Chapter 4
Practice Test 1: Answers and Explanations
• Practice Test 1 Explanations
• How to Score Practice Test 1
PRACTICE TEST 1 ANSWER KEY
| Question Number | Correct Answer |
| 1 | B |
| 2 | C |
| 3 | B |
| 4 | E |
| 5 | E |
| 6 | C |
| 7 | A |
| 8 | D |
| 9 | E |
| 10 | D |
| 11 | C |
| 12 | C |
| 13 | E |
| 14 | D |
| 15 | B |
| 16 | A |
| 17 | B |
| 18 | B |
| 19 | C |
| 20 | E |
| 21 | D |
| 22 | B |
| 23 | C |
| 24 | A |
| 25 | D |
| 26 | B |
| 27 | A |
| 28 | B |
| 29 | C |
| 30 | E |
| 31 | A |
| 32 | A |
| 33 | E |
| 34 | B |
| 35 | C |
| 36 | E |
| 37 | A |
| 38 | D |
| 39 | C |
| 40 | C |
| 41 | B |
| 42 | C |
| 43 | A |
| 44 | B |
| 45 | B |
| 46 | A |
| 47 | B |
| 48 | D |
| 49 | E |
| 50 | B |
| 51 | B |
| 52 | A |
| 53 | D |
| 54 | D |
| 55 | A |
| 56 | C |
| 57 | A |
| 58 | B |
| 59 | A |
| 60 | C |
| 61 | B |
PRACTICE TEST 1 EXPLANATIONS
1. B This is a good example of a “least bad” answer. There is no labor involved (A). All we see Babette do is “dance” (line 15), so life is not very “difficult” (C). Nature is not “enigmatic” (a mystery) (D). The differences between Maman-Nainaine and Babette can hardly be called a “battle” (E). So by Process of Elimination, the answer must be (B).
2. C Choice (C) is the best answer, because Maman-Nainaine says Babette’s visit depends on the figs, which have nothing to do with the visit. So she must have her own reasons for linking the two—“her own logic.” Babette wants to visit her cousins, so the situation is hardly “serious” (A). She may be “overly strict,” but we don’t have enough information to affirm that (B). Choice (D) cannot be the answer because there is no “punishment.” And nothing suggests that “figs were her favorite fruit” (E).
3. B Choice (B) is the correct answer. Words like “patient,” “stately,” and “placid” emphasize Maman-Nainaine’s patience, not a general saintly virtuousness (C); comparing her patience to a statue of the Virgin Mary makes clear that these are meant as positive references, not as illustrations of Maman-Nainaine’s aloofness (A). Time does have significance in the world of the story, which is why it is admirable that Maman-Nainaine can be patient as time passes (D). These phrases focus on Maman-Nainaine’s mode of behaving, and while Babette behaves impatiently, there is no evidence that her restlessness is unattractive (E).
4. E Maman-Nainaine is patient (line 12) (E). Maman-Nainaine does not look down on Babette, so she is not “contemptuous” (A). Nothing she says to Babette is “flippant” (B). She does not give in to Babette’s wishes, so she is not “reluctantly accepting” (C). There is neither joy nor optimism in the passage (D).
5. E “Ripe” and “bloom” both refer to later stages of life—they refer to Maman-Nainaine, not Babette, so the answer is (E). It is true that Maman-Nainaine is “patient” and Babette is “restless,” so (A) is not the answer. Babette is young; she wants to make the visit “early,” while Maman-Nainaine is “late” in life (B). The unripe figs represent Babette—they are “green,” while Maman-Nainaine is like a ripe fig—“purple” (C). Maman-Nainaine is older—she “sat” while Babette is young and “danced” (D). (Note: Remember to circle “EXCEPT” and mark each answer with a “Y” for “yes” or an “N” for “no” to find the odd man out.)
6. C When the figs are ripe, according to Maman-Nainaine, Babette will be ready to visit her cousins; likewise, when the chrysanthemums are in bloom, Maman-Nainaine will expect to see her sister, so the final line reinforces Maman-Nainaine’s awareness of nature’s rhythms (C). It is not illogical for Maman-Nainaine to mention chrysanthemums, since throughout the passage she has measured time by the progress of nature (A). There is nothing ironic about her statement (B), and she does not reference a literary work (D). The sentence does not advance the story beyond the boundaries of Maman-Nainaine’s relationship with Babette (E).
