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WorksheetsLiterature Test 3
Total questions: 43
Worksheet time: 4hrs 15mins
CYRIL: My dear Vivian, don’t coop yourself up all day in the library. It is a perfectly lovely afternoon. The air is exquisite. There is a mist upon the woods like the purple bloom upon a plum. Let us go and lie on the grass, and smoke cigarettes, and enjoy Nature. VIVIAN: Enjoy Nature! I am glad to say that I have entirely lost that faculty. People tell us that Art makes us love Nature more than we loved her before; that it reveals her secrets to us; and that after a careful study of Corot and Constable we see things in her that had escaped our observation. My own experience is that the more we study Art, the less we care for Nature. What Art really reveals to us is Nature’s lack of design, her curious crudities, her extraordinary monotony, her absolutely unfinished condition. Nature has good intentions, of course, but, as Aristotle once said, she cannot carry them out. When I look at a landscape, I cannot help seeing all its defects. It is fortunate for us, however, that Nature is so imperfect, as otherwise we should have had no art at all. Art is our spirited protest, our gallant attempt to teach Nature her proper place. As for the infinite variety of Nature, that is a pure myth. It is not to be found in Nature herself. It resides in the imagination, or fancy, or cultivated blindness of the man who looks at her. CYRIL: Well, you need not look at the landscape. You can lie on the grass and smoke and talk. VIVIAN: But Nature is so uncomfortable. Grass is hard and lumpy and damp, and full of dreadful black insects. Why, even Morris’ poorest workman could make you a more comfortable seat than the whole of Nature can. Nature pales before the furniture of “the street which from Oxford has borrowed its name,” as the poet you love so much once vilely phrased it. I don’t complain. If Nature had been comfortable, mankind would have never invented architecture, and I prefer houses to the open air. In a house we all feel of the proper proportions. Everything is subordinated to us, fashioned for our use and our pleasure. Egotism itself, which is so necessary to a proper sense of human dignity, is entirely the result of indoor life. Out of doors one becomes abstract and impersonal. One’s individuality absolutely leaves one. And then Nature is so indifferent, so unappreciative. Whenever I am walking in the park here, I always feel that I am no more to her than the cattle that browse on the slope, or the burdock that blooms in the ditch. Nothing is more evident than that Nature hates Mind. Thinking is the most unhealthy thing in the world, and people die of it just as they die of any other disease. Fortunately, in England at any rate, thought is not catching. Excerpt from “The Decay of Lying” by Oscar Wilde
Vivian’s attitude toward Nature can BEST be described as
skeptical
aversive
fearful
ambivalent
accepting
According to Vivian, why is indoor life better than being in Nature?
It gives people better health and fresh air.
It is easier to admire animals from inside.
It reinforces one’s sense of ego and proportion.
It helps people paint landscapes better.
It reminds him of walking in Oxford.
All of the following comparisons are made by Vivian EXCEPT
rural versus city life
ground versus furniture
inside versus outside
Art versus Nature
houses versus open air
The tone of this passage can BEST be classified as
didactic
disconsolate
satiric
proselytizing
elated
The word faculty, as used in the passage, MOST closely means
the staff of a university or school
patience or emotional tolerance
to become acquainted with by experience
mental or physical ability
enjoyment
Among Vivian’s complaints about Nature are all of the following EXCEPT that Nature
has flaws in its design
does not vary in its visuals
lacks polish
does not provide a comfortable seating area
is too solicitous
In addition to responding to Cyril's criticism of Nature, Vivian also expresses an opinion on
the abilities of British artists
the intelligence of the English
the writings of Aristotle
Cyril’s indifference to Vivian
the noise level of city streets
Why does Vivian claim to have lost the ability to enjoy Nature?
because he is allergic to grass and pollen
because Art has made him notice Nature’s flaws
because he prefers to study botany indoors
because he dislikes walking with Cyril
because Nature is too complicated to understand
Why is The Great Gatsby seen as a definitive account of such a complex time in American history?
The time was a unique mix of wealth, power, status, and political instability, as reflected by the novel.
The novel showcased the social and political struggles of women, as they strived toward the right to vote
The novel contrasted the 1920s excesses with the real-life struggles of everyday people like Nick.
The novel often referenced wealth, status, and consumer culture that defined much of the 1920s.
The 1920s and the novel are both remembered for themes of politics, money, wealth, and their effects.
How was the Harlem Renaissance made possible?
The Jim Crow laws of the South had been successfully eradicated, freeing up artistic ambitions.
