Which word best describes the tone of this passage from "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe?

And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revelers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall.

Which statement about the connotations of words is accurate?

Which synonym for the word protective has the most negative connotation?

Which sound device does this sentence illustrate?

Lola leaped into the lake.

In a play, a young woman encounters a prince dressed as a beggar. The audience knows that he is a prince; the young woman does not.

Which literary technique does this situation illustrate?

Which sentence would best help the writer of a persuasive essay establish a concerned tone?

To which senses do the images in these lines mainly appeal?

I follow a dark and twisting road.

My footsteps echo in the silence of the night.

Read this passage.

Then, answer the question(s).

Phoebus was the name of Apollo in his role as god of the sun. Each day, he would drive the chariot of the sun across the sky, moving in an arc from east to west until it dropped below the horizon to end the hours of daylight. He had several children, including a son named Phaeton, who was very proud and ambitious. "I can drive the chariot just like you, Father!" Phaeton boasted, and he nagged and badgered until Phoebus finally let him take over the chariot one day. Unfortunately, Phaeton's self-esteem was far superior to his actual driving skill. In fact, he drove so badly that the horses left their usual path and the chariot threatened to engulf the entire world in flames. Zeus, chief of the gods, saw the deadly danger and immediately took action to prevent it. He hurled one of his thunderbolts to strike Phaeton, who then fell into the river Eridanus (also called the Po River). Phaeton's sisters were deeply upset with the loss of their brother. They mourned him for so long, and with such great sorrow, that they eventually turned into trees. The tears they wept were turned into amber, a fossilized form of tree resin. Brownish gold in color, amber is used in jewelry.

What type of literature does this passage most clearly illustrate?

Read this passage. Then, answer the question(s).

Phoebus was the name of Apollo in his role as god of the sun. Each day, he would drive the chariot of the sun across the sky, moving in an arc from east to west until it dropped below the horizon to end the hours of daylight. He had several children, including a son named Phaeton, who was very proud and ambitious. "I can drive the chariot just like you, Father!" Phaeton boasted, and he nagged and badgered until Phoebus finally let him take over the chariot one day. Unfortunately, Phaeton's self-esteem was far superior to his actual driving skill. In fact, he drove so badly that the horses left their usual path and the chariot threatened to engulf the entire world in flames. Zeus, chief of the gods, saw the deadly danger and immediately took action to prevent it. He hurled one of his thunderbolts to strike Phaeton, who then fell into the river Eridanus (also called the Po River). Phaeton's sisters were deeply upset with the loss of their brother. They mourned him for so long, and with such great sorrow, that they eventually turned into trees. The tears they wept were turned into amber, a fossilized form of tree resin. Brownish gold in color, amber is used in jewelry.

From details in the passage, what can you infer about the civilization and era that produced the story of Phoebus and Phaeton?

Read this passage. Then, answer the question(s).

Phoebus was the name of Apollo in his role as god of the sun. Each day, he would drive the chariot of the sun across the sky, moving in an arc from east to west until it dropped below the horizon to end the hours of daylight. He had several children, including a son named Phaeton, who was very proud and ambitious. "I can drive the chariot just like you, Father!" Phaeton boasted, and he nagged and badgered until Phoebus finally let him take over the chariot one day. Unfortunately, Phaeton's self-esteem was far superior to his actual driving skill. In fact, he drove so badly that the horses left their usual path and the chariot threatened to engulf the entire world in flames. Zeus, chief of the gods, saw the deadly danger and immediately took action to prevent it. He hurled one of his thunderbolts to strike Phaeton, who then fell into the river Eridanus (also called the Po River). Phaeton's sisters were deeply upset with the loss of their brother. They mourned him for so long, and with such great sorrow, that they eventually turned into trees. The tears they wept were turned into amber, a fossilized form of tree resin. Brownish gold in color, amber is used in jewelry.

Which statement best expresses a main theme of the passage?

Read this passage. Then, answer the question(s).

Do you always take a plane to travel long distances? Next time, try the train. Unlike travel by plane, which makes everything between your points of departure and arrival mere "flyover" country, travel by train lets you really see America. Instead of looking at boring clouds for the whole trip, you can view the scenery, study a map of your route, or read a description of what you are passing. There is an old-fashioned charm in traveling the way people did centuries ago and a childlike delight in going through so many places that you have only heard about. Like Dodge City, Kansas, where you pull in at six in the morning and spot the famous sight of Boot Hill out the window—or Denver, Colorado, where you stop for an hour and have time for a short walk downtown. Of course, you could travel by car and see the country that way. However, car travel is very tiring for whoever does the driving, unless you make lots of time-consuming stops. On a train you can relax, stretch your legs, stroll around, or chat with fellow passengers. Most long-distance trains offer meals in dining cars, and many have observation cars with large glass windows from which you can view the scenery. Many also have sleeper accommodations, but even if you cannot afford those, you can sleep overnight in your seat, just as you would on a plane—but with more leg room. Yes, indeed, for a trip that is both relaxing and exciting, nothing beats the train.