7. A By peeling the ripest figs, Maman-Nainaine chooses the fruit that is most ready to be eaten—thus she is acting on her appreciation of the value of acting at the appropriate time (A). There is no suggestion in the passage that Maman-Nainaine is being gluttonous by eating those figs (B), nor does the passage suggest that there is anything wrong with her knife (C). Before she peels them, Maman-Nainaine remarks on the figs’ ripeness, so she isn’t peeling them in order to test their ripeness (D). The passage doesn’t suggest that Maman-Nainaine’s humor is unpleasant (E).
8. D The two women are different, yet nature forges on, so (D) is the correct answer. In the context of the sentence the word “though” does not show disagreement (A). No moral is given (B). There is no evidence that the figs were not important (C). Babette is restless, not annoyed (E).
9. E The narration is that of an impartial observer (E). It is not disapproving (A), nor is it first person (B). The protagonist (either Maman-Nainaine or Babette) does not narrate the story (C), nor do we have any evidence that this narrator is unreliable (D).
10. D Who’s Jove? Who cares! This is obviously a reference to someone, so the word “allusion” is our best bet (D). There is no “play on words” (A), nor any “contradiction” (B). Although the poem might be fanciful, there is no “hyperbole” (exaggeration) (C). There are no underlying symbols, so the poem is not an “allegory” (E).
11. C The quoted phrase describes what is happening right before the speaker “wak’d” (line 14), so the correct answer is (C). In this context, “inclined” means something like “leaned toward,” rather than “personal preference,” so eliminate (D). The previous lines describe how the speaker intuits his wife’s “delight,” so it is unlikely that she seems unsure about whether to embrace him (A), and the phrase does not challenge the speaker’s earlier assertions about his wife’s good character (E). The phrase does not distinguish between the “status” of the speaker and that of his wife (B).
12. C The poem says that the wife was purified and that the speaker plans to see her in heaven, so “save” means “deliver from sin and punishment” (C). Because she is dead, she is not preserved (A), nor is she kept in health (B). She is neither rescued from harm (D) nor maintained (E)—don’t fall into the trap answer just because one definition of “save” is “maintain.”
13. E The final line of the poem explains what happened when the speaker woke up: the vision of his deceased wife “fled,” as he returned to the “day” (wakefulness), the speaker’s sadness (“night”) returned to him. The first part of the line introduces the contrast between dreaming and waking (Statement I), while the second part introduces the paradoxical notion that daytime brings night back to the speaker (Statement II), at the same time affirming the sadness the speaker still feels about the loss of his wife (Statement III). Because the line has all three listed effects, the correct answer is (E).
14. D He is asleep and sees a ghost, so it is reasonable to infer that he is “dreaming” (D). There is nothing in the poem to suggest that she did not have these qualities in life (A). The fact that he knows it is “fancied” suggests that he knows he is dreaming (B). He is dreaming, so there is nothing capricious about the image, which comes to him unbidden (C), and he realizes it is a dream, so he is not delusional (E).
15. B He clearly loves his wife a great deal, so he is “reverential” (B). He may be “inconsolable,” but not in his attitude toward his wife (A). Again, she is dead, so he does not have a “hopeful” attitude toward her (C). Neither “incongruous” (bizarre) (D) nor “obsequious” (fawning) (E) makes sense in this context.
16. A The poem is about how the speaker is mourning the loss of his wife, so (A) is the correct answer. He misses his deceased wife, but there is nothing to suggest that the speaker is struggling with the process of dying (B), nor does he lament that death is itself unjust (C). The speaker considers the nature of the immortality he and his wife will experience, but he does not theorize the nature of mortal existence (D); while he mentions seeing his wife in heaven, the poem is not primarily concerned with the fact that the speaker believes in it (E).
