SAT II success literature Episode 2 Part 2 doc

D EXPLANATIONS ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 1–11 Test-Taking Strategy Use the educated-guessing technique to eliminate answers whenever you are not positive about the correct answer.. You can el

52 Which of the following best describes the

mood of this passage?

(A) Bleak

(B) Dark

(C) Despairing

(D) Solemn

(E) Subdued

53 In the fifth paragraph, what is the meaning

of the word “cavilers”?

(A) Those who criticize harshly

(B) Those who question

(C) Those who make trivial objections

(D) Those who protest

(E) Those who cause trouble

54 Which of the following best reflects the

theme of this passage?

I Castle walls do not a prison make

II An interior freedom can be created

amidst exterior restraint

III One must always be true to one’s

self

(A) I only

(B) II only

(C) III only

(D) I and II

(E) II and III

55 Which of the following best characterizes

the function of the dialogue between Mrs

Reed and Jane?

(A) To emphasize the difference between

Mrs Reed’s children and Jane

(B) To explain what Mrs Reed finds

wanting in Jane

(C) To expose Bessie as another

antago-nist

(D) To highlight Jane’s untenable

situa-56 Which of the following best describes the

feeling the writer evokes in the reader in the first four paragraphs?

(A) Pity (B) Understanding (C) Sympathy (D) Anger (E) Tenderness

57 In the sixth paragraph, what does the

clause “I was shrined in double retirement” (lines 29–30) mean?

(A) Jane has left the drawing room and taken refuge behind a curtain

(B) Jane has left her antagonists and the burden of their demands behind her (C) She removed herself from where she was not wanted and into the world of her imagination

(D) Jane has separated herself from both the weather outside the house and the weather inside the house

(E) She has absented herself from physical and emotional rigors

58 Which of the following best describes the

form of this selection?

(A) Fiction (B) Nonfiction (C) Narrative (D) Persuasion (E) Exposition

PRACTICE TEST 2— Continued

59 What does the sentence “What does Bessie

say I have done?” (line 21) contribute to

the sketching of Jane’s character?

I It tells the reader that Jane is not

afraid of questioning adults

II It tells the reader that Jane is willing

to risk the disfavor of adults

III It tells the reader that Jane has a great

deal of courage for a child

(A) I only

(B) II only

(C) III only

(D) I and II

(E) I, II, and III

60 Which of the following is not true of

Brontë’s style in this selection?

(A) First person point of view (B) Long, complicated sentences (C) Use of imagery

(D) Use of similes (E) Development by spatial order in the last paragraph

PRACTICE TEST 2— Continued

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS

Quick-Score Answers

1 C

2 A

3 A

4 B

5 E

6 C

7 B

8 C

9 C

10 B

11 B

12 D

13 D

14 B

15 E

16 C

17 A

18 C

19 E

20 A

21 D

22 A

23 D

24 E

25 D

26 B

27 C

28 E

29 A

30 C

31 B

32 D

33 A

34 B

35 C

36 A

37 A

38 D

39 E

40 D

41 C

42 A

43 B

44 E

45 A

46 B

47 D

48 A

49 D

50 C

51 B

52 A

53 C

54 B

55 D

56 C

57 A

58 A

59 E

60 D

EXPLANATIONS

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 1–11

Test-Taking Strategy

Use the educated-guessing

technique to eliminate

answers whenever you are

not positive about the correct

answer.

1 The correct answer is (C) You can eliminate all but the

correct answer in this question by keeping in mind the general tone and theme of the selection The writer is very positive about America and its future Four of the five possibilities, choices (A), (B), (D), and (E), are negative Additional proof that choice (C) is correct can be found in the sentence, “Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world.”