Which type of writing does this passage most clearly illustrate?

Read this passage. Then, answer the question(s).

Do you always take a plane to travel long distances? Next time, try the train. Unlike travel by plane, which makes everything between your points of departure and arrival mere "flyover" country, travel by train lets you really see America. Instead of looking at boring clouds for the whole trip, you can view the scenery, study a map of your route, or read a description of what you are passing. There is an old-fashioned charm in traveling the way people did centuries ago and a childlike delight in going through so many places that you have only heard about. Like Dodge City, Kansas, where you pull in at six in the morning and spot the famous sight of Boot Hill out the window—or Denver, Colorado, where you stop for an hour and have time for a short walk downtown. Of course, you could travel by car and see the country that way. However, car travel is very tiring for whoever does the driving, unless you make lots of time-consuming stops. On a train you can relax, stretch your legs, stroll around, or chat with fellow passengers. Most long-distance trains offer meals in dining cars, and many have observation cars with large glass windows from which you can view the scenery. Many also have sleeper accommodations, but even if you cannot afford those, you can sleep overnight in your seat, just as you would on a plane—but with more leg room. Yes, indeed, for a trip that is both relaxing and exciting, nothing beats the train.

Which sentence from the passage best expresses its main idea?

Read this passage. Then, answer the question(s).

Do you always take a plane to travel long distances? Next time, try the train. Unlike travel by plane, which makes everything between your points of departure and arrival mere "flyover" country, travel by train lets you really see America. Instead of looking at boring clouds for the whole trip, you can view the scenery, study a map of your route, or read a description of what you are passing. There is an old-fashioned charm in traveling the way people did centuries ago and a childlike delight in going through so many places that you have only heard about. Like Dodge City, Kansas, where you pull in at six in the morning and spot the famous sight of Boot Hill out the window—or Denver, Colorado, where you stop for an hour and have time for a short walk downtown. Of course, you could travel by car and see the country that way. However, car travel is very tiring for whoever does the driving, unless you make lots of time-consuming stops. On a train you can relax, stretch your legs, stroll around, or chat with fellow passengers. Most long-distance trains offer meals in dining cars, and many have observation cars with large glass windows from which you can view the scenery. Many also have sleeper accommodations, but even if you cannot afford those, you can sleep overnight in your seat, just as you would on a plane—but with more leg room. Yes, indeed, for a trip that is both relaxing and exciting, nothing beats the train.

Which statement best summarizes the passage?

Read this passage from "The Leak" by Jacques Futrelle. Then, answer the question(s).

The financier drew a long breath. "I have been informed that you were a remarkable man," he said at last slowly. "I believe it. Quinton Frazier, the banker who gave me the letter of introduction to you, told me how you once solved a remarkable mystery in which—" "Yes, yes," interrupted the scientist shortly, "the Ralston Bank burglary—I remember." "So I came to you to enlist your aid in something which is more inexplicable than that.… Briefly, there is a leak in my office. My plans become known to others almost by the time I have perfected them. My plans are large; I have millions at stake; and the greatest secrecy is absolutely essential. For years I have been able to preserve this secrecy; but half a dozen times in the last eight weeks my plans have become known, and I have been caught. Unless you know the Street, you can’t imagine what a tremendous disadvantage it is to have someone know your next move to the minutest detail and, knowing it, defeat you at every turn." "No, I don’t know your world of finance, Mr. Grayson," remarked The Thinking Machine. "Give me an instance." "Well, take this last case," said the financier earnestly. "Briefly, without technicalities, I had planned to unload the securities of the P., Q. & X. Railway, protecting myself through brokers, and force the outstanding stock down to a price where other brokers, acting for me, could buy far below the actual value. In this way I intended to get complete control of the stock. But my plans became known, and when I began to unload everything was snapped up by the opposition, with the result that instead of gaining control of the road I lost heavily. This same thing has happened, with variations, half a dozen times." "I presume that is strictly honest?" inquired the scientist mildly. "Honest?" replied Grayson. "Certainly—of course."

Which part of the story's plot does this passage most likely present?

Read this passage from "The Leak" by Jacques Futrelle. Then, answer the question(s).

