Nokea
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.
Why is The Importance of Being Earnest considered one of Wilde's most enduring works?
- A. Because it offers a deep and serious critique of society.
- B. Because it humorously exposes the flaws of the upper class.
- C. Because it captures the essence of Wilde's witty and satirical style.
- D. Because it reflects Wilde's deep personal struggles with society.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The play endures because it perfectly captures Wilde's witty and satirical style, making it a timeless critique of society. 'The Importance of Being Earnest' humorously exposes the flaws of the upper class, rather than offering a deep and serious critique of society (Choice A). While Wilde's personal struggles may have influenced his works, 'The Importance of Being Earnest' is more focused on societal critiques through wit and satire, rather than reflecting his personal struggles (Choice D). Although the play does humorously expose the flaws of the upper class, the main reason for its enduring popularity is its embodiment of Wilde's witty and satirical style (Choice B). Therefore, Choice C is the correct answer.
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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.
What is the author's purpose in discussing aquatic insects in relation to those that spend their entire lives in the air?
- A. To emphasize the adaptability and complexity of insect life cycles.
- B. To compare aquatic insects with those that remain airborne.
- C. To highlight the unique features of insects that live in both environments.
- D. To question the validity of studying insects that live in only one environment.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The author's purpose in discussing aquatic insects in relation to those that spend their entire lives in the air is to emphasize the adaptability and complexity of insect life cycles. The author highlights how some insects transition between aquatic and aerial environments, showcasing the diverse strategies and features these insects possess to thrive in different habitats. Choice B is incorrect because the author is not solely comparing aquatic insects with those that remain airborne, but rather exploring their adaptability. Choice C is incorrect as the focus is not on highlighting unique features but on showcasing the transition between environments. Choice D is incorrect as the author is not questioning the validity of studying insects in only one environment but rather demonstrating the fascinating dual-life cycles of certain insects.
This excerpt is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
"Did you ever come across a prot of his one Hyde?" He asked. "Hyde?" repeated Lanyon. "No. Never heard of him. Since my time." That was the amount of information that the lawyer carried back with him to the great, dark bed on which he tossed to and from until the small hours of the morning began to grow large. It was a night of little ease to his toiling mind, toiling in mere darkness and besieged by questions. Six o'clock struck on the bells of the church that was so conveniently near to Mr. Utterson's dwelling, and still he was digging at the problem.
Hitherto it had touched him on the intellectual side alone; but now his imagination also was engaged, or rather enslaved; and as he lay and tossed in the gross darkness of the night in the curtained room, Mr. Enfield's tale went by before his mind in a scroll of lighted pictures. He would be aware of the great field of lamps in a nocturnal city; then of the figure of a man walking swiftly; then of a child running from the doctor's; and then these met, and that human Juggernaut trod the child down and passed on regardless of her screams. Or else he would see a room in a rich house, where his friend lay asleep, dreaming and smiling at his dreams; and then the door of that room would be opened, the curtains of the bed plucked apart, the sleeper recalled, and, lo! There would stand by his side a figure to whom power was given, and even at that dead hour he must rise and do its bidding.
The figure in these two phases haunted the lawyer all night; and if at any time he dozed over, it was but to see it glide more stealthily through sleeping houses, or move the more swiftly, and still the more smoothly, even to dizziness, through wider labyrinths of lamp lighted city, and at every street corner crush a child and leave her screaming. And still the figure had no face by which he might know it; even in his dreams it had no face, or one that baffled him and melted before his eyes; and thus there it was that there sprung up and grew apace in the lawyer's mind a singularly strong, almost an inordinate, curiosity to behold the features of the real Mr. Hyde.
If he could but once set eyes on him, he thought the mystery would lighten and perhaps roll altogether away, as was the habit of mysterious things when well examined. He might see a reason for his friend's strange preference or bondage, and even for the startling clauses of the will. And at least it would be a face worth seeing: the face of a man who was without bowels of mercy: a face which had but to show itself to raise up, in the mind of the unimpressionable Enfield, a spirit of enduring hatred.
A student is starting a research assignment on Japanese-American internment camps during World War II, but she is unsure of how to gather relevant resources. Which of the following would be the most helpful advice for the student?
