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This excerpt is from an analysis of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest", is a satire that targets the absurdities and trivialities of the British aristocracy. The play's subtitle, 'A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,' aptly summarizes Wilde's intentions. Through clever dialogue, puns, and a healthy dose of irony, Wilde exposes the superficiality and hypocrisy of the upper classes.
The characters in the play, such as Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, lead double lives, reflecting the dual nature of their social standing. The use of 'Bunburying,' a term coined by Wilde, illustrates the lengths to which these characters go to escape their social obligations and lead a life of deceit. The play also pokes fun at the institution of marriage, which is depicted as a social contract rather than a romantic union.
For example, Lady Bracknell's interrogation of Jack regarding his suitability as a husband for her daughter Gwendolen reveals the transactional nature of marriage in the society Wilde is critiquing. Wilde's portrayal of the aristocracy is not merely critical, but also humorous, making The Importance of Being Earnest one of his most beloved and enduring works.
Which of the following best summarizes the central theme of Wilde's play?
- A. The absurdity of the British aristocracy and its social conventions.
- B. The importance of being sincere and honest in personal relationships.
- C. The dual nature of social standing and the conflicts it creates.
- D. The challenges of maintaining personal integrity in a hypocritical society.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'The absurdity of the British aristocracy and its social conventions.' The central theme of Wilde's play, as revealed through satire, is the critique of the absurdities and trivialities of the British aristocracy. Wilde uses clever dialogue, puns, and irony to expose the superficiality and hypocrisy of the upper classes. While sincerity and honesty in personal relationships are explored in the play, they are not the central theme. Choice C, the dual nature of social standing and resulting conflicts, is a partial theme but not the central one. Choice D, the challenges of maintaining personal integrity in a hypocritical society, touches on a theme present in the play, but it is not as central as the critique of the British aristocracy's absurdities and social conventions.
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This excerpt is from The Life-Story of Insects by Geo H. Carpenter.
Insects as a whole are preeminently creatures of the land and the air. This is shown not only by the possession of wings by a vast majority of the class, but by the mode of breathing to which reference has already been made, a system of branching air-tubes carrying atmospheric air with its combustion-supporting oxygen to all the insect's tissues. The air gains access to these tubes through a number of paired air-holes or spiracles, arranged segmentally in series.
It is of great interest to find that, nevertheless, a number of insects spend much of their time under water. This is true of not a few in the perfect winged state, as for example aquatic beetles and water-bugs ('boatmen' and 'scorpions') which have some way of protecting their spiracles when submerged, and, possessing usually the power of flight, can pass on occasion from pond or stream to upper air. But it is advisable in connection with our present subject to dwell especially on some insects that remain continually under water till they are ready to undergo their final molt and attain the winged state, which they pass entirely in the air.
The preparatory instars of such insects are aquatic; the adult instar is aerial. All may-flies, dragon-flies, and caddis-flies, many beetles and two-winged flies, and a few moths thus divide their life-story between the water and the air. For the present we confine attention to the Stoneflies, the May-flies, and the Dragon-flies, three well-known orders of insects respectively called by systematists the Plecopteran, the Ephemeroptera, and the Odonata.
In the case of many insects that have aquatic larvae, the latter are provided with some arrangement for enabling them to reach atmospheric air through the surface-film of the water. But the larva of a stone-fly, a dragon-fly, or a may-fly is adapted more completely than these for aquatic life; it can, by means of gills of some kind, breathe the air dissolved in water.
Which literary device is primarily used in the passage when discussing the transition from water to air?
- A. Metaphor
- B. Simile
- C. Alliteration
- D. Hyperbole
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Metaphor. The transition from water to air is described metaphorically in the passage, highlighting the significant change in the insects' environment. The passage discusses how certain insects start their life underwater and then transition to the air, symbolizing a transformation. This metaphorical description enhances the reader's understanding of the insects' life cycle.
Choice B, Simile, is incorrect because a simile involves comparing two unlike things using 'like' or 'as,' which is not evident in the passage. Choices C and D, Alliteration and Hyperbole, are incorrect as they are not used in the passage to describe the transition from water to air. Therefore, the best literary device used in this context is a metaphor.
This excerpt is from an analysis of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest", is a satire that targets the absurdities and trivialities of the British aristocracy. The play's subtitle, 'A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,' aptly summarizes Wilde's intentions. Through clever dialogue, puns, and a healthy dose of irony, Wilde exposes the superficiality and hypocrisy of the upper classes.
