Read the passage from the novel Cranford.

Question # 00531113 Posted By: Prof.Longines Updated on: 05/20/2017 08:53 AM Due on: 05/20/2017
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Reading Passage #1
Read the passage from the novel Cranford. Then answer questions 1 through 10.
from Cranford
by Elizabeth Gaskell
1 In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses,
above a certain rent, are women. If a married couple come to settle in the town, somehow
the gentleman disappears; he is either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in
the Cranford evening parties, or he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his ship, or
closely engaged in business all the week in the great neighbouring commercial town of
Drumble, distant only twenty miles on a railroad. In short, whatever does become of the
gentlemen, they are not at Cranford. What could they do if they were there? The surgeon
has his round of thirty miles, and sleeps at Cranford; but every man cannot be a surgeon.
For keeping the trim gardens full of choice flowers without a weed to speck them; for
frightening away little boys who look wistfully at the said flowers through the railings; for
rushing out at the geese that occasionally venture into the gardens if the gates are left
open; for deciding all questions of literature and politics without troubling themselves with
unnecessary reasons or arguments; for obtaining clear and correct knowledge of
everybody’s affairs in the parish; for keeping their neat maid-servants in admirable order; for
kindness (somewhat dictatorial) to the poor, and real tender good offices to each other
whenever they are in distress, the ladies of Cranford are quite sufficient. “A man,” as one of
them observed to me once, “is so in the way in the house!” Although the ladies of Cranford
know all each other’s proceedings, they are exceedingly indifferent to each other’s opinions.
Indeed, as each has her own individuality, not to say eccentricity, pretty strongly developed,
nothing is so easy as verbal retaliation; but, somehow, good-will reigns among them to a
considerable degree.
2 The Cranford ladies have only an occasional little quarrel, spirited out in a few peppery
words and angry jerks of the head; just enough to prevent the even tenor of their lives from
becoming too flat. Their dress is very independent of fashion; as they observe, “What does it
signify how we dress here at Cranford, where everybody knows us?” And if they go from
home, their reason is equally cogent, “What does it signify how we dress here, where
nobody knows us?” The materials of their clothes are, in general, good and plain, and most
of them are nearly as scrupulous as Miss Tyler, of cleanly memory; but I will answer for it,
the last gigot, the last tight and scanty petticoat in wear in England, was seen in Cranford—
and seen without a smile.
3 I can testify to a magnificent family red silk umbrella, under which a gentle little spinster,
left alone of many brothers and sisters, used to patter to church on rainy days. Have you any
red silk umbrellas in London? We had a tradition of the first that had ever been seen in
Cranford; and the little boys mobbed it, and called it “a stick in petticoats.” It might have
been the very red silk one I have described, held by a strong father over a troop of little
ones; the poor little lady—the survivor of all—could scarcely carry it.
4 Then there were rules and regulations for visiting and calls; and they were announced to
any young people, who might be staying in the town, with all the solemnity with which the
old Manx laws were read once a year on the Tinwald Mount. 5 “Our friends have sent to inquire how you are after your journey to-night, my dear”
(fifteen miles, in a gentleman’s carriage); “they will give you some rest to-morrow, but the
next day, I have no doubt, they will call; so be at liberty after twelve—from twelve to three
are our calling-hours.”
6 Then, after they had called,
7 “It is the third day; I dare say your mamma has told you, my dear, never to let more than
three days elapse between receiving a call and returning it; and also, that you are never to
stay longer than a quarter of an hour.”
8 “But am I to look at my watch? How am I to find out when a quarter of an hour has
passed?”
9 “You must keep thinking about the time, my dear, and not allow yourself to forget it in
conversation.”
from Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell--Public Domain Question 1 (2 points)
Part A
What does the narrator really mean when she states that “If a married couple come to settle in the town,
somehow the gentleman disappears”?
Question 1 options: A) The men are forced to leave town by the ladies of Cranford. B) The men have a tendency to mysteriously vanish from Cranford. C) The men choose to avoid Cranford as much as possible. D) The men have no job opportunities close to Cranford.
Save Question 2 (2 points)
Part B Why does the author choose to make the statement quoted in Part A?
