Part 2: Summarizing an Author’s Viewpoint in an Informational Text — Quiz
Question 22 • English Language Arts 12
Read the excerpt from "Hokusai's The Great Wave” by Neil MacGregor. In the early nineteenth century Japan had been effectively closed off from the world for 200 years. It had simply opted out of the community of nations. Kings are burning somewhere, Wheels are turning somewhere, Trains are being run, Wars are being won, Things are being done Somewhere out there, not here. Here we paint screens. Yes . . . the arrangement of the screens. This is Stephen Sondheim’s musical tableau of the secluded and calmly self-contained country in 1853, just before American gunships forced its harbours to open to the world. It is a witty caricature of the dreamy and aesthetic Japanese, serenely painting screens while across the seas Europe and America industrialize and political turmoil rages. What is the purpose of the outside source used in this excerpt?
Answer
A
to educate readers about Japanese screens
B
to introduce readers to a musical by Stephen Sondheim
C
to argue against American aggressiveness
D
to illustrate Japan’s isolation in the 1800s
Explanation
The excerpt quotes Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics to evoke a Japan that seems removed from events elsewhere: “Things are being done / Somewhere out there, not here.” MacGregor then explains that the musical scene portrays Japan as secluded and self-contained before American gunships opened its harbours. The quote’s purpose is to illustrate Japan’s isolation in the 1800s, not to teach about screens or argue against American actions.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.