Pretest: The Victorian Era
Read this excerpt from "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Which line marks the climax in the poem? His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;On burnish'd hooves his war horse trode;From underneath his helmet flow'dHis coal-black curls as on he rode,As he rode down to Camelot.From the bank and from the riverHe flash'd into the crystal mirror, "Tirra lirra," by the river Sang Sir Lancelot. She left the web, she left the loom,She made three paces thro' the room,She saw the water lily bloom,She saw the helmet and the plume,She look'd down to Camelot.Out flew the web and floated wide;The mirror crack'd from side to side;"The curse is come upon me," cried The Lady of Shalott.
"The curse is come upon me," cried The Lady of Shalott.
Which five sections in this excerpt from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde show that Lady Bracknell places utmost importance on wealth and appearances? LADY BRACKNELL (Sitting down again.): A moment, Mr. Worthing. A hundred and thirty thousand pounds! And in the Funds! Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady, now that I look at her. Few girls of the present day have any really solid qualities, any of the qualities that last, and improve with time. We live, I regret to say, in an age of surfaces. (To Cecily.) Come over here, dear. (Cecily goes across.) Pretty child! your dress is sadly simple, and your hair seems almost as Nature might have left it. But we can soon alter all that. A thoroughly experienced French maid produces a really marvellous result in a very brief space of time. I remember recommending one to young Lady Lancing, and after three months her own husband did not know her. JACK: And after six months nobody knew her. LADY BRACKNELL. (Glares at Jack for a few moments. Then bends, with a practised smile, to Cecily.): Kindly turn round, sweet child. (Cecily turns completely round.) No, the side view is what I want. (Cecily presents her profile.) Yes, quite as I expected. There are distinct social possibilities in your profile. The two weak points in our age are its want of principle and its want of profile. The chin a little higher, dear. Style largely depends on the way the chin is worn. They are worn very high, just at present. Algernon!
1; 3; 4; 5; 6.
Match the lines with the literary devices.
A rich man is no richer than a poor man. - paradox My friend dislikes reading but has been working at a bookstore for the past four years. - irony Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. - satire A horse is a very stable animal. - pun
What did Charles Dickens frequently criticize in his works? A. social injustice by the rich toward the poor B. Britain's frequent wars with its neighbors C. poor employment opportunities in urban areas D. lack of provisions for orphans in parish houses
A. social injustice by the rich toward the poor
Based on the context of the passage, what is a Bunburyist? A. someone who creates an imaginary person B. a guardian who neglects his responsibilities C. a person whose health changes with their location D. a friend with whom you can share secrets
A. someone who creates an imaginary person
What is the major theme in this excerpt from "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson? How dull it is to pause, to make an end,To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!As though to breathe were life! Life piled on life Were all too little, and of one to meLittle remains; but every hour is savedFrom that eternal silence, something more,A bringer of new things; and vile it wereFor some three suns to store and hoard myself, And this grey spirit yearning in desireTo follow knowledge like a sinking star,Beyond the utmost bound of human thought. A. the yearning for new experience B. the desire for a peaceful life C. the desire for material gain D. the longing for popularity
A. the yearning for new experience
In this excerpt from "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning, what can you infer about the Duchess? The bough of cherries some officious foolBroke in the orchard for her, the white muleShe rode with round the terrace—all and each Would draw from her alike the approving speech, A. She was a good-humored person. B. She was generous with praise. C. She was reluctant to acknowledge favors. D. She was hardworking and diligent.
B. She was generous with praise.
Which of the following is the best description of Catherine and Heathcliff's love in Wuthering Heights? A. Heathcliff loves Catherine all his life, though his love is unrequited. B. They are passionate, but their love transgresses social boundaries. C. Catherine is merely infatuated with Heathcliff, and her passion dies out soon. D. Heathcliff's love for Catherine is outshone by Edgar Linton's.
B. They are passionate, but their love transgresses social boundaries.
How does the poem "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson convey the position of Victorian women? A curse is on her if she stayTo look down to Camelot.She knows not what the curse may be,And so she weaveth steadily,And little other care hath she,The Lady of Shalott. And moving thro' a mirror clearThat hangs before her all the year,Shadows of the world appear.There she sees the highway nearWinding down to Camelot:There the river eddy whirls,And there the surly village churls,And the red cloaks of market girls,Pass onward from Shalott. A. Most Victorian women were restricted to their homes. B. Victorian women were confined to domestic duties. C. Most Victorian women worked hard but were often bored. D. Victorian women employed themselves by weaving.
