Act Reading Test 1 Passage 1

It can most reasonably be inferred that the husband 'grew a little pale" in the next-to-last paragraph because:

• He was disturbed by the amount of money his wife requested.

• He feared that his wife would refuse to attend the event.

• He was beginning to feel ill.

• He knew he would need to borrow money to go on his hunting trip.

Information in Paragraph 4 reveals that the husband is unhappy about the 400 francs because he was planning to spend the same amount on:

• Theater tickets.

• Some treats for his friends.

• A pretty dress for his wife.

• A gun and hunting trip.

The statements made by the husband in the passage reveal:

• A man with ulterior and sinister motives.

• A plain and simple man who prefers to have no social life.

• A man who wants desperately to please his wife.

• A man who aspires to be wealthy.

As he is revealed in the section where he presents the invitation to his wife, the husband best be characterized as:

• Concerned about appropriate attire for the ball.

• Proud that he, a mere clerk, received such an invitation.

• Worried that his wife will not want to attend the ball.

• Unsure that he wants to attend the ball with his wife.

The passage is written from the point of view of:

• A young woman who is distraught at being poor.

• An unidentified narrator telling the story of a married couple.

• A husband who works hard to please his demanding wife.

• A character in the story who is discussing a married couple.

The question, "And what do you want me to put on my back?" in the second paragraph helps establish that the wife is anxious because:

• She knows the weather will require her to wear a warm coat, which doesn't have.

• She is concerned about wearing the same dress to this event that she wore to the last event.

• She wants to help her husband carry some of the burden of their finances.

• She has nothing new or suitable in her eyes to wear to the party.

In the passage, a comparison can be made between the wife's and husband's desires. This comparison is best stated as:

• The wife's desires to please her husband, while the husband wants to be successful in his work.

• The wife wishes to be envied, while the husband wants to spend time with his friends.

• The wife wants a career of her own, but her husband wants her to stay home.

• The wife s very social, while the husband prefers to keep to himself.

Which of the following best describes the author's approach to depicting the story's main characters?

• Describing how the characters are viewed by other people

• Using dialogue between a husband and wife

• Putting the reader in the wife's place

• Describing particular personality traits

It can most reasonably be inferred from the second paragraph that the statement “lt looks very well .. to me" is:

• An attempt on the husband's part to keep his wife from buying a new dress.

• The husband's opinion that his wife is not very thoughtful.

• Reflective of the wife's feelings.

• An acknowledgement that perhaps the dress isn't adequate.

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 Passage I Fiction: This passage is adapled from The Diamond Necklace by Guy De Maupaussant, originally published in 1907; English adaptation from Original Short Stories - Volume 4, published prior to 1923. She had no gowns. no jewels. nothing. And she loved nothing but that. She felt made for that. She would have liked so much to please. lo be envied, to be charming, to be sought after. She had a friend, a former schoolmate at the convent. who was rich, and whom she did not like to go and see any more. because she suffered so much when she came back But, one evening, her husband returned home with a triumphant air, holding a large envelope in his hand. “There,' said he, “here is something for you.” She tore the paper sharply and drew out a printed card which bore these words: The Minister of Public Instruction and Mme. Georges Ramponneau request the honor of M. and Mme. Loisels' company at the palace of the Ministry on Monday evening, January 18th. Instead of being delighted, as her husband hoped she threw the invitation on the table with disdain, murmuring, “What do you want me to do with that?" "But, my dear.” he said. “I thought you would be glad. You never go out, and this is such a fine oppor- tunity. I had awful trouble to get it. Every one wants to go; it is vary select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks. The whole official world will be there. She looked at him with an irritated eye and said. impatiently, “And what do you want me to put on my back?" He had not thought Of that; he Stammered, “Why the dress you go to the theater in. lt looks very well … to me.” He stopped. distracted. seeing that his wife was crying. Two great tears descended slowly from the corners of her eyes towards the comers of her mouth He stuttered, “What`s the matter? What's the matter? But, by a violent effort, she had conquered her grief and replied. with a calm voice. while she wiped her wet cheeks, “Nothing Only I have no dress. and therefore I can't go to this ball. Give your card to some colleague whose wife is better equipped than I He was in despair. He resumed, "Come, let us see. Mathilde. How much would it cost. a suitable dress. which you could use on other occasions, something very simple?" She reflected several seconds. making her calcu- lations and wondering also what sum she could ask without drawing on herself an immediate refusal and a frightened exclamation from the economical clerk. Finally, she replied, hesitatingly: “I don‘t know exactly, but I think I could manage it with four hundred francs.” He grew a little pale, because he was laying aside just that amount to buy a gun and treat himself to a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre, with several friends who went to shoot larks down there, of a Sunday. But he said: “All right. I will give you four hundred francs. And try to have a pretty dress.”