17. B Line 5 primarily serves to distinguish the speaker’s wife (“Mine”) from Alcestis (B). While line 2 suggests that the speaker’s wife seems to have been “Brought” to him like Alcestis was brought back from the dead, the speaker then distinguishes his wife, who has been saved through “Purification in the old law” (line 6), from Alcestis, who was “Rescu’d from death by force though pale and faint” (line 4). The phrase “pale and faint” does not describe the speaker’s wife (D). Line 5 suggests that the speaker’s wife has been washed, but not that she is wearing white (A); the phrase “childbed taint” suggests not that the wife had sinned, but that she was tainted by (death in) childbirth (C). It seems to the speaker that “Purification” already “did save” his wife (line 6), so line 5 does not suggest that his wife needs to be purified again (E).
18. B The day (and the light of his wife) contrasts with the night that the speaker feels (B). The wife was inclining (leaning) over to embrace the speaker when he awoke, so these are not opposites (A). “Full sight” and “without restraint” mean the same thing (C), as do “wash’t” and “purification” (D). “Sight” and “shin’d” don’t have a relationship (E).
19. C Mr. Keeble is stuttering because he is afraid of his wife (C). There is no evidence that he is a “feeble man” (A), just that he is afraid of his wife. Disjointed speech (B) is an aftereffect; the cause is his fear. It does not serve to slow the conversation (D). It does not elucidate (explain, shed light on) the main point; in fact, it obfuscates it (hides, makes more confusing) (E).
20. E A mythological allusion refers to something—usually a work of literature in the myth genre. Pygmalion and Galatea are characters in mythology (E). Lines 28–29 do not refer to anything (A), nor do lines 20–21 (B). In lines 17–18 the narrator is exaggerating but not referring to myth (C), while (D) refers to a place, not a work of literature.
21. D Breathing is the only one of these examples that is a normal human characteristic, so (D) is the answer. Choice (A) compares her to a liquid that has turned solid, while (B) compares her to a statue. Choice (C) continues the statue comparison, while (E) suggests that the word “Lincolnshire” is “like some spell” (simile).
22. B “The place is apparently coining money” is a figure of speech meaning that the farm is making lots of money (B), which is why Mr. Keeble wants to invest in it. There is nothing to suggest the farm is doing something illegal (A). The investment may or may not be unnecessary, but that has nothing to do with “coining money” (C). Choice (D) takes the turn of phrase too literally. The farm is in Lincolnshire, but there is nothing to suggest that Lincolnshire itself is a good place to make money (E).
23. C Mrs. Keeble reacts “icily” before Mr. Keeble can even explain—so she is opposed to the idea (C). She is not amused (A), nor is she disgusted (B). She obviously cares, so she is not apathetic (D), and she is icy, so she is not neutral (E).
24. A Mr. Keeble is fiddling nervously while he talks, so all of the examples are physical illustrations of fidgeting except “keenly alive,” which simply means he’s aware (A). He rattles keys nervously (B) and (E), and doesn’t look at his wife (C) and (D) because he thinks he knows how she’ll react.
25. D Mr. Keeble has put a lot of thought into this, so he must be pretending he isn’t sure of the location in an attempt to make it appear as an afterthought or to de-emphasize it (D). He obviously knows where it is (A), and if he didn’t think the location was important, he wouldn’t have mentioned it (B). There is no evidence that he is forgetting (C), and if he had wanted to conceal the location, he would not have said it (E).
26. B Mr. Keeble is clearly intimidated by his wife (Statement III)—he requires “courage” to speak to her about the loan (line 4). The passage does not suggest that he is seeking her affection (Statement I). There is also no evidence that he is disgusted by her (Statement II)—he has “feared” (line 16) her response, not resented or rejected it.
27. A Because Mrs. Keeble asks the question “icily,” we can infer that she is not excited about the idea of lending money (A). The coldness of her response does not suggest that she is tempted by the suggestion (B), that she is keeping an open mind about it (D), or that she wants to hear more about the possibility of the loan (E). We do not know what Mr. Keeble’s mission actually is (C).
28. B The Lord Mayor has invited the Earl of Lincoln to dinner several times; therefore, “numerous” is the best answer (B). “Groceries” (A) is too literal of a synonym for “sundries,” as is “provisions” (C). There have been many dinners, so “infrequent” (D) is not correct, nor is “few” (E).