B. Victorian women were confined to domestic duties.
Which of these modes of narration does Emily Brontë use in Wuthering Heights? A. free indirect speech B. frame narrative C. third-person limited D. third-person omniscient
B. frame narrative
Which two sets of lines in this excerpt from "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson describe actions taken by the Lady of Shalott to defy the curse? In the stormy east-wind straining,The pale yellow woods were waning,The broad stream in his banks complaining,Heavily the low sky rainingOver tower'd Camelot;Outside the isle a shallow boatBeneath a willow lay afloat,Below the carven stern she wrote,The Lady of Shalott....With a steady stony glance—Like some bold seer in a trance,Beholding all his own mischance,Mute, with a glassy countenance—She look'd down to Camelot.It was the closing of the day:She loos'd the chain, and down she lay;The broad stream bore her far away,The Lady of Shalott.As when to sailors while they roam,By creeks and outfalls far from home,Rising and dropping with the foam,From dying swans wild warblings come,Blown shoreward; so to CamelotStill as the boathead wound alongThe willowy hills and fields among,They heard her chanting her deathsong,The Lady of Shalott.
Below the carven stern she wrote,The Lady of Shalott.... She loos'd the chain, and down she lay;The broad stream bore her far away,The Lady of Shalott.
In this poem, what is the significance of the poet's comparison of love to "childhood's faith"? Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right; I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. A. The speaker expresses longing for her childhood. B. The speaker has had faith in love since childhood. C. The faith and trust of childhood is the strongest. D. Religious faith is strongest in childhood.
C. The faith and trust of childhood is the strongest.
What aspect of society does Charles Dickens criticize in this excerpt from Oliver Twist? For instance; when Sowerberry had an order for the burial of some rich old lady or gentleman, who was surrounded by a great number of nephews and nieces, who had been perfectly inconsolable during the previous illness, and whose grief had been wholly irrepressible even on the most public occasions, they would be as happy among themselves as need be—quite cheerful and contented—conversing together with as much freedom and gaiety, as if nothing whatever had happened to disturb them. Husbands, too, bore the loss of their wives with the most heroic calmness. Wives, again, put on weeds for their husbands, as if, so far from grieving in the garb of sorrow, they had made up their minds to render it as becoming and attractive as possible. It was observable, too, that ladies and gentlemen who were in passions of anguish during the ceremony of interment, recovered almost as soon as they reached home, and became quite composed before the tea-drinking was over. All this was very pleasant and improving to see; and Oliver beheld it with great admiration. A. differences in the outlook on death between the rich and poor B. neglect of health by the working class population C. the lack of adequate medicinal and health care facilities D. an exaggerated show of grief to maintain respectability
D. an exaggerated show of grief to maintain respectability
What attitude of the aristocracy is illustrated by Lady Bracknell's lines in the play? A. the importance of following strict codes of behavior B. the inappropriateness of looking down on others C. the importance of being honest and therefore respected D. the importance of beauty over more intrinsic qualities
D. the importance of beauty over more intrinsic qualities
Arrange the events in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights in correct chronological order.
Heathcliff and Catherine secretly enter Thrushcross Grange. Catherine decides to marry Edgar Linton. Heathcliff returns as a rich man. Catherine dies of brain fever. Heathcliff dies and is buried beside Catherine. Mr. Earnshaw brings home an orphan from Liverpool, England. Catherine decides to marry Edgar Linton. Heathcliff runs away from Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff returns as a rich man. Catherine dies of brain fever. Heathcliff dies and is buried beside Catherine.
In which three parts of this excerpt from "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold does the speaker describe the sorrow and confusion that he wants to escape? The Sea of FaithWas once, too, at the full, and round earth's shoreLay like the folds of a bright girdle furl'd.But now I only hearIts melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,Retreating, to the breathOf the night-wind, down the vast edges drearAnd naked shingles of the world. Ah, love, let us be trueTo one another! for the world, which seemsTo lie before us like a land of dreams,So various, so beautiful, so new,Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;And we are here as on a darkling plainSwept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,Where ignorant armies clash by night.