The government had made a substantial investment in the infrastructure of New York City and Harlem.
More African American artists found work, community, and security in major Northern urban areas.
Repressive legislation in the South directly led to the migration of African Americans westward.
The Nineteenth Amendment was a driving force behind the improved social status of the disenfranchised.
Why did the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act prove relatively ineffective at stopping significant chunks of the population from drinking during the 1920s?
Drinking alcohol was only occasionally referenced in American literature.
The law was only enforced in cities with populations over one million.
Drinking alcohol was considered by many people to be a very healthy habit.
Alcohol was often featured in movies.
Drinking alcohol was commonplace.
One of the developments of the 1920s was known as
the Great Migration
the Great Awakening
Young America
the Homestead Movement
the New Patriotism
Which of the following changes led to artists of the 1920s feeling pressure to break from old traditions?
World War I destruction
political instability
extreme concentrations of wealth
Eighteenth Amendment
Volstead Act
What happens at the end of the episode with Tom, Myrtle and others in the New York apartment?
Nick rebukes Tom for his violence.
Nick congratulates Tom .
Tom asks forgiveness from Myrtle.
Nick storms out of the apartment, disgusted at Tom’s behavior.
Nick ends up at McKee’s apartment looking at photographs.
Myrtle ran into the road and was hit by a car. She ran into the road because
she was trying to escape from George
she was chasing her puppy, which had run into the road
she wanted to speak to the man in the car
she was crying and didn’t see where she was going
she wanted to end her life
When Nick visits the apartment with Tom and Myrtle and others, the evening ends with bloody towels on the floor. This is because
Tom broke Myrtle’s nose
Tom and Chester McKee got into a fistfight
Myrtle got drunk and fell onto the glass coffee table
the dog bit Myrtle
Nick got drunk and broke a wineglass
What is the irony of Tom Buchanan’s prestigious education, according to Nick Carraway?
Nick spoke with one of Tom’s past classmates, who said he was not very intelligent at all.
Tom and Gatsby both attended the same university, yet Tom is the one disparaging Gatsby.
Nick discovers from a business associate that Tom is lying about his past academic achievements.
Tom’s professors later admitted to inflating his grades due to his athletic status.
Nick detects that Tom is unintelligent and only able to understand things at a surface level.
Nick and Gatsby find they know each other from
meeting in Louisville
meeting in Minnesota
having been to the same speakeasy
having seen each other on the train into New York City
meeting in the army
How is Myrtle Wilson shown to be vulnerable?
She is consistently used by all the men who become part of her extensive social circle.
George Wilson frequently berates her in front of family, friends, and even long-time customers.
Myrtle is portrayed as a wealthy heiress hiding her true identity from Tom.
She is a woman and a working-class person subject to the whims of both men and the upper classes.
She inherits a fortune midway through the novel, giving her financial independence.
What happens when George Wilson talks to Tom Buchanan after the accident?
Tom tells him the car belonged to Gatsby.
Tom tells him that he (Tom) was having an affair with Myrtle.
Tom yells that he (George) is responsible for his wife’s death.
Tom tries to call the police on him.
Tom refuses to tell him anything.
Why is the valley of ashes so significant in The Great Gatsby?
It represents the vast industrial wasteland that harbors the working-class people of New York City.
It symbolizes the thriving and prosperous middle class in New York.
The train to Manhattan runs through the area, and it gives an outsider a real view of its intense pollution.
The valley of ashes mainly represents the exploitation of the industrialists of the time.
It shows the dramatic difference between wealthy neighborhoods and the working-class valley of ashes.
Why does George Wilson want to make some extra money in buying a car from Tom?
George’s wife has been suffering from an expensive disease.
George wants to take his wife away out west.
George wants to buy his wife expensive clothes and jewelry.
George wants to set himself up with an auto-parts store.
George wants to move to West Egg.
What is the difference between Gatsby’s supposed upbringing compared to where he actually grew up?
He was not born in Chicago as he told others but was raised in Minneapolis / St. Paul.
He was not born in San Francisco as he initially claimed but in North Dakota to a family of poor farmers.
He was not born in Philadelphia as he told others but was raised by Tulsa, Oklahoma wheat farmers.
He was not born in Los Angeles as he initially claimed but in Nebraska to a family of corn farmers.
He was not born in Reno, Nevada as he initially claimed but in Kansas to a family of poor farmers.
What specific circumstance allowed Nick Carraway to end up meeting Tom Buchanan’s mistress, Myrtle Wilson?