29. C In his aside in line 48, the Lord Mayor reveals that he “scorns” to have Lacy as a son-in-law; sending his daughter away would help to keep her from interacting with Lacy and thus make their marriage less likely (C). Since the Lord Mayor instructs the Earl of Lincoln to “watch” Lacy’s actions so he “need not fear” the two will wed (line 44), it must be that the interest between Lacy and Rose is mutual and not only on Rose’s part (A). The Earl of Lincoln notes that the Lord Mayor has many times “feasted” the Earl and “many courtiers,” which suggests the Lord Mayor has wealth and there’s no evidence elsewhere to suggest his family lives in poverty (B). There is also no evidence that the Lord Mayor looks down on the shoemaking profession (E). The Lord Mayor says he “understand[s]” the “subtlety” of the Earl, not that he fears what the Earl will do (D).
30. E The Earl of Lincoln says that Lacy spends too much money, so he won’t be able to provide for Rose (E). By saying Rose is “mean,” Lord Mayor means that she is of a lower class, not that she isn’t nice (A). There is no evidence that courtiers cannot marry (B). No mention is made of the cost of a wedding (C). Lacy does love Rose: “He is much affected” (line 6) (D).
31. A The Earl of Lincoln does not approve of his cousin’s spendthrift ways (A). He is not apathetic, because he obviously cares about his cousin’s welfare (B). Romantic love (C) would not describe the relationship between the Earl of Lincoln and his cousin, but rather the relationship between Lacy and Rose. He does not necessarily “dislike” his cousin (D). Affection (E) is not the Earl of Lincoln’s primary emotion, as he insults Lacy.
32. A The Earl of Lincoln does not approve of Lacy’s new profession—the line is sarcastic (A). There is nothing that tells us how much shoemakers earn, (B) and (D). The Earl of Lincoln does not want his cousin to be a shoemaker, so he obviously does not admire the profession (C). Shoemaking is not a scientific occupation (E).
33. E The Lord Mayor claims his daughter is too common for Lacy, but his aside shows that he does not think that Lacy is a good match: “I scorn to call him son-in-law” (line 48), although he does not admit this (E). He doesn’t feel affection (A), nor does he feel like an uncle (avuncular) (B). He never approves the match (C), nor is there any evidence that he respects Lacy (D).
34. B An aside is when a character speaks directly to the audience while the dramatic action “freezes.” The aside reveals that the Lord Mayor believes the Earl of Lincoln is a “fox”—and so is behaving deceptively (B). The nature of the aside means that the other characters cannot hear the comment (A). While the aside diverts from the general flow of dialogue, it is not a prevarication (a transgression or departure from the norm) that alienates the audience, since the audience is provided with more information than the other characters receive (C). No additional unease is evoked by the aside (D), and while the comment criticizes the Earl of Lincoln, it is not meant to directly insult him, since he is unable to hear it (E).
35. C Lacy is never described as “poor” but Rose is, so the correct answer is (C). As you reread the dialogue, be careful to note exactly which character is being described. Lacy is described as “affected” (line 6) (A), “high” (line 13) (B), “unthrift” (line 20) (D), and “jolly” (line 30) (E).
36. E Neither of the characters is saying what he is thinking—as revealed by the asides (E). No one is described as frugal (A). “Prodigious” means extreme wastefulness or generosity, whereas “profligacy” means dissipation or licentiousness (B); Lacy is described as profligate, but no one is extremely generous (A). There is no conflict between the younger and older generations (C). There is no contrast between happiness and sorrow in this passage (D).
37. A The Earl of Lincoln most likely mentions the wars because Lacy has just been appointed a soldier (A). We can’t know whether there will be a death (B). The Earl does not explain why they are fighting the French (C). The lines do not explain the class system in place (D). There is no mention of a national debate (E).
38. D The blades of grass are standing before God, so presumably God is talking to them (D). There is no angel (A), nor is St. Peter in the poem (B). God is asking the blades to justify their entry into heaven, so God—not the blades of grass—is speaking (C) and (E).
