Sarah gripped the final, rust-covered key, its cold metal biting into her palm. The ancient wooden door loomed in front of her, silent and waiting. Behind her, the echo of footsteps quickened. She turned the key in the lock, breath held, and the door creaked open with a groan that seemed to shake the corridor. What part of the plot does this moment most likely represent?

• Exposition

• Rising Action

• Climax

• Resolution

After being cast out by his family and losing his job, Marcus wandered the streets of the city. Yet every morning, he rose before dawn to clean himself at the public fountain and search for work. Even when people looked past him, he kept his shoulders squared and his eyes ahead. Which theme is most evident in the passage?

• Betrayal

• Redemption

• Perseverance

• Isolation

Elena stared down at the acceptance letter to the Paris art academy, her dream. Across the room, her mother folded another hospital bill. “We need you here, Elena,” she said quietly. Elena felt torn between duty and ambition. What type of conflict is central in this passage?

• Person vs. Person

• Person vs. Self

• Person vs. Society

• Person vs. Nature

I had never returned to that beach since the accident. The crash, the waves, the fire—they haunted me. But here I was, standing at the shore, feeling the wind and daring myself to remember. What is the narrative point of view?

• First-person

• Second-person

• Third-person limited

• Third-person omniscient

“You lied to me,” Rachel said, her voice shaking. “I didn’t mean to,” Thomas replied, his eyes avoiding hers. “You let me believe he was safe, and he wasn’t.” “I thought I was protecting you.” What does this dialogue reveal about the characters?

• They are having a casual conversation.

• They are confronting a betrayal.

• They are solving a mystery.

• They are planning a surprise.

The scent of cinnamon filled the air, and suddenly Lila was back in her grandmother’s kitchen, a child again, watching the dough rise beside the window. Her grandmother laughed, her hands coated in flour, and sang the same lullaby every winter. What literary device is being used?

• Foreshadowing

• Flashback

• Symbolism

• Irony

Before leaving the cottage, Daniel paused and looked over his shoulder. Something about the stillness in the trees and the way the crows circled made him uneasy. He shook it off and locked the door behind him. Which literary device is most evident in the passage?

• Flashback

• Foreshadowing

• Imagery

• Dialogue

The town’s fire chief, known for his annual safety talks, forgot to unplug his Christmas lights, causing a small electrical fire in his own living room. What kind of irony is present in the passage?

• Verbal Irony

• Situational Irony

• Dramatic Irony

• Cosmic Irony

Rain lashed the windows like angry fingers, and thunder cracked the sky open like a shattered plate. Inside, the candle flickered, casting long shadows that danced across the peeling wallpaper. Which word best describes the author's style?

• Straightforward

• Objective

• Descriptive

• Humorous

As the last suitcase slammed into the trunk, Nora turned to face the house she had lived in for twenty years. “Good riddance,” she muttered, tightening her scarf against the wind. What is the tone of this passage?

• Joyful

• Bitter

• Regretful

• Playful