Tom invites Nick for lunch, and Myrtle shows up near the end of the event.
Nick asks Tom if he can stop by his apartment to discuss Gatsby’s many business relationships.
The train stops at the valley of the ashes for at least one minute.
George Wilson calls up Tom about a car, and Tom takes Nick with him to see George’s garage and the car.
Myrtle mistakenly calls Tom while Nick is visiting Tom and his wife Daisy.
What was Gatsby’s relationship to St. Olaf College in Minnesota?
He always wanted to go there but was not admitted.
His father wanted him to go there but he refused.
He went there for two weeks.
He went there for two years but did not graduate.
He graduated from St. Olaf
Why did Nick Carraway break up with a woman he was dating while they were both working at Probity Trust?
She left on vacation to New Jersey and never returned.
Her father felt Nick was “beneath” her in terms of wealth.
Nick perceived that her brother didn’t approve of him.
She cheated on Nick with another man in the accounting department there.
They had a huge fight at one of Gatsby’s parties.
Gatsby says casually “I don’t want to put you to any trouble,” while clearly hoping that Nick will
join Wolfshiem in their illegal activities
pretend that he (Nick) was driving the “death car”
tell him who Tom’s mistress is
warn him if any police are coming
invite Daisy over so Gatsby can talk to her
When Nick Carraway calls Daisy to tell her that Gatsby has died,
Daisy starts to cry
Tom refuses to let Daisy come to the phone
Daisy hears the news but hangs up on Nick
Tom tells Nick that they have already heard the news
someone tells Nick that Tom and Daisy have gone away
How could Nick Carraway’s life have been potentially changed for the worse?
Gatsby asked Nick to accompany him to meet with Meyer Wolfshiem in person.
Nick was going to leave Gatsby’s party at about the same time as a car accident occurred.
Gatsby wanted Nick to secretly spy on Daisy and Tom Buchanan for about a week.
Gatsby wanted to buy many bonds from Probity Trust, but Nick suspected the buy was illegal.
Gatsby offered Nick a business proposition, and accepting might have changed his life.
Of the following, the word that best describes Gatsby’s house is
enormous
restrained
contemporary
brutalist
cookie-cutter
Nick comes across a car accident after Gatsby’s party. This accident resembles the later accident in that
a woman was killed
onlookers were initially mistaken about the color of the car
the car belonged to Gatsby
the car did not stop after the accident
it turns out the ostensible driver had not actually been driving
After the confrontation with Gatsby, how does Tom Buchanan’s attitude change, involving his relationship with Daisy?
He seems to now truly value his relationship with her.
He intends to promptly end his affair with Myrtle Wilson.
He decides to leave Daisy and start a new life alone.
He tells her he will take better care of her going forward.
He immediately apologizes to Gatsby and asks for forgiveness.
At the end of the story, how does Nick characterize the “green light” that Gatsby was so fixated upon?
He states the green light was the main source of Gatsby’s destruction
He believes we are all searching for a future that may never happen.
He feels that Daisy, the “green light,” had misled Gatsby from the beginning.
He suspects that something “dark” is coming soon, and it may be an economic storm.
He characterizes the green light as a beacon in a world of darkness and despair.
According to “Echoes of the Jazz Age,” how did social values change near the end of the 1920s?
People became more disdainful of social institutions, wealth, and political parties.
Wealth, status, and social acceptance slowly waned in favor of activism and rebellion.
Most Americans abandoned urban life to return to rural, agrarian communities.
Charm, notoriety, and mere good manners weighed more than money as a social asset.
Society became more activist and rebellious as fascist regimes of the 1920s increased dramatically.
Why did F. Scott Fitzgerald believe that Jazz Age writers had, ultimately, done something truly revolutionary by developing what he calls a “living” literature?
The “living” literature accurately reflected the dark societal overtones of poverty and rebellion.
The writers uncovered a new political movement that focused on the rights of all individuals.
The new literature frankly explored human sensuality, social interactions, and alienation.
The “living” literature correctly articulated the vast dominance of wealth that upper class people held.
The writers sensed a longing by most people for a return to morality and decency.
Read the following quote from Hart Crane’s “Chaplinesque”: “We make our meek adjustments, Contented with such random consolations As the wind deposits In slithered and too ample pockets.” In this quote, how does Hart Crane specifically view the circumstances of artists and idealists of the 1920s?
He believes they had great potential to become financially independent and affect social change.
He describes them as respected leaders who shaped the decade’s political decisions.
