CERT Reading Quiz 1

According to the first paragraph, after Cecily was born, the narrator reacted by:

• continuing to pretend that she was happy.

• isolating Cecily from the rest of the community.

• burying herself in her work.

• openly expressing frustration.

Based on the second paragraph, it is reasonable to conclude all of the following EXCEPT:

• the narrator and her husband shared childrearing responsibilities.

• neither the narrator nor her husband had extended family that lived nearby.

• the narrator and her husband held themselves to a perceived standard with regard to parenting.

• both the narrator and her husband enjoyed staying up late on cool evenings.

Based on the passage, it is reasonable to conclude that the narrator did not worry about Cecily during Cecily’s time with Mrs. Berry primarily because the narrator:

• trusted Mrs. Berry implicitly.

• was focused on her husband and his health.

• knew the voyage east would be easy for Cecily.

• was not the worrying type.

The “improvement” referred to in line 32 is most likely related to Cecily’s:

• health.

• disposition.

• eyesight.

• appetite.

The primary purpose of the language after the semicolon in the first sentence of the fourth paragraph (lines 35-36) is to:

• transition the passage from events that took place at Fort Samila to events that took place back east.

• offer a reason for the fact stated before the semicolon.

• suggest that the narrator’s own parents were ill suited to care for a child.

• introduce a secondary theme that is expanded upon later in the passage.

Based on the passage, it is reasonable to conclude that, at the time Cecily was born:

• it was not unusual for a child to be sent from frontier stations like Fort Samila for health reasons.

• Mrs. Berry regularly transported young children from Fort Samila.

• there was no cure for enteric.

• frontier doctors had little experience caring for infants.

Based on the passage, the letters the narrator received from her husband’s family regarding Cecily can best be described as:

• cynical.

• reassuring.

• clinical.

• insightful.

According to the passage, the narrator and her husband had opposing views with regard to which of the following decisions? Whether:

• Mrs. Berry would travel east with Cecily

• Cecily would be cared for by John’s family

• at the age of four, Cecily would travel back to Fort Samila with her parents

• it would be fair to reimburse John’s family for raising Cecily over a four-year period.

According to the passage, the four-year-old Cecily cried when she saw her parents because:

• she was overwhelmed with joy.

• she was frightened by the strangers.

• Aunt Alice quickly closed the drawing-room door.

• Aunt Emma let out a wail of terror.

The “spectator” referred to in line 81 is most likely:

• Cecily.

• the narrator.

• the narrator’s husband.

• Cecily’s grandmother.