AP Literature Exam
In the context of the poem, which image most fully reflects the speaker's disapproval of the neighbor's attitudes? (Mending Wall)
"He moves in darkness" (line 41)
Which lines from the passage would best support a reader's claim that one of the central themes of the passage is independence? (Sredni Vashtar)
"Such few pleasures as he could contrive for himself gained an added relish from the likelihood that they would be displeasing to his guardian, and from the realm of his imagination she was locked out—an unclean thing, which should find no entrance" (paragraph 2)
In line 6, "them" refers to (Mending Wall)
"hunters" (line 5)
Which of the following effects does the "large polecat-ferret" mentioned toward the end of the final paragraph have on the development of Conradin's character? (Sredni Vashtar)
It fulfills Conradin's imaginative ideal because he is able to transform it into "a god and a religion" (paragraph 3).
In the fifth paragraph, Tom's description of the "gentleman caller" has which effect? (Glass Menagerie)
It prompts Tom to admit that he is prone to attaching figurative meaning to his characters.
Within the context of the entire poem, the use of "I stood" in line 1 and again in line 33 serves which function? (Night)
It reinforces the poem's focus on an experience that captivates the speaker.
What is the significance of Cynthia and Stan's discussion of a Panama Canal cruise at the beginning of the scene? (Sweat)
It suggests Cynthia's desire to escape a stressful situation.
In the first paragraph, Tom's claim that he is "the opposite of a stage magician" and that he tells the "truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion" suggests that he (Letter Home)
Will tell the "truth" in a way that his audience can accept.
Stan's role in the passage is best described as that of (Sweat)
a concerned third party who recognizes the complexities of the situation
Toward the middle of the second paragraph, the comparison between the stars and "a distant cloud of fireflies" (sentence 6) is best described as (The Essex Serpent)
a lively metaphor that emphasizes the narrator's initial delight at being able to see stars in the city
The narrator speaks from the point of view of (Tom Rivers)
a member of a close-knit family whose knowledge is limited by his experiences
The narrator in the passage speaks from the point of view of (Shamengwa)
a member of a community with insight into it's people and their experiences.
The references in the first and third paragraphs to the "mini Monticello," the "bloated Tudor cottage," the "Spanish-style mansion," and the "Moorish castle" suggest that the passage is set in (Secret Stream)
a pretentious suburban neighborhood.
In lines 1-2, the speaker describes "Like" as a "semi-demi goddess" primarily to emphasize the (Sestina)
almost religious devotion people have to collecting "likes" on social media
The speaker's description of her initial reaction to seeing the deceased in the coffin (line 7) suggests that her initial reaction to the death was (Giving Back the Flower)
anger
The contrast between Aunt Virginia and "the others" (line 30-36) suggests that while she is calm and cheerful about her impending death, they are (Lightness)
anxious and puzzled
The relationship between Aunt Virginia and her "regular customers" (line 20) can best be described as (Lightness)
appreciative but distant.
In lines 11-12, the acrobat, who is "not-quite- / Lost," functions as a representation of the bird's nest's (Lightness)
astonishing agility
In the fourth paragraph, Shamengwa's decision to place his awards "on a triangular scrap of shelf high in one corner of his house" suggests that he (Shamengwa)
attaches little importance to external recognition
In the context of the poem as a whole, the contrast of "a little scarlet bud, that was dying of frost" (line 4) in the first stanza with the "sweetness" (line 21) of the flower in the last stanza suggests that the speaker has (Giving back the Flower)
come to terms with her loss.
In the second sentence of the final paragraph, the image of the "human race itself" being "extinguished" most clearly serves to associate humanity with (The Essex Serpent)
long-dead stars
In choosing to describe the divinity-student's face as having "the color of a very young pea somewhat over-boiled" in the fourth sentence of the third paragraph, the narrator uses exaggeration to (The professor at the Breakfast Table)
mock the divinity-student's response as overwrought.
In the second sentence of the first paragraph ("The green . . . once"), the description of Ignatius' earflaps as being "like turn signals" contributes to the narrator's overall tone of (Confederacy of Dunces)
mockery
Cynthia's use of "they" to describe both the plant managers (line 13 and line 15) and the plant workers (line 15) suggests that she (Sweat)
no longer considers herself part of either group.