2 The correct answer is (A) Contumacious, choice (B), meaning

rude and insulting, is not mentioned and can be eliminated The information in the remaining responses is in the passage, so you might select one of these because they sound familiar However,

a scanning of the passage shows that the only answer choice that truly reflects the author’s words is choice (A) Choice (E) is

a detail that supports choice (A) Choices (C) and (D) actually contradict information in the passage, which is why we recom-mend that you go back to the passage rather than rely on your

3 The correct answer is (A) Occasionally the obvious is the

answer Choices (B), (C), and (E) do not reflect the tone or subject matter addressed by the author The piece is not erudite,

so you can eliminate choice (B) There is no irony in the author’s word, ruling out choice (C) While the author points up some faults of European countries, the focus is on America, and the tone is not angry, choice (E) The possibilities come down to choices (A) and (D) Choice (D) is in the running only because

of the word fascinating The piece is arguably fascinating, but

clearly it is not a narrative, so eliminate choice (D) The piece is

a straightforward description of what the author considers the American dream to be

4 The correct answer is (B) You can immediately eliminate

choices (C) and (D) because there is no time frame or direction indicated Choice (E) has some merit since there is an element

of contrast between Europeans and Americans However, the contrast does not organize the essay The selection defines an American, so you must choose between choices (A) and (B) The piece does not open with lesser evidence and then move to the most powerful argument, the definition of choice (A) Rather, several equally important arguments are arranged in a logical, or developmental, order, choice (B)

Test-Taking Strategy

For not/except questions, ask

yourself if the answer choice

is correct in the context of

the selection If it is, cross it

off and go to the next

answer.

5 The correct answer is (E) The key to choosing the correct

answer is to notice the word not in the question You must look

for the one answer in the series that is either opposite to or not included in the writer’s thesis In this case, the subject of charity, choice (E), is never mentioned in the passage

6 The correct answer is (C) You can eliminate all but the

correct answer if you use your emotional antennae to respond to the selection The selection is enthusiastic and involving Only choice (C) fits those criteria There is nothing pedantic—

preachy—and dry about the piece, choice (A) The writer paints

a picture of optimism and promise, so choices (B) and (E) contradict the passage The writer’s feelings of enthusiasm and hope are very much evident, so choice (D) cannot be correct

7 The correct answer is (B) You may find this to be a difficult

question because it is asking you to find a small, but important, element in the selection It is helpful to start by eliminating responses that are inconsistent with the overall theme Choices (C) and (D) vary from the author’s points of argument Choice (A) suggests something that is not in the passage Choice (E), while close, misses the point that Americans are working for themselves; they are not necessarily hard working Lines 35–36 are further proof that choice (B) is correct

8 The correct answer is (C) The key to this answer is the word

not.You must find the choice that is not supported by the selection Choices (A), (B), (D), and (E) are readily apparent even in a superficial reading, leaving choice (C) as the answer that is not present and, thus, the correct choice Choice (E), classical allusions, refers to the two Latin phrases

Test-Taking Strategy

For answer choices with

multiple parts, you must be

sure that all parts, or

elements, are correct before

you choose that answer.

9 The correct answer is (C) To answer this question, you must

infer that de Crèvecoeur is an immigrant like the ones he is writing about If you go back to the passage, you will find that lines 2 and 3 immediately tell you that choice (C) is the correct answer You could also use the process of elimination Common sense will tell you that choice (A) is incorrect; all immigrants would not share the same religion and culture The same is true for the other choices All immigrants would not have the same educational level, choice (B); skills and wealth, choice (D); or be married with children, choice (E)

10 The correct answer is (B) This question tests your ability to

find specific facts in the passage The writer touches on all these answers in the passage, but in only one case is it in the context

of a new American prejudice As you read the passage, it is important to keep in mind the location in the excerpt of points that the author is making, so as you read you should number, underline, bracket—in some way highlight—those points If you had done so in this case, it would be possible to quickly review

the relevant section, lines 11 to 16, “He is an American, who,

leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the government he obeys, and the new rank he holds He becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our

great Alma Mater.”

Test-Taking Strategy

Substitute the word choices

into the sentence to ensure

that the word makes sense in

the context of the cited

sentence and the passage.

11 The correct answer is (B) This is not so much a vocabulary

question as a test of your comprehension None of the responses

is an exact synonym for the word exuberant as the word is used

today You must determine the definition from the context of the sentence Substitute each of the proposed responses for the

word exuberant and select the one that makes the most sense,

keeping in mind the tone and theme of the selection Neither choice (A), meager, nor choice (D), shriveled, would be likely responses given the rest of the sentence Choice (C), cultivated,

is illogical because plants cannot be cultivated before they sprout Enthused, choice (E), is a modern synonym, but it does not work in the context of the sentence Exuberant may mean prolific or abundant