The financier drew a long breath. "I have been informed that you were a remarkable man," he said at last slowly. "I believe it. Quinton Frazier, the banker who gave me the letter of introduction to you, told me how you once solved a remarkable mystery in which—" "Yes, yes," interrupted the scientist shortly, "the Ralston Bank burglary—I remember." "So I came to you to enlist your aid in something which is more inexplicable than that.… Briefly, there is a leak in my office. My plans become known to others almost by the time I have perfected them. My plans are large; I have millions at stake; and the greatest secrecy is absolutely essential. For years I have been able to preserve this secrecy; but half a dozen times in the last eight weeks my plans have become known, and I have been caught. Unless you know the Street, you can’t imagine what a tremendous disadvantage it is to have someone know your next move to the minutest detail and, knowing it, defeat you at every turn." "No, I don’t know your world of finance, Mr. Grayson," remarked The Thinking Machine. "Give me an instance." "Well, take this last case," said the financier earnestly. "Briefly, without technicalities, I had planned to unload the securities of the P., Q. & X. Railway, protecting myself through brokers, and force the outstanding stock down to a price where other brokers, acting for me, could buy far below the actual value. In this way I intended to get complete control of the stock. But my plans became known, and when I began to unload everything was snapped up by the opposition, with the result that instead of gaining control of the road I lost heavily. This same thing has happened, with variations, half a dozen times." "I presume that is strictly honest?" inquired the scientist mildly. "Honest?" replied Grayson. "Certainly—of course."

Which statement best connects the setting of the passage with the story's plot?

Read this passage from "The Leak" by Jacques Futrelle. Then, answer the question(s).

The financier drew a long breath. "I have been informed that you were a remarkable man," he said at last slowly. "I believe it. Quinton Frazier, the banker who gave me the letter of introduction to you, told me how you once solved a remarkable mystery in which—" "Yes, yes," interrupted the scientist shortly, "the Ralston Bank burglary—I remember." "So I came to you to enlist your aid in something which is more inexplicable than that.… Briefly, there is a leak in my office. My plans become known to others almost by the time I have perfected them. My plans are large; I have millions at stake; and the greatest secrecy is absolutely essential. For years I have been able to preserve this secrecy; but half a dozen times in the last eight weeks my plans have become known, and I have been caught. Unless you know the Street, you can’t imagine what a tremendous disadvantage it is to have someone know your next move to the minutest detail and, knowing it, defeat you at every turn." "No, I don’t know your world of finance, Mr. Grayson," remarked The Thinking Machine. "Give me an instance." "Well, take this last case," said the financier earnestly. "Briefly, without technicalities, I had planned to unload the securities of the P., Q. & X. Railway, protecting myself through brokers, and force the outstanding stock down to a price where other brokers, acting for me, could buy far below the actual value. In this way I intended to get complete control of the stock. But my plans became known, and when I began to unload everything was snapped up by the opposition, with the result that instead of gaining control of the road I lost heavily. This same thing has happened, with variations, half a dozen times." "I presume that is strictly honest?" inquired the scientist mildly. "Honest?" replied Grayson. "Certainly—of course."

How do details in the passage characterize The Thinking Machine?

Read this passage from "The Leak" by Jacques Futrelle. Then, answer the question(s).

The financier drew a long breath. "I have been informed that you were a remarkable man," he said at last slowly. "I believe it. Quinton Frazier, the banker who gave me the letter of introduction to you, told me how you once solved a remarkable mystery in which—" "Yes, yes," interrupted the scientist shortly, "the Ralston Bank burglary—I remember." "So I came to you to enlist your aid in something which is more inexplicable than that.… Briefly, there is a leak in my office. My plans become known to others almost by the time I have perfected them. My plans are large; I have millions at stake; and the greatest secrecy is absolutely essential. For years I have been able to preserve this secrecy; but half a dozen times in the last eight weeks my plans have become known, and I have been caught. Unless you know the Street, you can’t imagine what a tremendous disadvantage it is to have someone know your next move to the minutest detail and, knowing it, defeat you at every turn." "No, I don’t know your world of finance, Mr. Grayson," remarked The Thinking Machine. "Give me an instance." "Well, take this last case," said the financier earnestly. "Briefly, without technicalities, I had planned to unload the securities of the P., Q. & X. Railway, protecting myself through brokers, and force the outstanding stock down to a price where other brokers, acting for me, could buy far below the actual value. In this way I intended to get complete control of the stock. But my plans became known, and when I began to unload everything was snapped up by the opposition, with the result that instead of gaining control of the road I lost heavily. This same thing has happened, with variations, half a dozen times." "I presume that is strictly honest?" inquired the scientist mildly. "Honest?" replied Grayson. "Certainly—of course."

In the third paragraph, when Grayson says "the Street," to what is he referring?

Which meaning of the word road applies to its use in this sentence from the passage?

But my plans became known, and when I began to unload everything was snapped up by the opposition, with the result that instead of gaining control of the road I lost heavily.