Question 2 options: A) to illustrate the seriousness of the situation B) to exaggerate the humor of the situation C) to point out the irony of the situation D) to emphasize the tragedy of the situation
Save Question 3 (2 points)
Part A
In paragraph 1, the author includes a list of tasks for which “the ladies of Cranford are quite sufficient.”
How does the author’s choice to include this list contribute to an understanding of the women in
Cranford?
Question 3 options: A) It highlights the women’s ability to take care of important tasks in their community. B) It emphasizes that the women often focus on unimportant matters rather than meaningful ones. C) It shows that the women regularly put the needs of others above their own. D) It explains the women’s need to rely on each other to strengthen their community.
Save Question 4 (2 points)
Part B Which statement from elsewhere in the passage contributes in a similar way to an understanding of the
women in Cranford?
Question 4 options: A) “‘A man,’ as one of them observed to me once, ‘is so in the way in the house!’” (paragraph 1) B) “‘What does it signify how we dress here, where nobody knows us?’” (paragraph 2) C) “I can testify to a magnificent family red silk umbrella, under which a gentle little spinster . . .
used to patter to church on rainy days.” (paragraph 3) “Then there were rules and regulations for visiting and calls; and they were announced . . . with
D) all the solemnity with which the old Manx laws were read once a year on the Tinwald Mount.”
(paragraph 4)
Save Question 5 (2 points)
Part A
How does the imagined conversation in paragraphs 5–9 help to develop a central idea of the passage?
Question 5 options: A) It puts the ladies of Cranford in a more positive light than does the rest of the passage. B) It provides insight into the narrator’s feelings about her personal experiences. C) It highlights the fact that despite the ladies’ pride in their independence, they are closely tied to
each other. D) It emphasizes the extent to which adherence to peculiar social customs has overwhelmed
genuine human relations. Save Question 6 (2 points)
Part B
Which statement from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
Question 6 options: A) “‘Our friends have sent to inquire how you are after your journey to-night, my dear’ . . . .”
(paragraph 5) B) “. . . they will give you some rest to-morrow, but the next day, I have no doubt, they will
call . . . .” (paragraph 5) C) “‘. . . I dare say your mamma has told you, my dear, never to let more than three days elapse
between receiving a call and returning it . . . .’” (paragraph 7) D) “‘You must keep thinking about the time, my dear, and not allow yourself to forget it in
conversation.’” (paragraph 9) Save Question 7 (2 points)
Part A
What is the impact of the author’s choice to use a resident of Cranford as the narrator?
Question 7 options: A) It allows the narrator to offer an informed critique of life in Cranford even though she
maintains a certain distance from the people of the town. B) It permits the narrator to provide specific examples when mocking the things that the people of
the town disapprove of. C) It helps the reader understand that the observations of the narrator are to be seen as biased and
unreliable. D) It invites the reader to form his or her own opinions about the characters and events described.
Save Question 8 (2 points)
Part B
Which statement from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
Question 8 options: A) “. . . Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses, above a certain rent,
are women.” B) “The surgeon has his round of thirty miles, and sleeps at Cranford; but every man cannot be a
surgeon.” C) “. . . I will answer for it . . . the last tight and scanty petticoat in wear in England, was seen in
Cranford—and seen without smile.” D) “We had a tradition of the first that had ever been seen in Cranford; and the little boys mobbed
it and called it ‘a stick in petticoats.’” Save Question 9 (2 points)
Part A
How does the author mainly structure paragraphs 1–3 in the passage from Cranford?
Question 9 options: A)
The author begins with a description of the townspeople followed by an anecdote that supports one of her main points. B) The author uses comments from the townspeople to provide contrast to the points she makes
about them. C) The author methodically describes townspeople who represent various social classes in the
town. D) The author begins with a description of the setting followed by details about individual
characters. Save Question 10 (2 points)
Part B
How does the author’s structure of paragraphs 1–3 mainly contribute to the overall meaning of the
passage?
Question 10 options: A) It provides credibility for the women’s thoughts and actions. B) It reveals and illustrates the weaknesses of the ladies’ characters. C) It emphasizes the conflict between the men and women of the town. D) It shows the relationship between the setting and the actions of the townspeople.