Lines 27-28 ("Their . . . to me") emphasize the speaker's sense that her (Letter Home)
past life and true identity are always present.
In the fourth paragraph, the narrator presents himself as (Tom Rivers)
perplexed by an event that occurred long ago
The effect of the passage's overall structure is to (Confederacy of Dunces)
present Ignatius' thought processes as they occur
The function of Cynthia's memories of her desire for a management position (line 11 and line 13) in the scene as a whole is to (Sweat)
provide a justification for Cynthia's apparent betrayal of her family and friends.
The narrator of the passage can best be described as (Secret Stream)
providing the reader access to only one character's thoughts
The allusion in "Faint glories of the crown that Phoebus wears" (line 36) emphasizes the (Night)
radiance of light exuding through the darkness.
An interpretation stating that the speaker feels awed when experiencing the hours of night would be most fully supported by the poem's (Night)
references to the magical effects of night.
Lines 29-34 ("I thought . . . ends") suggest that the speaker imitated Miss J— primarily because she (Letter Home)
regarded speech like Miss J---'s as a means of self-improvement.
In the second and third paragraphs, the specific references to time ("the thirties") and place ("Spain," "Chicago, Cleveland, Saint Louis") primarily serve to (Letter Home)
reinforce the notion that the play is part of a "world of reality" (paragraph 5) that will be reconstructed from "memory" (paragraph 4)
The contrast between the speaker's description of herself as "a woman in jewels and lace" (line 14) and the description of "children crying for bread and fire" (line 16) primarily serves to emphasize the (Giving Back the Flower)
relative triviality of the speaker's situation.
The speaker primarily characterizes God as (Giving Back the Flower)
remote
The speaker's description of herself as "the slave of the Ring" (line 6) suggests that her attitude toward the deceased may be colored by her (Giving Back the flower)
resentment that she could not encourage the deceased's advances.
The second paragraph ("Mrs. De Ropp . . . entrance") suggests that Conradin is able to cope with his situation primarily by (Sredni Vashtar)
retreating to the security of an interior world
What function does Aunt Virginia's self-possession, her "intactness" (line 36), serve within the context of the poem? (Lightness)
It clarifies her serene acceptance of mortality.
The two three-line stanzas in lines 1-3 and in lines 42-44 have the effect of framing the poem as (A Poet to his Baby Son)
A concise and counter intuitive message.
Which of the following best characterizes the passage as a whole? (Shamengwa)
A discussion of a character that provides insights into a defined community
Which choice best describes the use of a literary device in line 4 ? (Night)
A metaphor characterizes the night as a graceful, pervasive presence.
Which of the following best describes the structure of the passage? (Secret Stream)
A sequential account of an activity sheds light on an individual's character.
When Stan says, "I remember the feeling," (line 10) it suggests that he (Sweat)
Belonged to the union as well
The speaker compares which of the following to develop the extended metaphor of the fallen "birdsnest" (line 1) ? (Lightness)
Fragile and Resilient features.
In the last sentence of the first paragraph, Ignatius' reference to "theology and geometry" conveys which of the following? (Confederacy of Dunces)
His condescending attitude toward people of his mother's generation
The events recounted in the third through eighth paragraphs ("Without . . . 'I guess'") establish which of the following about Nathan?
His feelings of discomfort
Which line contains an example of personification? (Night)
Line 29 ("The billows...sleep")
Which lines most fully support an interpretation that the speaker feels the nonpoets of the modern world have a misguided perspective? (A Poet to His Baby Son)
Lines 38-39 ("Grow up . . . wants")
In the third sentence of the first paragraph, the narrator's description of Mrs. De Ropp as "those three-fifths of the world that are necessary and disagreeable and real" suggests that (Sredni Vashtar)
Mrs. De Ropp is a strict person who fails to appreciate Conradin's creative spirit
Which word best represents the way the narrator describes the setting as related in the seventh paragraph? (Secret Stream)
Peaceful.
