Chapter Eleven

Reading Practice Set I—Prose Fiction

Practice Set

2. Directions

   This test contains a passage, followed by several questions. After reading the passage, select the best answer to each question. You are allowed to refer to the passage while answering the questions.

3. This passage is adapted from the novel The House of Mirth, written by Edith Wharton and published in 1905. This excerpt concerns Mr. Gryce and Miss Lily Bart and other guests who are visiting at Bellomont, the home of the Trenors.

   The observance of Sunday at Bellomont was chiefly marked by the punctual appearance of the smart omnibus destined to convey the household to the little church at the gates. Whether any one got into the omnibus or not was a matter of secondary importance, since by standing there it not only bore witness to the orthodox intentions of the family, but made Mrs. Trenor feel, when she finally heard it drive away, that she had somehow vicariously made use of it. It was Mrs. Trenor’s theory that her daughters actually did go to church every Sunday, but their French governess’s convictions calling her to the rival fane, and the fatigues of the week keeping their mother in her room till luncheon, there was seldom anyone present to verify the fact. Now and then, in a spasmodic burst of virtue—when the house had been too uproarious overnight—Gus Trenor forced his genial bulk into a tight frock-coat and routed his daughters from their slumber, but habitually, as Lily explained to Mr. Gryce, this parental duty was forgotten till the church bells were ringing across the park, and the omnibus had driven away empty. Lily had hinted to Mr. Gryce that this neglect of religious observances was repugnant to her early traditions, and that during her visits to Bellomont she regularly accompanied Muriel and Hilda to church. This tallied with the assurance, also confi- dentially imparted, that, never having played bridge before, she had been “dragged into it” on the night of her arrival and had lost an appalling amount of money in consequence of her ignorance of the game and of the rules of betting. Mr. Gryce was undoubtedly enjoying Bellomont. He liked the ease and glitter of the life and the luster conferred on him by being a member of this group of rich and conspicuous people. However, he thought it a very materialistic society; there were times when he was frightened by the talk of the men and the looks of the ladies, and he was glad to find that Miss Bart, for all her ease and self-possession, was not at home in so ambiguous an atmosphere. For this reason, he had been especially pleased to learn that she would, as usual, attend the young Trenors to church on Sunday morn- ing. As he paced the gravel sweep before the door, his light overcoat on his arm and his prayer-book in one carefully gloved hand, he reflected agreeably on the strength of character which kept her true to her early training in surrounds so subversive to reli- gious principles. For a long time Mr. Gryce and the omnibus had the gravel sweep to themselves, but, far from regretting this deplorable indifference on the part of the other guests, he found himself nourishing the hope that Miss Bart might be unaccompanied. The precious minutes were flying, however. The big chestnuts pawed the ground and flecked their impatient sides with foam. The coach- man seemed to be slowly petrifying on the box and the groom on the doorstep, and still the lady did not come. Suddenly, however, t here was a sound of voices and a rustle of skirts in the doorway, and Mr. Gryce, restor- ing his watch to his pocket, turned with a nervous start, but it was only to find himself handing Mrs. Wetherall into the carriage. The Wetheralls always went to church. They belonged to the vast group of human automata who go through life without neglecting to perform a single one of the gestures executed by the surrounding puppets. It is true that the Bellomont puppets did not go to church, but others equally important did—and Mr. and Mrs. Wetherall’s circle was so large that God was included in their visiting list. After them Hilda and Muriel struggled, yawning and pinning each other’s veils and ribbons as they came. They had promised Lily to go to church with her, they declared, and Lily was such a dear old duck that they didn’t mind doing it to please her, though for their own part they would much rather have played lawn tennis with Jack and Gwen, if she hadn’t told them she was coming. The Misses Trenor were followed by Lady Cressida Raith, a weather-beaten person in Liberty silk and ethnological trinkets, who, on seeing the omnibus, expressed her sur- prise that they were not to walk across the park. At Mrs. Wetherall’s horrified protest that the church was a mile away, her lady- ship, after a glance at the height of the other’s heels, acquiesced in the necessity of driving, and poor Mr. Gryce found himself rolling off between four ladies for whose spiritual welfare he felt not the least concern. It might have afforded him some conso- lation could he have known that Miss Bart had really meant to go to church. She had even risen earlier than usual in the execu- tion of her purpose. She had an idea that the sight of her in a grey gown of devotional cut, with her famous lashes drooped above a prayer-book, would put the finishing touch to Mr. Gryce’s subjugation and render inevitable a certain incident which she had resolved should form a part of the walk they were to take together after luncheon. Her intentions in short had never been more definite, but poor Lily, for all the hard glaze of her exterior, was inwardly as malleable as wax. She was like a water-plant in the flux of the tides, and today the whole current of her mood was carrying her toward Lawrence Selden. Why had he come to Bellomont? Was it to see herself?