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Reading Passage #2 Read the passage from the novel Heart of Darkness. Then answer questions
11-14.
from Heart of Darkness
by Joseph Conrad
1 The sun set; the dusk fell on the stream, and lights began to appear along
the shore. The Chapman lighthouse, a three-legged thing erect on a mudflat, shone strongly. Lights of ships moved in the fairway—a great stir of
lights going up and going down. And farther west on the upper reaches the
place of the monstrous town was still marked ominously on the sky, a
brooding gloom in sunshine, a lurid glare under the stars.
2 “And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has been one of the dark places of
the earth.”
3 He was the only man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worst that
could be said of him was that he did not represent his class. He was a
seaman, but he was a wanderer too, while most seamen lead, if one may so
express it, a sedentary life. Their minds are of the stay-at-home order, and
their home is always with them—the ship; and so is their country—the sea.
One ship is very much like another, and the sea is always the same. In the
immutability of their surroundings the foreign shores, the foreign faces, the
changing immensity of life, glide past, veiled not by a sense of mystery but
by a slightly disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysterious to a
seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and
as inscrutable as Destiny. For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll
or a casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the secret of a whole
continent, and generally he finds the secret not worth knowing. The yarns of
seamen have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the
shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was not typical (if his propensity to spin
yarns be excepted), and to him the meaning of an episode was not inside like
a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale which brought it out only as a glow
brings out a haze, in the likeness of one of these misty halos that sometimes
are made visible by the spectral illumination of moonshine.
4 His remark did not seem at all surprising. It was just like Marlow. It was
accepted in silence. No one took the trouble to grunt even; and presently he
said, very slow—
5 “I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans first came here,
nineteen hundred years ago—the other day. . . . Light came out of this river
since—you say Knights? Yes; but it is like a running blaze on a plain, like a
flash of lightning in the clouds. We live in the flicker—may it last as long as
the old earth keeps rolling! But darkness was here yesterday. Imagine the feelings of a commander of a fine—what d’ye call ’em?—trireme in the
Mediterranean, ordered suddenly to the north; run overland across the Gauls
in a hurry; put in charge of one of these craft the legionaries,—a wonderful
lot of handy men they must have been too—used to build, apparently by the
hundred, in a month or two, if we may believe what we read. Imagine him
here—the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of
smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina—and going up this river
with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests,
savages,—precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames
water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a
military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay—cold, fog,
tempests, disease, exile, and death,—death skulking in the air, in the water,
in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes—he did it. Did
it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except
afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They
were men enough to face the darkness.” from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad—Public Domain Question 11 (2 points)
Part A
In the passage from Heart of Darkness, the narrator and his companions are sailing on the River Thames
near London, England. What does Marlow mean when he says in paragraph 2 that England has been
one of the dark places of the earth?
Question 11 options: A) It was formerly corrupt and full of criminals. B) It was once a place beyond the limits of civilization. C) It has been the location of many violent confrontations. D) It has been less technologically developed than other countries.
Save Question 12 (2 points)
Part B
Which quotation from Marlow’s speech in paragraph 5 best supports the answer to Part A?
Question 12 options: A) “‘. . . you say Knights? Yes . . .’” B) “‘. . . a wonderful lot of handy men they must have been too . . . .’” C) “‘Imagine him here—the very end of the world . . . .’” D) “‘Did it very well, too, no doubt . . . .’”
Save Question 13 (2 points)
Part A
How does the author’s comparison of Marlow to other sailors impact the reader’s understanding of
Marlow?
Question 13 options: A) It shows that he is of a different social class than other sailors. B) It shows that he is more intelligent than most sailors. C) It shows that he is interested in the deeper significance of events. D) It shows that he is quiet and leads a solitary existence. Save Question 14 (2 points)
Part B
Which quotation from Heart of Darkness best supports the answer to Part A?