In addressing his baby son, the speaker alludes to Keats's poem in lines 25-26 ("And interpreters . . . beauty") in order to make which point? (A Poet to His Baby Son)
Poets formerly helped readers feel that they understood the world around them.
The allusion to Atlas in line 34 primarily serves to suggest that modern poets (A Poet to his Baby Son)
Possess an exaggerated sense of their own importance.
In context, the term "marched" in the third sentence of the third paragraph suggests which of the following about Sofia? (Secret Stream)
She feels confident in her environment.
What is the source of the internal conflict acknowledged by the speaker? (Letter home)
She realizes that her race and gender will make it difficult for her to achieve her goals.
Which of the following does the speaker imply about her "plain English and good writing" (line 6) ? (Letter Home)
That she had mistakenly believed that these skills would be sufficient to get her a job
The metaphor in the first paragraph comparing the narrator's situation to a "high-wire act" emphasizes which of the following? (The Essex Serpent)
The danger of the narrator's current predicament
The image of the "blurred yellow rectangle of a taxicab" in the final paragraph helps dramatize which aspect of the scene? (The Essex Serpent)
The dizzying height from which the narrator regards the city streets.
In referring to Times Square as a "neon inferno" in the final paragraph, the narrator emphasizes both the brightness of Times Square's lights and (The Essex Serpent)
The garish appearance it has compared to the sky above it.
In lines 21-40 ("There . . . home"), the speaker's juxtaposition of her life in New Orleans with her life at "home" primarily serves to emphasize (Letter Home)
The harsh reality of her situation.
Which details from the passage would best support a reader's interpretation that escape is a central theme of the passage? (Glass Menagerie)
Tom's description of the gentleman caller and his reference to the postcard from Mazatlan
Which of the following best describes how the contrast between Ignatius' and the narrator's perspectives contributes to the portrayal of Ignatius in the passage? (Confederacy of Dunces)
While Ignatius' own thoughts and opinions indicate that he is an unusual person, the narrator's description extends his unconventionality to being peculiar.
Toward the end of the first paragraph, the references to what goes on "in one of the upstairs rooms" and to Jim Crenfew's "explosive laugh" suggest which of the following about the narrator? (Tom Rivers)
The past is very vivid to him.
Which of the following best describes the poem's structure? (Giving back the Flower)
The poem shifts between the speaker's memories of the past and her jumble of thoughts and emotions in the present.
Which of the following best describes the structure of the passage? (Tom Rivers)
The recollection of youthful memories leads to wondering about the location of an old friend.
How are personal details about the husband used in the poem to express the speaker's perspective on the wife? (Lightness)
The speaker compares the husband's "softness" (line 28) in interacting with his wife to his "strong" (line 30) nature.
How does the speaker's repetition of the neighbor's cherished belief about the importance of walls (lines 27 and 45) convey the poem's criticism of an undesirable social pattern? (Mending Wall)
The speaker treats the neighbor's words about fences as evidence of a world view that is closed-minded in general.
In the sixth paragraph, the description of Tom's father, the "fifth character in the play," introduces which idea? (Glass Menagerie)
The void created by the father's absence serves as an important character itself.
Which of the following events mentioned in the passage happened last? (Sweat)
The workers were locked out of the plant.
Based on details provided in the text, which of the following is most likely the setting for the passage? (Tom Rivers)
The yard of an old family homestead.
In the first three sentences of the second paragraph ("At such . . . connection"), the narrator suggests which of the following about himself and his cousins? (Tom Rivers)
They don't want to disrupt a particular mood.
What overall function do "the others" (line 30) serve within the context of the poem? (Lightness)
They represent being immersed in life, while Aunt Virginia represents embracing death.
The narrator's tone in the second paragraph ("This was . . . morning") suggests that the narrator actually views the Poor Relation's remark to the divinity-student as (The professor at the Breakfast Table)
blunt and negative
The juxtaposition of adjectives in lines 9-15 ("and in . . . shining") cumulatively creates a sensory impression of (Night)
darkness with an interval of light.
