Act Reading Test 1 Passage 1
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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.”
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This quiz, titled 'ACT Reading Test 1 Passage 1', assesses comprehension skills through a passage from 'The Diamond Necklace' by Guy De Maupassant. It evaluates understanding of narrative perspective, character depiction, and emotional dynamics within a literary context.
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- 2.
The passage is written from the point of view of:
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A young woman who is distraught at being poor.
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An unidentified narrator telling the story of a married couple.
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A husband who works hard to please his demanding wife.
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A character in the story who is discussing a married couple.
Correct Answer
A. An unidentified narrator telling the story of a married couple.Explanation
The passage is written from the third-person point of view. The husband and
wife are consistently referred to as "he" and “she." The reader is privy to the
thoughts of both the husband and wife. These traits are characteristic of
something written by a narrator. and not by one of the characters in the
passage.Rate this question:
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- 3.
Which of the following best describes the author's approach to depicting the story's main characters?
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Describing how the characters are viewed by other people
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Using dialogue between a husband and wife
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Putting the reader in the wife's place
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Describing particular personality traits
Correct Answer
A. Using dialogue between a husband and wifeExplanation
The passage is essentially a dialogue between two people, with occasional
interjections describing the couple or their inner thoughts. One of the first
things that happens in the passage is that the husband brings his wife an
invitation to a party. The passage goes on to show the wife's reactions to the
invitation by giving direct quotations of what she says, and then shows the
husband`s reactions to her by giving direct quotations of what he says. The
other answer choices are not supported by the structure of the passage.Rate this question:
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- 4.
The statements made by the husband in the passage reveal:
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A man with ulterior and sinister motives.
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A plain and simple man who prefers to have no social life.
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A man who wants desperately to please his wife.
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A man who aspires to be wealthy.
Correct Answer
A. A man who wants desperately to please his wife.Explanation
The statements made by the husband include "...here is something for you"
and "| thought you would be g|ad." He eventually gives in to her request for
money to buy a new dress. This information on best supports answer choice CRate this question:
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- 5.
The wife's approach to obtaining a new dress can best be described as:
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Manipulating her husband so he'll agree to give her money for a new dress.
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A willingness on her part to sacrifice other expenses to pay for it.
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Acknowledging that the couple's finances are already stained.
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Thinking of ways to redesign her old dress to make it suitable.
Correct Answer
A. Manipulating her husband so he'll agree to give her money for a new dress.Explanation
A good example of the wife’s manipulative behavior is found in the third
paragraph. She is crying, but when he asks her whats wrong, she responds.
"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." She is letting
him know that she cannot go to the party with her current dress. and therefore
she needs a new one. The other answer choices are not supported by the
passage,Rate this question:
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- 6.
As he is revealed in the section where he presents the invitation to his wife, the husband best be characterized as:
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Concerned about appropriate attire for the ball.
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Proud that he, a mere clerk, received such an invitation.
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Worried that his wife will not want to attend the ball.
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Unsure that he wants to attend the ball with his wife.
Correct Answer
A. Proud that he, a mere clerk, received such an invitation.Explanation
The tirst paragraph states the husband "retumed home with a triumphant air’
bearing the invitation. The second paragraph further explains his elation by
showing that he says. _ _"I had awful trouble to get it. Everyone wants to go; it
is very select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks." This
information best supports answer choice B.Rate this question:
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- 7.
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:
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She knows the weather will require her to wear a warm coat, which doesn't have.
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She is concerned about wearing the same dress to this event that she wore to the last event.
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She wants to help her husband carry some of the burden of their finances.
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She has nothing new or suitable in her eyes to wear to the party.
Correct Answer
A. She has nothing new or suitable in her eyes to wear to the party.Explanation
3 The second paragraph shows that the wife is surprisingly upset about the
I invitation, thus setting the stage for an explanation of why she is upset. She
i asks “And what do you want me to put on my back'?” He responds that she
should wear the dress she wears to the theater. This shows that he knows
she is referring to the fact that she doesn't feel that she has a suitable dress
for the party. The other answer choices are not supported by the passage.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Information in Paragraph 4 reveals that the husband is unhappy about the 400 francs because he was planning to spend the same amount on:
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Theater tickets.
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Some treats for his friends.
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A pretty dress for his wife.
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A gun and hunting trip.
Correct Answer
A. A gun and hunting trip.Explanation
The fourth paragraph clearly states that "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 Iarks down there..." The
other answer choices are not supported by details in the passage.Rate this question:
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- 9.
It can most reasonably be inferred from the second paragraph that the statement “lt looks very well .. to me" is:
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An attempt on the husband's part to keep his wife from buying a new dress.
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The husband's opinion that his wife is not very thoughtful.
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Reflective of the wife's feelings.
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An acknowledgement that perhaps the dress isn't adequate.
Correct Answer
A. An acknowledgement that perhaps the dress isn't adequate.Explanation
The second paragraph specifically says that he stammered his response.
Stammering typically shows hesitation. He also says that "It looks very well __
to me." The ellipsis indicates a pause that shows that he is trying to convince
her that he thinks it looks good, but shows that he has some doubt himself.
The other answer choices are not supported by the passage.Rate this question:
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- 10.
It can most reasonably be inferred that the husband 'grew a little pale" in the next-to-last paragraph because:
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He was disturbed by the amount of money his wife requested.
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He feared that his wife would refuse to attend the event.
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He was beginning to feel ill.
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He knew he would need to borrow money to go on his hunting trip.
Correct Answer
A. He was disturbed by the amount of money his wife requested.Explanation
The fourth paragraph explains that the wife knew she had to come up with a
“sum she could ask without drawing on herself an immediate refusal and a
frightened exclamation from the economical clerk." At this point, the reader is
made aware that the husband might be upset at the amount of money the wife
asks for. When she asks for four hundred francs, and he grows a little pale, it
is clear that he is concerned about the amount. The paragraph then goes on
to explain that he was trying to save that money for something for himself.Rate this question:
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- 11.
In the passage, a comparison can be made between the wife's and husband's desires. This comparison is best stated as:
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The wife's desires to please her husband, while the husband wants to be successful in his work.
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The wife wishes to be envied, while the husband wants to spend time with his friends.
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The wife wants a career of her own, but her husband wants her to stay home.
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The wife s very social, while the husband prefers to keep to himself.
Correct Answer
A. The wife wishes to be envied, while the husband wants to spend time with his friends.Explanation
The passage begins by explaining that the wife “would so have liked to
please, to be envied, to be charming, to be sought after.” The rest of the
passage further illustrates her desire to get attention from others. The
passage ends by showing that the husband wants the money for his gun and
hunting trip, even though he ends up giving the money for his wife.Rate this question:
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Apr 23, 2024Quiz Edited by
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Feb 04, 2012Quiz Created by
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