. It is from the packed snow that the blocks used to form the igloo-walls are cut.
paragraph 2,At the end of four hours, we came to the igloo where the Captain and his boys were sleeping the sleep of utter exhaustion. In order not to interrupt the Captain's rest, we built another igloo and unloaded his sledge, and distributed the greater part of the load among the sledges of the party. The Captain, on awakening, told us that the journey we had completed on that day had been made by him under the most trying conditions, and that it had taken him fourteen hours to do it. We were able to make better time because we had his trail to follow, and, therefore, the necessity of finding the easiest way was avoided.
A photo and a caption. The black-and-white photo shows Matthew Henson. He is wearing a hood with a fur lining. Caption: Matthew Henson, 1866 to 1955.
(from ,begin underline,A Negro Explorer at the North Pole,end underline, by Matthew Henson)
Question
Which statement ,begin emphasis,best,end emphasis, expresses the central ideas developed in this passage?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
Two groups of explorers looked for a route through the Arctic snow, and the second group found a better route.
2.
Two groups of explorers traveled through severe winter weather, and the first group encountered more snow and ice.
3.
Two groups of explorers found traveling in the Arctic exhausting, but the second group was less tired because they traveled faster.
4.
Two groups of explorers made the same journey through deep snow, but the first group took longer because there was no trail.
The correct answer is 4. Two groups of explorers made the same journey through deep snow, but the first group took longer because there was no trail.
The passage describes the journey of two groups of explorers in the Arctic snow, with the second group following the trail left by the first group. The first group encountered challenging conditions and took longer to complete the journey, while the second group was able to make better time by following the established trail.
Mayoral Election Speech for Harold Marshall,end bold,
I stand before you today, not as a politician or a bureaucrat. I make no claim to be a shining beacon of hope, nor do I endeavor to inspire in your hearts the dreams of a new future. I possess no list revealing magic solutions to our city's multitude of challenges, nor will I attempt to relate tender anecdotes to induce tears to your eyes. I come before you simply as an equal—a fellow citizen and a lifelong resident of our city. I have also stood in your shoes countless times, assessing new candidates who, with ,begin underline,idealistic,end underline, promises, affirmed that we were destined for greatness, and yet as each mayor receded into history at the start of a new election year, we seem no closer to those lofty goals. I perceive no need for drastic change or catchy slogans to revive our spirits. My mission rings straightforward and true—I am here to work, to offer a straightforward, pragmatic, and rational approach to fix our city, regardless of how demanding and formidable the hurdles.
Question
Based on the connotation of ,begin emphasis,idealistic,end emphasis,, what does the speaker ,begin emphasis,most,end emphasis, likely believe about "idealistic" promises?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
They offer solutions to the city's many problems.
2.
They are unrealistic and are therefore unachievable.
3.
They are straightforward and true like the speaker's mission.
4.
They are founded on old-fashioned principles that need to be updated.