39. C God is happy at the one little blade’s comments, so (C) is the best answer. God is not “condescending” (A), “neutral” (B), or “disdainful” (D). God does not show that He is “morally superior” in this poem (E).
40. C God rewards the one little blade of grass for his modesty in contrast with the other blades’ boastfulness (C). There is no evidence that it is better to do nothing (A). The blade is not rewarded for his forgetfulness (B). The blades are boasting of their accomplishments, not their problems (D). There is no mention of having to tell your bad deeds to someone (E).
41. B The word “presently” means “after a while” (Statement II). It has nothing to do with presents or gifts, nor does it mean that the speaker is changing the topic.
42. C The other blades were all boasting, so the one little one is ashamed and hanging back because he does not feel worthy (C). All of the blades of grass were little; their heights are not compared (A). There is no evidence of disgust (B), or bitterness or loneliness (D). Choice (E) is incorrect because the blade thought his acts were less worthy than the others, not more worthy.
43. A God’s declaration that the one little blade is the best is surprising (“unexpected”) because it was the one blade that did not admit to any accomplishments (A). There is nothing “satiric” (making fun of) about the phrase (B). It is neither “tragic” (C) nor “comic” (D), nor, since the blade is probably headed to heaven, is there anything “unfortunate” (E).
44. B God rising up is a dramatic pause which heightens the suspense of the poem (B). There is no evidence that God is egotistical (A), nor is there a shift or change in how the narrator sounds (C). These lines do not echo anything in the poem (and it’s hard to tell whether there is more than one stanza) (D). We cannot know the poet’s true feelings (E).
45. B We do not hear about how God reacts to the other little blades of grass, so His attitude can best be described as “unstated” (B). God is not ashamed of the blades of grass (A), nor is He “disgusted” (C) with or “disapproving” (D) of them. He does not feel “melancholy” when considering the blades of grass (E).
46. A The narrator is poking fun at Lady Bertram so that the reader will laugh, so the tone can best be described as “wry” (A). There is no bitterness in the passage (B). The narrator clearly has opinions regarding Lady Bertram, so “detached” is not correct (C). Although Lady Bertram herself is “melodramatic,” the narrator is not (D). And the narrator is free with her opinions and words, so “secretive” is not correct (E).
47. B Lady Bertram likes to write about gossip. She can’t write about this news (because the son already has), so it is of no use to her (B). Lady Bertram could not use the news (A). There is nothing that suggests Lady Bertram would relay the news unpleasantly (C). There is no evidence that she could write about only part of the news (D), nor are we told that she was bound to secrecy (E).
48. D “The want of other employment” means she lacked anything else to do, so (D) is the best answer. She did not require other employment (A). “Desire” (B) is a trap answer because it is a common synonym for “want.” There is no mention of finances (C), and we are not told that her employment is defective (E).
49. E The Grants are going away, so Lady Bertram won’t be able to write about Dr. Grant’s illness or things that Mrs. Grant says when she comes over; in other words, she’ll have no news (E). There is no evidence that she enjoys the Grants, except for the gossip they provide (A), and she does not assist them (B). There is no evidence that her house is full, nor that they stay with her (C). She has many correspondents (D).
50. B The phrase is explained in the text that follows it: “so that a very little matter was enough for her” meaning that she could make a small bit of gossip go a long way in her letters (B). She does not inflate the importance of things (A). Choice (C) is a too-literal synonym of “amplifying.” There is no evidence that she tries to make people sound more important than they are (D), nor is there any mention of her penmanship (E).
51. B Sir Thomas must be Lady Bertram’s husband (B) because she is left with nothing to do when he is in Parliament (plus, if she is a lady, then he must be a lord). There is no evidence that he is her son (A), nor that he is a boarder (C), nor that he is at all connected to the Grants (D), and his Parliament attendance affects her too much for him to be just a friend (E).
52. A At the end of the passage, Lady Bertram writes to Fanny, so she must have something to say (A). We don’t know what the news is, so we cannot say it is “malicious” (mean) (B). She is not concerned about the news, but rather predicts that Fanny will feel concerned (C), so she is aware of Fanny’s feelings (D). If she were really worried about her niece (E), why would she be telling her the news?