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 12–21

12 The correct answer is (D) The key to this question is the

word not After careful evaluation, you should conclude that

choices (A), (B), (C), and (E) are true for the selection, leaving

choice (D) as not true and the correct answer If the title posed

a question, it might draw the reader in, but as such, the title is a statement of what the poem is about, although on a superficial level because the poem is deeper and more complex than its title suggests

13 The correct answer is (D) Some of these words may describe

your feelings about the Duke; that he is cruel, choice (A);

depraved, choice (C); and vicious, choice (E) But do these words also describe the poem? The poem is not cruel, depraved,

or vicious So ask yourself: What is the overall effect of the poem on me, the reader? You may think the poem is powerful, choice (B), but the more precise answer is chilling, choice (D)

14 The correct answer is (B) The question asks you to identify

those lines that demonstrate that the Duke thinks of himself as reasonable That eliminates choice (A), which speaks more to his pride and arrogance, as does choice (C) Choice (C) also

describes how the Duke saw his wife, so that’s another reason

to eliminate that response Choices (D) and (E) also refer to what the Duke thought of his wife, eliminating those answers

Test-Taking Strategy

Pay attention to operative

words in the question stems.

Highlight—circle, bracket,

underline—key words to

help you know exactly what

you are looking for in the

answer choices.

15 The correct answer is (E) This is an inference question, not a

recall question The word suggest in the question stem is the

clue to question type Look for answers with implications beyond the literal meaning of the text Item I is simply a fact, offering little insight into the Duke’s character, eliminating choices (A) and (D) Many deeper, complex inferences about the Duke’s character can be drawn from items II and III Only choice (E) includes both items and is, therefore, the correct answer

16 The correct answer is (C) The poem is indeed a dramatic

monologue, choice (A), one of the most famous in English, but this fact does not answer the question of how the author conveys meaning Choices (D) and (E) might be a bit tempting,

but the best answer is choice (C) Choice (D) only provides part

of the answer—images—and choice (E) is a little too broad How is the character developed? Through control of language and images, choice (C), the most complete answer Ruling out choice (B) should have been easy even if you did not know that this is a dramatic monologue; there is no dialogue in the poem

17 The correct answer is (A) Reading the poem carefully, you

will find that choices (B), (C), (D), and (E) are implied The reader is told directly that it was her smiles, lines 43–46, that the Duke couldn’t bear and wanted stopped, choice (A)

Test-Taking Strategy

When faced with an

infer-ence question, be sure you

can justify your answer

based on the text of the

selection.

18 The correct answer is (C) Be careful here If you know the

work of Robert Browning, then you know that part of his genius

is the way in which he provokes imaginative participation and reader contribution If you don’t recall that fact, then you must make an educated guess using the process of elimination to determine what the poet is trying to inspire in the reader

Choices (A) and (B) are too simplistic and a result of a surface reading of the poem Choice (D) is a lesson in poetry, not an inspirational moment Likewise choice (E) is a history lesson That leaves choice (C), the correct answer

19 The correct answer is (E) All three Roman numeral items

represent oppositions present in the poem As a result, choice (E), which includes items I, II, and III, is the right answer

20 The correct answer is (A) Again, part of Browning’s genius

was that he used the character of the Duke to embody aspects and attitudes characteristic of the Renaissance But the question

asks you to determine the adjective that does not describe

something about the Renaissance The Renaissance was not particularly sinister, choice (A), while it was a period of:

intellectual cleverness, choice (B); of the rise of nation states and political power, choice (C); of sophistication, choice (D); and of

a certain amount of self-involvement in its interest in the human body and intellect

21 The correct answer is (D) This is another inference question.

You must infer the Duke’s qualities from his words and attitude Choices (C) and (E) can be eliminated because they are too forceful and direct Choices (A) and (B) are too simple, guileless,

and straightforward Choice (D) is the best answer because it

shows the Duke’s pride and arrogance

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 22–31

Review Strategy

See A Quick Review of

Literary Terms,chapter 4.

