Read the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms.The major was a little man with upturned mustaches. He had been in the war in Libya and wore two wound-stripes. He said that if the thing went well he would see that I was decorated. I said I hoped it would go well but that he was too kind. I asked him if there was a big dugout where the drivers could stay and he sent a soldier to show me. I went with him and found the dugout, which was very good. The drivers were pleased with it and I left them there.What effect does Hemingway’s limited use of adjectives have?

A

It slows down the narration by interrupting the action.

B

It makes the few descriptive words he does use more vivid and forceful.

C

It makes the narrator seem powerless and insincere.

D

It prevents the readers from filling in the details with their own experiences.

2

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Read the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. “I believe we should get the war over,” I said. “It would not finish it if one side stopped fighting. It would only be worse if we stopped fighting.” “It could not be worse,” Passini said respectfully. “There is nothing worse than war.” “Defeat is worse.” “I do not believe it,” Passini said still respectfully. “What is defeat? You go home.” “They come after you. They take your home. They take your sisters.” “I don’t believe it,” Passini said. “They can’t do that to everybody. Let everybody defend his home. Let them keep their sisters in the house.” “They hang you. They come and make you be a soldier again. Not in the auto-ambulance, in the infantry.” What does Hemingway’s indirect characterization of the narrator reveal?

A

The narrator agrees with Passini, although he does not admit this.

B

The narrator recognizes that war is cruel, unjust, and inescapable.

C

The narrator has little patience for opposing reasoning.

D

The narrator tends to patronize those who disagree with him.

3

Read the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms.The major asked me to have a drink with him and two other officers. We drank rum and it was very friendly. Outside it was getting dark. I asked what time the attack was to be and they said as soon as it was dark. I went back to the drivers. They were sitting in the dugout talking and when I came in they stopped. I gave them each a package of cigarettes, Macedonias, loosely packed cigarettes that spilled tobacco and needed to have the ends twisted before you smoked them. Manera lit his lighter and passed it around. The lighter was shaped like a Fiat radiator. I told them what I had heard.What does the excerpt reveal about the narrator?

A

He prefers the company of the officers to that of the drivers.

B

He only spends time with the officers so he can get cigarettes for the drivers.

C

He looks down on everyone involved in the war, both officers and enlisted men.

D

He interacts easily with both his superiors and the drivers.

4

Read the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms.The major asked me to have a drink with him and two other officers. We drank rum and it was very friendly. Outside it was getting dark. I asked what time the attack was to be and they said as soon as it was dark. I went back to the drivers. They were sitting in the dugout talking and when I came in they stopped. I gave them each a package of cigarettes, Macedonias, loosely packed cigarettes that spilled tobacco and needed to have the ends twisted before you smoked them. Manera lit his lighter and passed it around. The lighter was shaped like a Fiat radiator. I told them what I had heard.Hemingway develops the narrator through

A

direct characterization.

B

obvious characterization.

C

character narrative.

D

indirect characterization.

5

Which best describes how diction contributes to a writer’s style?

A

Diction is the dialogue a writer uses to develop characters.

B

Diction is the way that a writer varies sentence structure.

C

Diction is the manner in which a writer arranges words and phrases.

D

Diction is the language a writer chooses to express an idea.

6

Read the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms.The major was a little man with upturned mustaches. He had been in the war in Libya and wore two wound-stripes. He said that if the thing went well he would see that I was decorated. I said I hoped it would go well but that he was too kind. I asked him if there was a big dugout where the drivers could stay and he sent a soldier to show me. I went with him and found the dugout, which was very good. The drivers were pleased with it and I left them there.Hemingway uses vague pronouns and simple language to

A

convey the intelligence level of the men in the scene.

B

illustrate the sense of fear the narrator is experiencing.

C

reflect the reality of the characters’ situation in a straightforward manner.

D

indicate that the narrator may not fully understand his surroundings.

7

Read the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. “They come after you. They take your home. They take your sisters.” “I don’t believe it,” Passini said. “They can’t do that to everybody. Let everybody defend his home. Let them keep their sisters in the house.” “They hang you. They come and make you be a soldier again. Not in the auto-ambulance, in the infantry.” The use of simple and vigorous words in A Farewell to Arms reflects

A

the harsh and powerful reality of war.

B

the reality of life during the early 1900s.

C

the plain and boring nature of battle.

D

the difficulties of Hemingway’s life.

8

Which best describes the purpose of style in writing?

A

to make reading the text more enjoyable and interesting to the audience

B

to indulge writers’ impulses and help separate them from other writers

C

to present information in a way appropriate to writers’ audiences and purposes

D

to elevate the language of the writing to a higher, more sophisticated level

9

Read the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms.The major asked me to have a drink with him and two other officers. We drank rum and it was very friendly. Outside it was getting dark. I asked what time the attack was to be and they said as soon as it was dark.The casual behavior of the characters during a difficult time demonstrates Hemingway’s belief that a hero should

A

exhibit grace under pressure.

B

recognize the meaninglessness of life.

C

have a mentor to follow.

D

learn from his mistakes.

10

Read the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. “There is nothing worse than war.” “Defeat is worse.” “I do not believe it,” Passini said. . . . “What is defeat? You go home.” “They come after you. They take your home. They take your sisters.” “I don’t believe it,” Passini said. “They can’t do that to everybody. Let everybody defend his home. Let them keep their sisters in the house.” This excerpt exemplifies how Hemingway’s dialogues typically includes

A

common language and vague pronouns to refer to complex ideas.

B

complicated syntax and inflated vocabulary choices.

C

colorful language and specific word choices to define complex ideas.

D

difficult vocabulary and cultural references to elicit reader response.

Hemingway's World War I Answers

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