Question 14 options: A) “The worst that could be said of him was that he did not represent his class.” (paragraph 3) B) “. . . generally he finds the secret not worth knowing.” (paragraph 3) C) “. . . to him the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the
tale . . . .” (paragraph 3) D) “It was just like Marlow. It was accepted in silence.” (paragraph 4)
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Reading Passage #3
Read the passage from the novel Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus.
Then answer the questions 15-18.
from Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus
by Mary Shelley
LETTER III.
To Mrs. Saville, England.
July 7th, 17— My dear Sister,
1 I write a few lines in haste, to say that I am safe, and well advanced on my
voyage. This letter will reach England by a merchantman now on its
homeward voyage from Archangel; more fortunate than I, who may not see
my native land, perhaps, for many years. I am, however, in good spirits: my men are bold, and apparently firm of purpose; nor do the floating sheets of
ice that continually pass us, indicating the dangers of the region towards
which we are advancing, appear to dismay them. We have already reached a
very high latitude; but it is the height of summer, and although not so warm
as in England, the southern gales, which blow us speedily towards those
shores which I so ardently desire to attain, breathe a degree of renovating
warmth which I had not expected.
2 No incidents have hitherto befallen us that would make a figure in a letter.
One or two stiff gales, and the springing of a leak, are accidents which
experienced navigators scarcely remember to record; and I shall be well
content if nothing worse happen to us during our voyage.
3 Adieu, my dear Margaret. Be assured, that for my own sake, as well as
yours, I will not rashly encounter danger. I will be cool, persevering, and
prudent.
4 But success shall crown my endeavours. Wherefore not? Thus far I have
gone, tracing a secure way over the pathless seas: the very stars themselves
being witnesses and testimonies of my triumph. Why not still proceed over
the untamed yet obedient element? What can stop the determined heart and
resolved will of man?
5 My swelling heart involuntarily pours itself out thus. But I must finish.
Heaven bless my beloved sister!
R.W.
LETTER IV.
To Mrs. Saville, England.
August 5th, 17—
6 So strange an accident has happened to us, that I cannot forbear
recording it, although it is very probable that you will see me before these
papers can come into your possession.
7 Last Monday (July 31st), we were nearly surrounded by ice, which closed in
the ship on all sides, scarcely leaving her the sea-room in which she floated.
Our situation was somewhat dangerous, especially as we were compassed
round by a very thick fog. We accordingly lay to, hoping that some change
would take place in the atmosphere and weather. 8 About two o’clock the mist cleared away, and we beheld, stretched out in
every direction, vast and irregular plains of ice, which seemed to have no
end. Some of my comrades groaned, and my own mind began to grow
watchful with anxious thoughts, when a strange sight suddenly attracted our
attention, and diverted our solicitude from our own situation. We perceived a
low carriage, fixed on a sledge and drawn by dogs, pass on towards the
north, at the distance of half a mile: a being which had the shape of a man,
but apparently of gigantic stature, sat in the sledge, and guided the dogs. We
watched the rapid progress of the traveller with our telescopes, until he was
lost among the distant inequalities of the ice.
9 This appearance excited our unqualified wonder. We were, as we believed,
many hundred miles from any land; but this apparition seemed to denote
that it was not, in reality, so distant as we had supposed. Shut in, however,
by ice, it was impossible to follow his track, which we had observed with the
greatest attention.
10 About two hours after this occurrence, we heard the ground sea; and
before night the ice broke, and freed our ship. We, however, lay to until the
morning, fearing to encounter in the dark those large loose masses which
float about after the breaking up of the ice. I profited of this time to rest for a
few hours.
11 In the morning, however, as soon as it was light, I went upon deck, and
found all the sailors busy on one side of the vessel, apparently talking to
some one in the sea. It was, in fact, a sledge, like that we had seen before,
which had drifted towards us in the night, on a large fragment of ice. Only
one dog remained alive; but there was a human being within it, whom the
sailors were persuading to enter the vessel. from Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley—Public
Domain Question 15 (2 points)
Part A
The full title of Mary Shelley’s novel is Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus. The subtitle refers to
Prometheus, a mythological figure who symbolizes both the nobility of the quest for knowledge and the
danger of overreaching in that quest. In the passage from Frankenstein, how do the two ideas symbolized
by Prometheus interact and build on one another?
