January 2023 Regents Exam - Passage A

The description of the theater in the first two paragraphs creates a mood of

• anticipation

• isolation

• confusion

• satisfaction

In lines 11 through 33, the author builds suspense by

• introducing the balcony voice character

• pacing the announcement of each number drawn

• describing the attitude of the usher toward the audience

• establishing the competitive behavior of the crowd

The statement “something was wrong, someone had miscalculated” (lines 42 and 43) suggests Cornelius’s sense of

• suspicion

• disdain

• desperation

• failure

Lines 56 through 59 contribute to a central idea by revealing the

• theater’s ignorance about finances

• employee’s disgust with management

• theater’s dishonesty with the public

• employee’s embarrassment about the game

As used in line 75, the word “obviate” most nearly means

• publicize

• question

• increase

• prevent

The actions of the assistant manager in lines 79 and 80 indicate that he is

• hoping to distract the attention of the old man

• planning to resolve the situation fairly

• pretending to satisfy the old man’s demands

• trying to avoid a scene in front of the audience

It can be inferred from lines 60 through 62 and lines 84 and 85 that the old man is

• distressed by the chaos of the crowd

• guilty of cheating and is not entitled to the winnings

• desperate in his attempt to obtain the winnings

• overwhelmed by fear and suspects he made an error

In the context of the passage as a whole, lines 86 through 96 suggest a central idea that

• society emphasizes respect for the elderly

• cash prizes reveal a person’s true character

• good deeds bring about good luck

• money ensures success in business

Lines 105 through 108 suggest that Cornelius has

• resented the greed of the old man

• decided to reveal the unfairness of the game

• misunderstood the rules of the game

• salvaged the dignity of the old man

Throughout the text, the audience can best be characterized as

• self-serving

• disengaged

• cooperative

• good-natured