“Ellen Terry,” Virginia Woolf- AP Multiple-Choice

Which of the following statements is best supported by information given in the passage?

• Terry never focused on one career; she was skilled at so many things that she did not excel in any one thing.

• Terry was so clever an actress that her portrayal of a role seemed to change every night.

• Shaw encouraged Terry to become a playwright by carefully tutoring her in creating plots and characters.

• Because Terry lacked confidence in certain of her skills, she never fully realized she was a person of rare talents and gifts.

• Because Terry did not have natural talent for either writing or acting, she struggled to learn her crafts and became great through sheer willpower.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

The author’s attitude toward Terry can best be described as

• superior and condescending

• unbiased and dispassionate

• sympathetic and admiring

• curious and skeptical

• conciliatory and forgiving

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

In line 1, “picture postcards” functions as a metaphor for the

• published text of a play

• audience’s impressions of the actors’ performances

• critical reviews of plays

• plays in which the actors in the company have previously performed

• stage designer’s sketches of sets and scenes

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

The passage implies that the primary enemy of the “beautiful coloured canvas” and the “wavering, insubstantial phantom” (lines 3 and 4-5) is the

• cost of producing plays

• whims of critics

• passage of time

• incredulity of audiences

• shortcomings of dramatists

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

The phrase “a verbal life on the lips of the living” (line 5) suggests that

• performances live only in the memories of those who witness and speak of them

• actors do not take the trouble to explain their art to the public

• the reviews of critics have a powerful influence on the popularity of a production

• dramatists try to write dialogue that imitates ordinary spoken language

• audiences respond to the realism of the theater

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

What is the relationship of the second and third sentences (lines 2-5)to the first sentence (lines

1-2) ?

• They are structurally less complex than the first.

• They are expressed in less conditional terms than the first.

• They introduce new ideas not mentioned in the first.

• They clarify and expand on the first.

• They question the generalization made in the first.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

The pronoun “it” (line 6) refers to which of the following?

• “fate” (line 1)

• “curtain” (line 2)

• “canvas” (line 3)

• “phantom” (line 5)

• “life” (line 5)

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

The effect of italicizing the words “nothing, nothing”(line 13) is to

• emphasize Terry’s sense of frustration

• indicate a sarcastic tone

• suggest the difficulty of writing great parts for actors

• link a clear sense of purpose to success in writing

• imply that Terry’s weakness in writing is her tendency to exaggerate

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

The words “bubbled off” (line 19) and “peeled off” (line 28), used to describe the way Terry wrote, emphasize

• polish and sophistication

• thoughtfulness and application

• bluntness and indiscretion

• mystery and imagination

• ease and spontaneity

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Which of the following stylistic features is used most extensively in lines 25-30?

• inversion of normal subject/verb/object order

• repetition of sentence structure

• periodic sentence structure

• sentence fragments for emphasis

• use of connotative meanings that add complexity

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9