Question 15 options: A) R.W. possesses advanced geographic knowledge as a result of his explorations, but he has
sacrificed personal happiness to gain that knowledge. B) R.W. believes firmly in his ability to achieve his goals, but he is challenged by the natural
world he seeks to conquer. C) R.W. is extremely educated about his surroundings, but he makes a costly mistake about his
location within those surroundings. D) R.W. is the only member of his crew to care about science for its own sake, but he
overestimates what science can accomplish. Save Question 16 (2 points)
Part B
Select the two quotations that, taken together, best support the answer to Part A.
Question 16 options: A) “I am, however, in good spirits: my men are bold, and apparently firm of purpose . . . .”
(paragraph 1) B) “. . . I shall be well content if nothing worse happen to us during our voyage.” (paragraph 2) C) “But success shall crown my endeavors.” (paragraph 4) D) “. . . it is very probable that you will see me before these papers can come into your
possession.” (paragraph 6) Save Question 17 (2 points) Part A
Mrs. Saville’s brother uses the word ardently to describe his desire to reach an unexplored land. What
does the word ardently mean in this context?
Question 17 options: A) anxiously B) passionately C) greedily D) religiously
Save Question 18 (2 points)
Part B
Which quotation from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
Question 18 options: A) “. . . indicating the dangers of the region towards which we are advancing . . .” (paragraph 1) B) “. . . for my own sake, as well as yours, I will not rashly encounter danger.” (paragraph 3) C) “. . . the very stars themselves being witnesses and testimonies . . .” (paragraph 4) D) “What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man?” (paragraph 4)
Save Question 19 (2 points) Part A
Refer to the passage from the novel Heart of Darkness and the passage from the novel Frankenstein; or
the Modern Prometheus.
Which theme emerges in the passages from Heart of Darkness and from Frankenstein; or the Modern
Prometheus?
Question 19 options: A) People must learn from the mistakes of the past in order to avoid repeating them. B) One must have courage to face the unknown. C) When embarking on an adventure, one cannot predict the difficulties that may arise. D) Men of the sea are more prone to take risks than those live on land.
Save Question 20 (2 points)
Part B
Refer to the passage from the novel Heart of Darkness and the passage from the novel Frankenstein; or
the Modern Prometheus. Then answer the questions. Select one sentence from each passage that supports the answer to Part A.
Question 20 options: A) “‘I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years
ago—the other day . . . . ’” (Heart of Darkness, paragraph 5) B) “‘We live in the flicker—may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling!’” (Heart of
Darkness, paragraph 5) C) “‘They were men enough to face the darkness.’” (Heart of Darkness, paragraph 5) “Thus far have I gone . . . the very stars themselves being witnesses and testimonies of my
D) triumph. Why not still proceed over the untamed yet obedient element?” (Frankenstein; or the
Modern Prometheus, paragraph 4) E) “So strange an accident has happened to us, that I cannot forbear recording it . . . . ”
(Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus, paragraph 6) F) “Some of my comrades groaned, and my own mind began to grow watchful with anxious
thoughts . . . . ” (Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus, paragraph 8) Save Question 21 (2 points)
Part A
Refer to the passage from the novel Heart of Darkness and the passage from the novel Frankenstein; or
the Modern Prometheus. Then answer the questions. Select one option for each passage that best describe how the author uses the setting to develop an
element of each story.
Question 21 options: A) contrasts civilized and uncivilized places to create an uneasy mood (Conrad) B) juxtaposes the uncertainty of the land with the security of the sea to introduce a theme (Conrad) C) offers details about events in the passage to develop characters (Conrad)
D)
illustrates how the hazards of unexplored wilderness can be overcome to introduce a theme (Shelley) E) describes details of the harsh Arctic environment to foreshadow future events (Shelley) F) introduces an unexpected sighting of life in the bleak, uncivilized Arctic to create a sense of
mystery (Shelley) Save Question 22 (2 points)
Part B
Refer to the passage from the novel Heart of Darkness and the passage from the novel Frankenstein; or
the Modern Prometheus.
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