Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House . Nora: What are you going to do? Helmer: [looking among his papers] Settle it. [Enter MAID.] Look here; take this letter and go downstairs with it at once. Find a messenger and tell him to deliver it, and be quick. The address is on it, and here is the money. Maid: Very well, sir. [Exit with the letter.] Helmer: [putting his papers together] Now then, little Miss Obstinate. Nora: [breathlessly]. Torvald—what was that letter? Helmer: Krogstad's dismissal. Nora: Call her back, Torvald! There is still time. Oh Torvald, call her back! Do it for my sake—for your own sake—for the children's sake! Do you hear me, Torvald? Call her back! You don't know what that letter can bring upon us. Helmer: It's too late. Nora: Yes, it's too late. Helmer: My dear Nora, I can forgive the anxiety you are in, although really it is an insult to me. It is, indeed. Isn't it an insult to think that I should be afraid of a starving quill-driver's vengeance? But I forgive you nevertheless, because it is such eloquent witness to your great love for me. [Takes her in his arms.] And that is as it should be, my own darling Nora. Come what will, you may be sure I shall have both courage and strength if they be needed. You will see I am man enough to take everything upon myself. Nora: [in a horror-stricken voice]. What do you mean by that? Helmer: Everything, I say— Nora: [recovering herself] You will never have to do that. Helmer: That's right. Well, we will share it, Nora, as man and wife should. That is how it shall be. [Caressing her.] Are you content now? There! There! Not these frightened dove's eyes! The whole thing is only the wildest fancy! Now, you must go and play through the Tarantella and practise with your tambourine. I shall go into the inner office and shut the door, and I shall hear nothing; you can make as much noise as you please. [Turns back at the door.] And when Rank comes, tell him where he will find me. [Nods to her, takes his papers and goes into his room, and shuts the door after him.] How does the interaction between Helmer and Nora advance the plot?
Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll’s House. Helmer: My dear Nora, I can forgive the anxiety you are in, although really it is an insult to me. It is, indeed. Isn't it an insult to think that I should be afraid of a starving quill-driver's vengeance? But I forgive you nevertheless, because it is such eloquent witness to your great love for me. [Takes her in his arms.] And that is as it should be, my own darling Nora. Come what will, you may be sure I shall have both courage and strength if they be needed. You will see I am man enough to take everything upon myself. Nora: [in a horror-stricken voice]. What do you mean by that? Helmer: Everything, I say— Nora: [recovering herself] You will never have to do that. Helmer: That's right. Well, we will share it, Nora, as man and wife should. That is how it shall be. [Caressing her.] Are you content now? There! There! Not these frightened dove's eyes! The whole thing is only the wildest fancy! Now, you must go and play through the Tarantella and practise with your tambourine. I shall go into the inner office and shut the door, and I shall hear nothing; you can make as much noise as you please. [Turns back at the door.] And when Rank comes, tell him where he will find me. [Nods to her, takes his papers and goes into his room, and shuts the door after him.] What evidence from the text best supports the theme that men are expected to be providers and protectors?
Read the passage from A Doll’s House . Nora: [breathlessly]. Torvald—what was that letter? Helmer: Krogstad's dismissal. Nora: Call her back, Torvald! There is still time. Oh Torvald, call her back! Do it for my sake—for your own sake—for the children's sake! Do you hear me, Torvald? Call her back! You don't know what that letter can bring upon us. Helmer: It's too late. Nora: Yes, it's too late. Helmer: My dear Nora, I can forgive the anxiety you are in, although really it is an insult to me. It is, indeed. Isn't it an insult to think that I should be afraid of a starving quill-driver's vengeance? But I forgive you nevertheless, because it is such eloquent witness to your great love for me. [Takes her in his arms.] And that is as it should be, my own darling Nora. Come what will, you may be sure I shall have both courage and strength if they be needed. You will see I am man enough to take everything upon myself. Nora: [in a horror-stricken voice]. What do you mean by that? Helmer: Everything, I say— Nora: [recovering herself] You will never have to do that. Which evidence supports the inference that Nora is afraid of what Torvald will say if Krogstad tells him about her forgery?