4. 1. Prose Fiction

   2. As it is used in line 49, the word ambiguous most nearly means:

      1. misty.
      2. contradictory.
      3. wealthy.
      4. unclear.

   3. From the third paragraph, it can be inferred that Mr. Gryce is attracted to Lily because:

      1. she embodies the ease and luster that he enjoys at Bellomont.
      2. he is intrigued by her ambiguous behavior and the apparent complexity of her intellect.
      3. she does not appear to fit in completely in her surroundings.
      4. she learns to play games quickly.

   4. In this passage, Mr. and Mrs. Trenor are primarily characterized as being:

      1. widely known for their generous hospitality.
      2. somewhat hypocritical in their concern for appearances.
      3. overly concerned about the religious practices of their guests.
      4. unreasonably controlling of their two daughters.

   5. The phrase “It was Mrs. Trenor’s theory” (line 12) is used primarily to indicate that:

      1. Mrs. Trenor doesn’t care whether or not her daughters attend church.
      2. Mrs. Trenor’s understanding and that of the French governess contradict each other.
      3. Mr. and Mrs. Trenor have different beliefs about how best to manage their daughters.
      4. Mrs. Trenor would like to believe that Muriel and Hilda attend church regularly.

   6. The author uses the phrase spasmodic burst (line 19) in order to emphasize that:

      1. Mr. Trenor’s overweight condition is affecting his health.
      2. the Trenors are consistent in providing their guests with transportation to church.
      3. parties given by the Trenors are known to be uproarious.
      4. Mr. Trenor does not regularly attend church.

   7. Lily’s admission to Mr. Gryce that she “had lost an appalling amount of money…betting” (lines 36–39) is used in the passage mainly as:

      1. an indication that Lily’s financial status is significantly lower than that of her hosts.
      2. a detail that Mr. Gryce uses to justify his admiration of Lily.
      3. evidence of the contrast between Lily, who is not at home at Bellomont, and Mr. Gryce, who enjoys his visit there.
      4. an example of the Trenors’ tendency to manipulate Lily.

   8. According to the passage, the Wetheralls’ attitudes and habits regarding church attendance are accurately described in all of the following EXCEPT:

      1. They attend church regularly.
      2. They view Sunday church attendance as a pressing moral obligation to God.
      3. They feel that they are expected to go to church.
      4. They view church attendance as something similar to a social visit.

   9. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that:

      1. Lily never had any intention of meeting Mr. Gryce for church.
      2. Lily is conscious of trying to appear attractive to Mr. Gryce.
      3. Lily’s inflexibility can create social problems for her.
      4. Lily’s outward appearance of malleability belies her actual resoluteness.

   10. The main focus of this passage is:

       1. the hypocrisy of the Trenors and their guests.
       2. the uncomfortable interaction between Mrs. Wetherall and Lady Cressida Raith.
       3. Mr. Gryce’s interest in Lily Bart.
       4. the manners and morals of the upper classes.

   11. The author includes the information in lines 45–47 mainly for the purpose of:

       1. adding to the visual appeal of the story.
       2. emphasizing Mr. Gryce’s impatience.
       3. providing details about the omnibus.
       4. illustrating Lily and Mr. Gryce’s common love of nature.

   12. From the last paragraph, it is reasonable to infer that Lily does not attend church on this morning because:

       1. her interest in Mr. Gryce is quickly pushed aside by her interest in Lawrence Selden.
       2. she comes to feel that Mr. Gryce is too materialistic and not a person whose spiritual values she shares.
       3. she finds it repugnant to attend church with hypocrites such as Mrs. Wetherall and Lady Cressida Raith.
       4. Mr. Trenor has not woken Lily on time.

   13. From the description of the Wetheralls in lines 77–82, the author would most likely agree with which of the following statements?

       1. People who attend church frequently do so to foster their sense of belonging to a community.
       2. Acting on religious principles encourages people to behave like automatons.
       3. Religious belief encourages the view that the subjugation of others is acceptable.
       4. Many people model their behaviors after those of the people around them.