NOT The Sea of FaithWas once, too, at the full Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, And we are here as on a darkling plain
Which three parts of this passage from chapter 6 of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights show that Hindley Earnshaw did not care about the well-being of Catherine and Heathcliff after the death of Mr. Earnshaw? They both promised fair to grow up as rude as savages; the young master being entirely negligent how they behaved, and what they did, so they kept clear of him. He would not even have seen after their going to church on Sundays, only Joseph and the curate reprimanded his carelessness when they absented themselves; and that reminded him to order Heathcliff a flogging, and Catherine a fast from dinner or supper. But it was one of their chief amusements to run away to the moors in the morning and remain there all day, and the after punishment grew a mere thing to laugh at. The curate might set as many chapters as he pleased for Catherine to get by heart, and Joseph might thrash Heathcliff till his arm ached; they forgot everything the minute they were together again: at least the minute they had contrived some naughty plan of revenge; and many a time I've cried to myself to watch them growing more reckless daily, and I not daring to speak a syllable, for fear of losing the small power I still retained over the unfriended creatures. One Sunday evening, it chanced that they were banished from the sitting-room, for making a noise, or a light offence of the kind; and when I went to call them to supper, I could discover them nowhere. We searched the house, above and below, and the yard and stables; they were invisible: and, at last, Hindley in a passion told us to bolt the doors, and swore nobody should let them in that night. The household went to bed; and I, too, anxious to lie down, opened my lattice and put my head out to hearken, though it rained: determined to admit them in spite of the prohibition, should they return.
They both promised fair to grow up as rude as savages; the young master being entirely negligent how they behaved He would not even have seen after their going to church on Sundays, only Joseph and the curate reprimanded his carelessness when they absented themselves; and that reminded him to order Heathcliff a flogging, and Catherine a fast from dinner or supper. Hindley in a passion told us to bolt the doors, and swore nobody should let them in that night
Read this excerpt from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and complete the sentences that follow. "What did you say?" inquired Oliver, looking up very quickly. "A regular right-down bad 'un, Work'us," replied Noah, coolly. "And it's a great deal better, Work'us, that she died when she did, or else she'd have been hard labouring in Bridewell, or transported, or hung; which is more likely than either, isn't it?" Crimson with fury, Oliver started up; overthrew the chair and table; seized Noah by the throat; shook him, in the violence of his rage, till his teeth chattered in his head; and collecting his whole force into one heavy blow, felled him to the ground. A minute ago, the boy had looked the quiet child, mild, dejected creature that harsh treatment had made him. But his spirit was roused at last; the cruel insult to his dead mother had set his blood on fire. His breast heaved; his attitude was erect; his eye bright and vivid; his whole person changed, as he stood glaring over the cowardly tormentor who now lay crouching at his feet; and defied him with an energy he had never known before. "He'll murder me!" blubbered Noah. "Charlotte! missis! Here's the new boy a murdering of me! Help! help! Oliver's gone mad! Char—lotte!" [...] "Oh, you little wretch!" screamed Charlotte: seizing Oliver with her utmost force, which was about equal to that of a moderately strong man in particularly good training. "Oh, you little un-grate-ful, mur-de-rous, hor-rid villain!" And between every syllable, Charlotte gave Oliver a blow with all her might: accompanying it with a scream, for the benefit of society. Charlotte's fist was by no means a light one; but, lest it should not be effectual in calming Oliver's wrath, Mrs. Sowerberry plunged into the kitchen, and assisted to hold him with one hand, while she scratched his face with the other. In this favourable position of affairs, Noah rose from the ground, and pommelled him behind. In this excerpt, Oliver is presented as a boy who is _________. Charlotte is shown to be __________. In the last two paragraphs of the excerpt, the reader is left to infer that Charlotte, Mrs. Sowerberry, and Noah are _______ Oliver.
a boy who is misunderstood by others convinced by Noah's false claims overreacting to
Read this excerpt from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, and identify the meaning of the words in bold based on their context. It chanced one morning, while Oliver's affairs were in this auspicious and comfortable state, that Mr. Gamfield, chimney-sweep, went his way down the High Street, deeply cogitating in his mind his ways and means of paying certain arrears of rent, for which his landlord had become rather pressing. Mr. Gamfield's most sanguine estimate of his finances could not raise them within full five pounds of the desired amount; and, in a species of arithmetical desperation, he was alternately cudgelling his brains and his donkey, when passing the workhouse, his eyes encountered the bill on the gate. "Wo—o!" said Mr. Gamfield to the donkey. The donkey was in a state of profound abstraction: wondering, probably, whether he was destined to be regaled with a cabbage-stalk or two when he had disposed of the two sacks of soot with which the little cart was laden; so, without noticing the word of command, he jogged onward.
cogitating - contemplating cudgelling - beating regaled - rewarded
Read this excerpt from "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning and complete the sentences that follow. The rain set early in to-night, The sullen wind was soon awake, It tore the elm-tops down for spite, And did its worst to vex the lake These lines from the poem have several examples of __________. The lines express the importance of ____________ nature. The poetic sound device that is most pronounced in the lines is________
personification avoiding the wrath of rhyme