Read the excerpt from Julius Caesar , act 2, scene 2. DECIUS: Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar. I come to fetch you to the Senate House. CAESAR: And you are come in very happy time To bear my greeting to the senators And tell them that I will not come today. (65) Cannot is false, and that I dare not, falser. I will not come today; tell them so, Decius. CALPURNIA: Say he is sick. CAESAR: Shall Caesar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far, (70) To be afraid to tell greybeards the truth? Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come. What does the image of "in conquest stretched mine arm so far” suggest about the meaning of the passage?
Read the excerpt from Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech "A Tryst with Destiny.” The future beckons to us. Whither do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman. We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be. We are citizens of a great country, on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. Which statement best describes Nehru’s appeal to his audience?
Read the excerpt from act 5, scene 1, of Julius Caesar . CASSIUS: Then if we lose this battle, You are contented to be led in triumph Through the streets of Rome? BRUTUS: No, Cassius, no: Think not, thou noble Roman, That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome. He bears too great a mind. But this same day Must end that work the ides of March begun; And whether we shall meet again I know not. How does Shakespeare’s use of triumph instead of victory affect the meaning of the passage?
Read the body paragraph from an interpretive analysis of literary texts. Amy Tan uses figurative language in "Two Kinds" to express a young Chinese American girl's frustration with her mother's expectation of perfection. Tan's main character remembers thinking, "Such a sad, ugly girl! I made high-pitched noises like a crazed animal, trying to scratch out the face in the mirror." What should come next in this body paragraph?
Read the excerpt from Pygmalion and Galatea by Josephine Preston Peabody. Now there once lived in Cyprus a young sculptor, Pygmalion by name, who thought nothing on earth so beautiful as the white marble folk that live without faults and never grow old. Indeed, he said that he would never marry a mortal woman, and people began to think that his daily life among marble creatures was hardening his heart altogether. Read the excerpt from Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. HIGGINS: [tempted, looking at her] It’s almost irresistible. She’s so deliciously low—so horribly dirty— LIZA: [protesting extremely] Ah—ah—ah—ah—ow—ow—oooo!!! I ain’t dirty: I washed my face and hands afore I come, I did. Based on these excerpts, which statement best explains the difference between Pygmalion and Higgins?
Read the excerpt from Pygmalion and Galatea by Josephine Preston Peabody. Now the festival of Venus was at hand, and Pygmalion, like all who loved Beauty, joined the worshippers. In the temple victims were offered, solemn rites were held, and votaries from many lands came to pray the favor of the goddess. At length Pygmalion himself approached the altar and made his prayer. "Goddess,” he said, "who hast vouchsafed to me this gift of beauty, give me a perfect love, likewise, and let me have for bride, one like my ivory maiden.” And Venus heard. Read the excerpt from Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. THE GENTLEMAN: [returning to his former place on the note taker’s left] How do you do it, if I may ask? THE NOTE TAKER: Simply phonetics. The science of speech. That’s my profession; also my hobby. Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby! You can spot an Irishman or a Yorkshireman by his brogue. I can place any man within six miles. I can place him within two miles in London. Sometimes within two streets. How does Shaw’s adaptation challenge the idea in Pygmalion and Galatea that love is what makes people happiest?
Read the passage from "Two Kinds.” Every night after dinner, my mother and I would sit at the Formica kitchen table. She would present new tests, taking her examples from stories of amazing children she had read in Ripley's Believe It or Not , or Good Housekeeping, Reader's Digest , and a dozen other magazines she kept in a pile in our bathroom. My mother got these magazines from people whose houses she cleaned. And since she cleaned many houses each week, we had a great assortment. She would look through them all, searching for stories about remarkable children. The first night she brought out a story about a three-year-old boy who knew the capitals of all the states and even most of the European countries. A teacher was quoted as saying the little boy could also pronounce the names of the foreign cities correctly. "What's the capital of Finland?” my mother asked me, looking at the magazine story. What evidence supports the conclusion that the narrator’s mother reads about children who excel and tries to awaken similar talents in her daughter? Choose three correct answers.