- A. Conduct a broad internet search to get a wide view of the subject.
- B. Consult an American history textbook.
- C. Find websites about Japanese-American culture encompassing various aspects such as fashion and politics.
- D. Locate texts in the library related to World War II in America and look for references to internment camps in the index.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The most effective way for the student to gather detailed and relevant resources for the research assignment on Japanese-American internment camps during World War II would be to search for specific references in library texts related to World War II. Option A suggesting a broad internet search might provide too much irrelevant information. Option B, consulting an American history textbook, may not offer in-depth coverage of internment camps specifically. Option C, focusing on Japanese culture aspects like fashion and politics, is not directly related to the research topic on internment camps.
This excerpt is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
"Did you ever come across a prot of his one Hyde?" He asked. "Hyde?" repeated Lanyon. "No. Never heard of him. Since my time." That was the amount of information that the lawyer carried back with him to the great, dark bed on which he tossed to and from until the small hours of the morning began to grow large. It was a night of little ease to his toiling mind, toiling in mere darkness and besieged by questions. Six o'clock struck on the bells of the church that was so conveniently near to Mr. Utterson's dwelling, and still he was digging at the problem.
Hitherto it had touched him on the intellectual side alone; but now his imagination also was engaged, or rather enslaved; and as he lay and tossed in the gross darkness of the night in the curtained room, Mr. Enfield's tale went by before his mind in a scroll of lighted pictures. He would be aware of the great field of lamps in a nocturnal city; then of the figure of a man walking swiftly; then of a child running from the doctor's; and then these met, and that human Juggernaut trod the child down and passed on regardless of her screams. Or else he would see a room in a rich house, where his friend lay asleep, dreaming and smiling at his dreams; and then the door of that room would be opened, the curtains of the bed plucked apart, the sleeper recalled, and, lo! There would stand by his side a figure to whom power was given, and even at that dead hour he must rise and do its bidding.
The figure in these two phases haunted the lawyer all night; and if at any time he dozed over, it was but to see it glide more stealthily through sleeping houses, or move the more swiftly, and still the more smoothly, even to dizziness, through wider labyrinths of lamp lighted city, and at every street corner crush a child and leave her screaming. And still the figure had no face by which he might know it; even in his dreams it had no face, or one that baffled him and melted before his eyes; and thus there it was that there sprung up and grew apace in the lawyer's mind a singularly strong, almost an inordinate, curiosity to behold the features of the real Mr. Hyde.
If he could but once set eyes on him, he thought the mystery would lighten and perhaps roll altogether away, as was the habit of mysterious things when well examined. He might see a reason for his friend's strange preference or bondage, and even for the startling clauses of the will. And at least it would be a face worth seeing: the face of a man who was without bowels of mercy: a face which had but to show itself to raise up, in the mind of the unimpressionable Enfield, a spirit of enduring hatred.
What is the setting of the story in this passage?
- A. In the city
- B. In the countryside
- C. In a jail
- D. In a mental health facility
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct setting of the story in the passage is in the city. The passage describes urban elements such as street shops, a nocturnal city with lamps, and scenes of a man walking swiftly and a child being trodden down in the city streets. These details clearly point to an urban setting, making choice A 'In the city' the correct answer. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because there is no mention or indication of a countryside, jail, or mental health facility setting in the passage.
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 of the statements reflect information that one could reasonably infer based on the author's tone?
- A. The author's tone is persuasive and aims to call the audience to action.
- B. The author's tone is passionate due to excitement over the subject and personal narrative.
- C. The author's tone is informative and exhibits interest in the subject of the study.
- D. The author's tone is somber, depicting some anger at the state of insect larvae.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Based on the author's tone in the excerpt, one can infer that the author's tone is informative. The author aims to educate the reader about the unique characteristics of insects, their habitats, and their life cycle. The tone is objective and descriptive, focusing on providing factual information rather than persuading or expressing passion or somberness. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because there is no evident attempt to persuade, show excitement, or express anger in the text. Instead, the author's primary focus is on providing detailed information about the topic.
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.