The characters in the play, such as Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, lead double lives, reflecting the dual nature of their social standing. The use of 'Bunburying,' a term coined by Wilde, illustrates the lengths to which these characters go to escape their social obligations and lead a life of deceit. The play also pokes fun at the institution of marriage, which is depicted as a social contract rather than a romantic union.
For example, Lady Bracknell's interrogation of Jack regarding his suitability as a husband for her daughter Gwendolen reveals the transactional nature of marriage in the society Wilde is critiquing. Wilde's portrayal of the aristocracy is not merely critical, but also humorous, making The Importance of Being Earnest one of his most beloved and enduring works.
How does Wilde portray the institution of marriage in The Importance of Being Earnest?
- A. As a romantic union between two individuals.
- B. As a social contract designed for economic and social gain.
- C. As a trivial and superficial agreement.
- D. As a necessary evil in a structured society.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde portrays marriage as a social contract rather than a romantic union. The play satirizes the transactional nature of marriage in the society Wilde critiques. Characters like Lady Bracknell's interrogation of Jack highlight how marriage is viewed as a means for economic and social gain rather than genuine affection, emphasizing the societal norms of the time. Choice A is incorrect because Wilde's portrayal goes beyond a simple romantic view of marriage. Choice C is incorrect as it oversimplifies Wilde's critique of marriage and societal norms. Choice D is incorrect as it doesn't capture the nuanced satire Wilde employs in dissecting the institution of marriage.
This excerpt is an adaptation of Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World".
My gentleness and good behavior had gained so far on the emperor and his court, and indeed upon the army and people in general, that I began to conceive hopes of getting my liberty in a short time. I took all possible methods to cultivate this favorable disposition. The natives came, by degrees, to be less apprehensive of any danger from me. I would sometimes lie down, and let five or six of them dance on my hand; and at last the boys and girls would venture to come and play at hide-and-seek in my hair.
I had now made good progress in understanding and speaking the language. The emperor had a mind one day to entertain me with several of the country shows, wherein they exceed all nations I have known, both for dexterity and magnificence. I was diverted with none so much as that of the rope-dancers, performed upon a slender white thread, extended about two feet, and twelve inches from the ground, Upon which I shall desire liberty, with the reader's patience, to enlarge a little.
This diversion is only practiced by those persons who are candidates for great employments, and high favor at court. They are trained in this art from their youth, and are not always of noble birth, or liberal education. When a great office is vacant, either by death or disgrace (which often happens,) five or six of those candidates petition the emperor to entertain his majesty and the court with a dance on the rope; and whoever jumps the highest, without falling, succeeds in the office.
Very often the chief ministers themselves are commanded to show their skill, and to convince the emperor that they have not lost their faculty. FlyNap, the treasurer, is allowed to cut a caper on the straight rope, at least an inch higher than any other lord in the whole empire. I have seen him do the somersault several times together, upon a trencher fixed on a rope which is no thicker than a common packthread in England. My friend Reldresal, principal secretary for private affairs, is, in my opinion, if I am not partial, the second after the treasurer; the rest of the great officers are much upon a par.
When students use inference, what are they able to do?
- A. Make logical assumptions based on contextual clues
- B. Independently navigate various types of text
- C. Summarize a text's main idea
- D. Paraphrase a text's main idea
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When students use inference, they are able to make logical assumptions based on contextual clues found in the text. This involves reading between the lines and drawing conclusions that are not explicitly stated. Choice B is incorrect because it refers to the skill of navigating through different types of text independently, which is not specifically related to inference. Choices C and D are also incorrect as they refer to summarizing and paraphrasing a text's main idea, which are different skills from making inferences.
This excerpt is from a speech by Charles Dickens delivered in Birmingham, England, on December 30, 1853, on behalf of the Birmingham and Midland Institute.
My Good Friends, when I first imparted to the committee of the projected Institute my particular wish that on one of the evenings of my readings here the main body of my audience should be composed of working men and their families, I was animated by two desires; first, by the wish to have the great pleasure of meeting you face to face at this Christmas time, and accompany you myself through one of my little Christmas books; and second, by the wish to have an opportunity of stating publicly in your presence, and in the presence of the committee, my earnest hope that the Institute will, from the beginning, recognize one great principle "strong in reason and justice" which I believe to be essential to the very life of such an Institution.