53. D Lady Bertram likes to gossip, and she is a woman of leisure and title (D). She has friends; she is not a “social pariah” (A). We don’t know what others in her family think of her (B). She seems to be very connected to society (C), and we don’t know anything about her age, except that she has a niece (which says little about how old she is) (E).
54. D The phrase implies that she needs the least amount of news to write her niece, but doesn’t even have that (D). We have no evidence that she doesn’t like her niece (A), or that she is mad at (B) or uncomfortable around (C) her niece. Lady Bertram loves writing letters to anyone, so (E) is not correct.
55. A The poem is a warning to young women about the pitfalls of vanity (A). There are no myths in the poem (B). The poet is not “sarcastic” (C). The poet warns of fading beauty, so the poet is neither “optimistic” (D) nor “hopeful” (E). Think: Because “optimistic” and “hopeful” are synonyms, they can’t both be the right answer, so they should both be eliminated.
56. C The poem is a warning to young women that beauty fades (C). There is no discussion of the importance of beauty (A). There is no “past lesson” to be learned (B). The primary purpose is not to tell a particular story (D). There is no discussion of death (E).
57. A The last two lines of the poem describe the woman as someone who used to be pretty and is now old and faded, of which her eyes are an example (A). There is no evidence that the woman is tired (B). That she is blind is a too-literal interpretation of the line (C). There is no mention of disease, only old age (D). Girls cannot be responsible for someone’s loss of beauty (E).
58. B The vain girls are compared to bluebirds—the two groups chatter among themselves (Statements I and II). The teachers are not the carefree chatterers that the poem mentions (Statement III).
59. A The speaker assumes that the girls will “Go listen to [their] teachers old and contrary / Without believing a word” (lines 3-4); since the speaker, too, is offering to share a cautionary lesson with the girls, in the form of the “story which is true” (line 13), it is reasonable to assume that the girls might ignore the speaker’s lesson just as they seem to ignore their teachers’ (A). Chattering like bluebirds is an image the speaker assigns to the girls, not that the girls seem to be assigning to anyone else (B). There is no evidence in the poem that the speaker has actually told the girls about the woman in the final stanza, so it is unlikely that the girls would compare the speaker to her (C), nor do the girls, in the speaker’s observation, think about older women who might be jealous of their beauty (D). There is no evidence that the speaker is a poet seeking publication or that the girls would assume as much (E).
60. C The girls don’t listen to their teachers because the teachers are old, and they don’t worry about the future (“weighty subjects”) (C). There is no sense of suspicion (A) or the notion that subjects are hard to understand (B). They are not described as frail (in fact, they “twirl” their skirts) (D). There is no evidence that they disregard others’ feelings (E).
61. B The theme of the poem is that people should not waste time on beauty because it does not last (B). Acting quickly is not a theme (A). Neither are the trappings of wealth (C). Truth (D) is not a theme, nor is frugality (E).
HOW TO SCORE PRACTICE TEST 1
When you take the real exam, the proctors will collect your test booklet and bubble sheet and send your answer sheet to a processing center, where a computer looks at the pattern of filled-in ovals on your answer sheet and gives you a score. We couldn’t include even a small computer with this book, so we are providing this more primitive way of scoring your exam.
Determining Your Score
| STEP 1 | Using the answer key, determine how many questions you got right and how many you got wrong on the test. Remember: Questions that you do not answer do not count as either right or wrong answers. | |
| STEP 2 | List the number of right answers here. | (A) _____ |
| STEP 3 | List the number of wrong answers here. Now divide that number by 4. (Use a calculator if you’re feeling particularly lazy.) | (B) _____ ÷ 4 = (C) _____ |
| STEP 4 | Subtract the number of wrong answers divided by 4 from the number of correct answers. Round this score to the nearest whole number. This is your raw score. | (A) − (C) = _____ |
| STEP 5 | To determine your real score, take the number from Step 4 and look it up in the left-hand column of the Score Conversion Table below; the corresponding score on the right is your score on the exam. |
PRACTICE TEST 1 SCORE CONVERSION TABLE