Toward the end of the final paragraph, Conradin's "exchange" of "a long-secreted hoard of small silver" with the butcher-boy is significant because it (Sredni Vashtar)
develops the idea that Conradin finds joy in acts that would be displeasing to Mrs. De Ropp
In the third sentence of the final paragraph, the "disused tool-shed" functions primarily as a setting in which Conradin (Sredni Vashtar)
discovers meaningful solitude
In the first sentence of the passage, the description of Ignatius' head as a "fleshy balloon" contributes to the narrator's portrayal of Ignatius' (Confederacy of Dunces)
distasteful physical appearance
In the third paragraph ("There . . . tree"), the narrator's descriptions of light falling through branches and shadows moving across the field primarily serve to (Tom Rivers)
emphasize a difference between the regularity of nature and the unpredictability of humans
The second half of the third paragraph ("When . . . played it") primarily serves to (Shamengwa)
explain the impact of a character's performing style
In lines 37-39 ("And soon . . . Love"), personification portrays the Earth as (Night)
gradually exhibiting a sense of pleasure.
The simile in lines 21-22 ("like . . . subtitles") primarily serves to illustrate (Sestina)
how crucial the word "like" is to people's ability to communicate with each other
In the passage, all of the following contrasts convey Cynthia's complex understanding of the divide between workers and management EXCEPT (Sweat)
hungry versus satisfied
In line 29, "old" refers to a language that is (A Poet to his Baby Son)
inadequate to express modern thoughts
In context, "lace-work" (line 14) is best understood to refer to the (Night)
intricate patterns of overlapping leaves and branches
In the fourth sentence of the passage ("I moved . . . step"), the word "premeditated" indicates that the narrator (The Essex Serpent)
is being very cautious as he navigates the fire escape
By juxtaposing the narrator's commentary on Ignatius' appearance with the narrator's account of Ignatius' inner thoughts, the first two paragraphs of the passage highlight the inconsistency between Ignatius' (Confederacy of Dunces)
judgmental attitude and his questionable clothes and grooming
Ignatius' actions and thoughts in the final paragraph of the passage most clearly serve to convey his (Confederacy of Dunces)
self-centered focus on his own needs
The passage emphasizes a parallel between the narrator's unexpected experience of finding himself outside the building and his (The Essex Serpent)
sense of temporarily existing outside everyday time and space
In the context of the first stanza, "Tiny" (line 1) emphasizes the speaker's feeling that his son is a (A Poet to His Baby Son)
small part of a larger world
Overall, the poem can best be interpreted as a (Letter Home)
social commentary using a historical period.
Line 28 ("Spring . . . wonder") most clearly marks a shift in the speaker's focus from the practical task at hand to (Mending Wall)
speculation about the nature of fences and boundaries
The repetition of versions of the word "like" at the end of each line of the poem does all of the following EXCEPT (Sestina)
suggest that the speaker's vocabulary is limited
In context, Ignatius' observations contrasting his own clothing with that of the people around him (paragraph 1) most clearly serve to emphasize (Confederacy of Dunces)
the unconventional nature of Ignatius' priorities and values
In lines 26-27 ("Displaces . . . nest"), the metaphor of "endangered hatchlings" suggests that "Like" (Sestina)
threatens to eliminate more sophisticated language
Overall, the passage can best be interpreted as an account of a (The Essex Serpent)
transcendent experience
In lines 1-3 ("I stood . . . world"), personification primarily has the effect of (Night)
transforming a natural process into a series of intentional actions
In context, the description of modern poets as "unfortunate fellows / And . . . Atlas" (lines 27-34) suggests that the speaker believes their predicament is (A Poet to his Baby Son)
trivial because it is self-created.
In line 40 ("like . . . armed"), the speaker uses a simile to draw attention to the contrast between (Mending Wall)
two distinct perspectives of the world
In context, the discussion of "owehzhee" in the second paragraph suggests that the narrator (Shamengwa)
understands and sympathizes with Shamengwa's attentiveness to his appearance.
The repetition of line 1 ("Something . . . wall") in line 35 most clearly reflects the speaker's (Mending Wall)
unfulfilled impulse to share his personal reflections with the neighbor
According to Tom, the presence of the "gentleman caller" mentioned in the fifth paragraph reinforces a conflict between (Glass Menagerie)
waiting and fulfillment