It is, that the working man shall, from the first unto the last, have a share in the management of an Institution which is designed for his benefit, and which calls itself by his name. I have no fear here of being misunderstood, of being supposed to mean too much in this. If there ever was a time when any one class could of itself do much for its own good, and for the welfare of society -which I greatly doubt- that time is unquestionably past. It is in the fusion of different classes, without confusion; in the bringing together of employers and employed; in the creating of a better common understanding among those whose interests are identical, who depend upon each other, who are vitally essential to each other, and who never can be in unnatural antagonism without deplorable results, that one of the chief principles of a Mechanic's Institution should consist.
In this world a great deal of the bitterness among us arises from an imperfect understanding of one another. Erect in Birmingham a great Educational Institution, properly educational; educational of the feelings as well as of the reason; to which all orders of Birmingham men contribute; in which all orders of Birmingham men meet; wherein all orders of Birmingham men are faithfully represented and you will erect a Temple of Concord here which will be a model edifice to the whole of England. Contemplating as I do the existence of the Artisan's Committee, which not long ago considered the establishment of the Institute so sensibly, and supported it so heartily, I earnestly entreat the gentlemen - earnest I know in the good work, and who are now among us- by all means to avoid the great shortcoming of similar institutions; and in asking the working man for his confidence, to set him the great example and give him theirs in return.
You will judge for yourselves if I promise too much for the working man, when I say that he will stand by such an enterprise with the utmost of his patience, his perseverance, sense, and support; that I am sure he will need no charitable aid or condescending patronage; but will readily and cheerfully pay for the advantages which it confers; that he will prepare himself in individual cases where he feels that the adverse circumstances around him have rendered it necessary; in a word, that he will feel his responsibility like an honest man, and will most honestly and manfully discharge it.
I now proceed to the pleasant task to which I assure you I have looked forward for a long time.
Based upon the contextual evidence provided in the passage above, what is the meaning of the term 'enterprise' in the third paragraph?
- A. Company
- B. Courage
- C. Game
- D. Cause
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: 'Enterprise' here refers to a company or organization, particularly one that requires effort and initiative. In the passage, the term 'enterprise' is used in the context of establishing a Mechanic's Institution, emphasizing the involvement and support of the working man in such an organization. Choice B, 'Courage,' is incorrect as the term refers more to determination and initiative in creating and supporting the institution rather than bravery. Choice C, 'Game,' and choice D, 'Cause,' are also incorrect as they do not align with the context provided in the passage.
This excerpt is an adaptation of Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World".
My gentleness and good behavior had gained so far on the emperor and his court, and indeed upon the army and people in general, that I began to conceive hopes of getting my liberty in a short time. I took all possible methods to cultivate this favorable disposition. The natives came, by degrees, to be less apprehensive of any danger from me. I would sometimes lie down, and let five or six of them dance on my hand; and at last the boys and girls would venture to come and play at hide-and-seek in my hair.
I had now made good progress in understanding and speaking the language. The emperor had a mind one day to entertain me with several of the country shows, wherein they exceed all nations I have known, both for dexterity and magnificence. I was diverted with none so much as that of the rope-dancers, performed upon a slender white thread, extended about two feet, and twelve inches from the ground, Upon which I shall desire liberty, with the reader's patience, to enlarge a little.
This diversion is only practiced by those persons who are candidates for great employments, and high favor at court. They are trained in this art from their youth, and are not always of noble birth, or liberal education. When a great office is vacant, either by death or disgrace (which often happens,) five or six of those candidates petition the emperor to entertain his majesty and the court with a dance on the rope; and whoever jumps the highest, without falling, succeeds in the office.
Very often the chief ministers themselves are commanded to show their skill, and to convince the emperor that they have not lost their faculty. FlyNap, the treasurer, is allowed to cut a caper on the straight rope, at least an inch higher than any other lord in the whole empire. I have seen him do the somersault several times together, upon a trencher fixed on a rope which is no thicker than a common packthread in England. My friend Reldresal, principal secretary for private affairs, is, in my opinion, if I am not partial, the second after the treasurer; the rest of the great officers are much upon a par.
What is the significance of the word 'mind' in the following passage? The emperor had a mind one day to entertain me with several of the country shows, wherein they exceed all nations I have known, both for dexterity and magnificence.
- A. The ability to think
- B. A collective vote
- C. A definitive decision
- D. A mythological question
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The word 'mind' in this context refers to a definitive decision or desire by the emperor. In the passage, the emperor had a specific intention or choice to entertain the narrator with country shows, indicating a clear decision rather than just the ability to think (Choice A), a collective vote (Choice B), or a mythological question (Choice D). The emperor's 'mind' here represents a deliberate and decisive plan to host the narrator for the country shows.