Read the passage from "Two Kinds.” In fact, in the beginning, I was just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so. I pictured this prodigy part of me as many different images, trying each one on for size. I was a dainty ballerina girl standing by the curtains, waiting to hear the right music that would send me floating on my tiptoes. I was like the Christ child lifted out of the straw manger, crying with holy indignity. I was Cinderella stepping from her pumpkin carriage with sparkly cartoon music filling the air. In all of my imaginings, I was filled with a sense that I would soon become perfect . My mother and father would adore me. I would be beyond reproach. I would never feel the need to sulk for anything. But sometimes the prodigy in me became impatient. "If you don't hurry up and get me out of here, I'm disappearing for good," it warned. "And then you'll always be nothing." What conflict is indicated by the underlined sentences?
Read the excerpt from Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. I froze. The priest would declare me a heretic, my parents would call me a traitor, and Mrs. Piogarni would give me detention. I had no idea what to say. I mean, what does a Muslim confess to a priest? I could only think of one thing. That every time Chris Barkley called me a darkie, or teased me about my mom's towel-head, I made a silent prayer asking God to drop a tree on his stupid head. The priest asked me again: "What is your confession, my child?" "I’m Muslim," I whispered. "Five Hail Marys and five of the Lord’s Prayer.” That was my first and last participation in a church service. Which sentence best explains how the tone reveals the narrator’s perspective?
Which of Cyril’s actions does Saki exaggerate in "The Storyteller” to create satire? Choose three correct answers.
Read the excerpt from "The Storyteller." "Were there any sheep in the park?” demanded Cyril. "No;” said the bachelor, "there were no sheep.” "Why weren’t there any sheep?” came the inevitable question arising out of that answer. The aunt permitted herself a smile, which might almost have been described as a grin. "There were no sheep in the park,” said the bachelor, "because the Prince’s mother had once had a dream that her son would either be killed by a sheep or else by a clock falling on him. For that reason the Prince never kept a sheep in his park or a clock in his palace.” Which statement best explains the situational irony in the passage?
Read the excerpt from act 3, scene 2, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar . [ANTONY.] For Brutus is an honourable man, So are they all, all honourable men— Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And sure he is an honourable man. Which piece of evidence describes Brutus and best supports the theme that even people with strong morals make mistakes?
Read the excerpt from act 3, scene 2, of Julius Caesar . [ANTONY:] For Brutus is an honourable man, So are they all, all honourable men— Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And sure he is an honourable man. How is the word honourable used in the context of Antony’s speech?
Read the excerpt from Julius Caesar , act 3, scene 2. [BRUTUS:] If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him. As he was fortunate, I rejoice at it. As he was valiant, I honour him. But as he was ambitious, I slew him. Which paraphrase of the passage is the best ?
Read the excerpt from act 3, scene 2, of Julius Caesar . ANTONY: Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interrèd with their bones. So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious. If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answered it. What are the central ideas of this excerpt? Choose two correct answers.
Read the excerpt from Julius Caesar , act 3, scene 2. ANTONY: Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interrèd with their bones. So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious. 25 If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answered it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest— For Brutus is an honourable man, So are they all, all honourable men— (30) Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome, (35) Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, (40) And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Which conclusion does this excerpt best support?
Read the excerpt from act 3, scene 2, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and the information in the paragraph that follows. Excerpt: ANTONY: Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interrèd with their bones. So let it be with Caesar. Background information: "The Evil That Men Do” is the title of a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The lyrics of the chorus say that people’s evil deeds live on. Iron Maiden’s reference to the line from Shakespeare’s play is an example of
Did you find these answers helpful?