He felt they had “paid the ultimate price” for their brilliance and deserved better.
They were often forced to live in difficult and precarious circumstances.
They were frequently humbled and embarrassed by the more refined members of society.
One message of “Chaplinesque” is
We may be poor, but we can still love the world
Happiness lies in resignation
Our first duty is to take care of ourselves
If the present is not sufficient, we should trust that change will happen
Detachment is the key to endurance
How was H. L. Mencken’s writing career different from many other contemporary writers?
He often pursued foreign trips to meet other writers.
He eventually transitioned into anthropological work.
He was a prolific fictional writer of contemporary events.
His popular journalism made him a household name.
His use of irony and serendipity in his writing set him apart.
Which of the following reasons does H. L. Mencken provide for evidence regarding this quote from “Advice To Young Men”? “The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.”
The older people he knows always let him down in terms of intellectual curiosity.
He has seen many older people fall into the depths of despair and moral decay.
He points out how older elected leaders are no more competent than their younger counterparts.
Many of his classmates ended up marrying earlier in life, only to end up being later divorced.
Most of the older men he knows are no wiser compared to their younger years.
In “Rope,” the wife suggests a reason that the husband has failed to buy coffee:
because he does not love her
as revenge for her unkind behavior the day before
as a way of showing her who’s boss
because he is chronically unreliable
because he doesn’t drink coffee himself
How do Edna St. Vincent Millay’s actions and pursuits evolve during the 1920s and beyond?
She engages in political and social activism.
She begins writing women-focused screenplays.
She pursues a career in social anthropology.
She meets with many international political leaders, to discuss global injustices against women.
She starts writing longer-form novels, including science fiction and romance.
“Shall I Say, ‘My Son, You’re Branded?’”, the “pageantry” represents
display for purposes of bragging
parades and celebrations
beauty contests
government decision-making processes
the many ways things happen
In “Salutamus,” how is the story of Hotspur and Sterling A. Brown’s moral view similar?
Both believe in the redeeming qualities of the leaders of their time.
Both are convinced of the moral goodness that exists in every person.
Both desire a world that is dominated by warriors who resist evil forces together.
Both express a willingness of people to die honorably for a just cause.
Both believe in Dr. King and Ghandi’s “nonviolent” form of resistance.
Why does Sterling A. Brown use the word “must” in the eighth, twelfth, and final lines of the poem “Salutamus”?
Brown believes people of all races must join together, even those whose views cannot be changed.
The path to a better world goes through convincing those who may not be easily convinced.
Brown feels all leaders worldwide must unite together for any type of common cause.
Future generations must learn from the past, so mistakes will be repeated but are not permanent.
The path toward building a better world for future generations must not be abandoned.
According to Georgia Douglas Johnson, how did women of the 1920s – who were frequently denied active roles in politics and social life – respond?
They created their own political and social parties to create a path forward to address the many injustices.
They often turned their creative energies inward, both into themselves and into their homes.
They tried to convince like-minded men to join their new political and social movements.
They used the new technologies, such as radio, to spread their message of hope and inclusion worldwide.
They bought large amounts of consumer goods to compensate for a lack of suffrage and political power.
What laws did Georgia Douglas Johnson use plays to dramatize about, regarding the United States government’s failure to pass meaningful legislation?
housing discrimination policies
suffrage legislation
anti-lynching legislation
women representation in government
school desegregation laws
The tone of “The Weary Blues” is
light-hearted
melancholy
idealistic
analytical
prideful
“The Weary Blues” contains all of the following EXCEPT
rhyming couplets
lines that don’t rhyme
repetition
lines in dialect
abab rhyme
Why did Zora Neale Hurston place emphasis on folk traditions rather than on contemporary political crises?
She believed inclusive racial consciousness can only be developed through careful attention to traditions.
She felt that social activism was too extreme, and people who want change should direct energies inward.
She thought that folk traditions were the key to thoroughly understanding all of society’s racial concerns.
She practiced anthropology to help develop a keener sense of the political winds and their direction.
She showed – through volunteer work with traditional communities – how political change could happen.
In her essay “The Ten Commandments of Charm,” how does Zora Neale Hurston view communication between a woman and a man, with respect to the commandment below? “Beware the temptation of the inkwell.”
She believes that letters are effective communication, but they should never be written in ink.
Too many letters written by the woman can be detrimental to the relationship.
She believes that communication should take place primarily over the telephone.
She encourages women to write daily letters to show their devotion
She thinks the best form of communication is either over the telephone or in person.
