Heirlooms Comprehension Check

According to “Heirlooms’ Value Shifts from Sentiment to Cash,” for what main reason did most people keep family heirlooms up until a generation ago?

• Most people could not find buyers for the heirlooms.

• Most people had emotional attachments to the heirlooms.

• Most people were waiting for the heirlooms to go up in value.

• Most people could not be bothered cleaning out attics and basements.

According to “Heirlooms’ Value Shifts from Sentiment to Cash,” how has the Internet affected the price or value of most family heirlooms?

• It has made heirlooms less valuable because they now can be found more easily on the Internet.

• It has made heirlooms more valuable because they now can be sold more readily on the Internet.

• It has made heirlooms more expensive because dealers now need to pay people to help them build websites.

• It has made heirlooms more expensive because people who used to sell their heirlooms cheaply can check the items’ value on the Internet.

Which statement best sums up the discussion of repurposed items in the final paragraphs of “Heirlooms’ Value Shifts from Sentiment to Cash”?

• Items once worn by deceased relatives can be tailored into clothes for a new generation.

• Items that once were cherished ornaments are being redesigned for more practical uses.

• Items once used on farms can be modified for practical use in more urban locations.

• Items that once had practical uses are now being turned into cherished ornamental gifts.

What does the context suggest is the most likely meaning of obsolete in this sentence from “Heirlooms’ Value Shifts from Sentiment to Cash”?

The cost of moving or storing bulky items such as furniture is high, and rapidly changing technology makes things obsolete more quickly.

• awkward to transport

• difficult to find

• out of date

• very useful

What does the context suggest is the most likely meaning of outlay in this sentence from “Heirlooms’ Value Shifts from Sentiment to Cash”?

[S]he often wants to split up bedroom sets because she’s found individual pieces sell better … And, she notes, a single item doesn’t require as big an outlay on the part of a buyer.

• delay

• payment

• profit

• design

Which of the following is the author's main claim?

• The piano was a Chickering, a quality name. It was from the early part of the last century and in fairly good shape, Allen says. A generation ago, such an item might have been carefully passed down among members of a family.

• Some people are finding new ways to hang on to

  sentimental items, says Debra McClintock by repurposing heirlooms as other things.

• Folks just aren’t holding on to family heirlooms the

  way they used to

• However, many of the heirloom items that sell quickly

  today are inexpensive items that people turn into other things

Which of the following is the author's evidence to support their main claim?

• The piano was a Chickering, a quality name. It was from the early part of the last century and in fairly good shape, Allen says. A generation ago, such an item might have been carefully passed down among members of a family.

• Some people are finding new ways to hang on to

  sentimental items, says Debra McClintock by repurposing heirlooms as other things.

• Folks just aren’t holding on to family heirlooms the

  way they used to

• However, many of the heirloom items that sell quickly

  today are inexpensive items that people turn into other things

Which of the following is the author's counterargument to their main claim?

• The piano was a Chickering, a quality name. It was from the early part of the last century and in fairly good shape, Allen says. A generation ago, such an item might have been carefully passed down among members of a family.

• Some people are finding new ways to hang on to

  sentimental items, says Debra McClintock by repurposing heirlooms as other things.

• Folks just aren’t holding on to family heirlooms the

  way they used to

• However, many of the heirloom items that sell quickly

  today are inexpensive items that people turn into other things

Which of the following is the author's rebuttal to the counterclaim?

• The piano was a Chickering, a quality name. It was from the early part of the last century and in fairly good shape, Allen says. A generation ago, such an item might have been carefully passed down among members of a family.

• Some people are finding new ways to hang on to

  sentimental items, says Debra McClintock by repurposing heirlooms as other things.

• Folks just aren’t holding on to family heirlooms the

  way they used to

• However, many of the heirloom items that sell quickly

  today are inexpensive items that people turn into other things