Professions for Women by Virginia Woolf (para. 1-4)

In the first paragraph, the writer's primary purpose is to

• establish her background to show why she is an appropriate choice of speaker

• connect her work to the work of previous great women to illustrate her expertise

• illustrate why writing is an easy occupation that all women can pursue

• downplay her accomplishments to create a humble, trustworthy persona

• set up a point about the "cheapness" of writing that she will later argue against

In the second paragraph, Woolf distinguishes herself from other professional women in that

• writing and publishing come very easily and naturally to her

• she purchases luxury items rather than necessities with her earnings

• she makes the effort to mail her writing to a publisher, which results in a paycheck

• She spends several hours a day writing when she was a girl, preparing herself for the writer's life

• her Persian cat causes disagreements with her neighbors, interfering with the peace needed to write

Through the mention of "The Angel in the House" (p. 3), Woolf suggests that

• a women's role in society is to be self-sacrificing charming, and pure

• battling a woman's natural inclinations is necessary for success as a writer

• societal expectations for women impede a woman's ability to write honestly

• women of all ages face obstacles to their work in an unchanging society

• an internal phantom whispers to a woman writer and guides her pen

The organizational pattern of this essay can best be described as

• description of purpose to personal anecdote to symbolic story

• specific information to qualification of points to qualified opinion

• history to personal anecdotes to projection into the future

• personal reflection to fictional example to personal experience

• general overview of problem to illustrative anecdotes to solution

All of the following statements characterize the author's struggle to become a writer EXCEPT

• "The family peace was not broken by the scratching of a pen." p1.

• "The shadow of her wings fell on my page; I heard the rustling of her skirts in the room" p. 3

• "Never let anybody guess that you have a mind of your own." p. 3

• "My excuse, if I were to be had up in a court of law, would be that I acted in self-defense." p. 3

• "It is far harder to kill a phantom than a reality." p. 3

Throughout the essay, the author's attitude toward her audience is one of

• disdain and sarcasm

• politeness and condescension

• concern and criticism

• honesty and admiration

• hopefulness and skepticism