22 The correct answer is (A) The number of lines, the meter,

the lack of an ending couplet, and the rhyme scheme mark this poem as a Petrarchan sonnet Whenever a poem has fourteen lines, it may very well be a sonnet Ballad, choice (B); lyric, choice (C); and ode, choice (E), usually have many stanzas and are rarely written in iambic pentameter Because Shakespearean

sonnets have a rhyme scheme of abba, abba, efef, gg, choice

(D) is inappropriate

23 The correct answer is (D) You can discard choice (A),

musicality, and choice (E), Elizabethan flavor, because musicality and Elizabethan flavor are incidental to the form Petrarchan sonnets always present the problem or question in the octet, so choice (C) is incorrect A poetic form cannot clarify ideas, choice (B); words clarify ideas But the sonnet form does add to the dignity and formality of the poem, choice (D)

24 The correct answer is (E) All three Roman numeral items are

elements of the theme Items I and II—the problem—are presented in the octet, and item III—the solution—is contained

in the sestet Only choice (E) recognizes all three aspects of the theme

25 The correct answer is (D) This question asks you to reason

about, as well as to understand, what you have read Logically if Frederick Douglass, choice (A), were the speaker, he would not begin the poem with a noun of direct address You can also eliminate choices (B) and (E) because there is no indication in the poem that the speaker is a historian or a former slave, although the latter is not impossible You are left with two responses—the poet, choice (C), and a despairing African American, choice (D) Choice (D) is the broader of the two choices; it encompasses the poet who is African American and also despairing of the current circumstances of African Ameri-cans in the early part of the twentieth century

Test-Taking Strategy

When you have responses

that are in pairs or in a

series, you can eliminate a

choice if one element does

not apply.

26 The correct answer is (B) The poem is not full of deep, rich

sounds, though it may be dark in its outlook, choice (A) It is neither heavy nor dull, so you can discard choice (C) The poem feels the opposite of hopeful, choice (D) While the execution is graceful and the subject matter troublesome to many, choice (E), the better answer is choice (B) The selection projects dignified despair

27 The correct answer is (C) This question asks you about a

comparison of events to a thing, not to another time period Therefore, you can eliminate all the responses specifying times: Douglass’s time, choice (A); the Civil War period, choice (B); and the twentieth century, choice (E) The speaker uses a metaphor to compare his period with something that has tides, ebbs, flows, and squalls Those images imply the ocean, choice (C), not storm clouds, choice (D)

28 The correct answer is (E) The lines contain figures of sound,

eliminating choices (A) and (B), personification and hyperbole, immediately These lines do not have close repetition of identical consonant sounds before and after differing vowel sounds, so choice (D), consonance, cannot be valid At first glance, you might think that this is alliteration, choice (C), but listen to the interior vowel sounds These lines contain words with close repetition of the middle vowel sounds between different consonants; in other words, assonance, choice (E)

29 The correct answer is (A) This question asks you what effect

these lines have on you, what comes to mind as you read the lines Choices (C), (D), and (E) are distracters that have little or nothing to do with the poem The lines do not establish the rhyme scheme, choice (C), which probably would not create an effect on the reader even if they did Choices (D) and (E) are simply incorrect Choice (B) is a much too literal interpretation

of the poem These phrases—“tempest of dispraise” and “waves

of swift dissension”—support the theme of the poem, troubled times require a great leader

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 30–39

Test-Taking Strategy

For not/except questions, if

the answer is true in the

context of the selection, cross

it off and go on to the next

answer.

30 The correct answer is (C) Choice (C) is the correct answer

because it states something that is not true about the cited

passage Based on this paragraph, it appears that Johnson does not pity animals He says that “for we have not pity unless we wish to relieve them” and he then admits that when he is in a hurry, he does not want the coach driver to stop whipping the horses even though he may feel sorry for them Choices (A), (B), (D), and (E) can be inferred easily from the paragraph and,

therefore, are not correct responses to this not/except question.

Review Strategy

When several choices seem

correct, see if some of them

are supporting details of a

single broad, or main, idea.

31 The correct answer is (B) Choice (E) may seem like a good

response because it sounds erudite, but there is no support for

this idea in the excerpt—nor is it true about Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson. Choices (A), (B), (C), and (D) all relate to information in the selection, but the broadest answer is choice (C) The other three responses support the description of Johnson’s character

32 The correct answer is (D) Examine the selection; look at

diction, tone, and adjectives Item I is true, as is item II Item III

is not true Nowhere in the selection is it stated or implied that great men are to be judged differently, which rules out choices (B) and (E) Because items I and II are true, choice (D), which contains both of these items, is the right answer