Progress Check MCQ

In the first three sentences of the passage ("He found . . . Malétroits"), the details Denis observes upon entering the Sire de Malétroit's residence combine to create a sense of

B Barrenness to spotlight Malétroit himself

The juxtaposition of what Evans "wanted" (line 12) and "didn't want" (line 14) serves to emphasize that Evans

B Focused on the details of the landscape rather than the lives of the people who inhabit it

The setting described in the poem is best identified as a landscape that

B Is depicted in a photograph that has captured the speaker's attention

In context, the narrator's description in the sixth paragraph of Penumbra as someone who comes "out of the shadows" serves to link Penumbra with the

B Ladders and bookshelves in the back of the store

The narrator's association with her assumed reader in the second sentence of the second paragraph ("the way . . . needlepoint") suggests that both inhabit an environment

B Well-known to average people

The attitude of the speaker in lines 18-19 ("I look . . . hills") might best be described as

C Nostalgic

Penumbra becomes increasingly friendly once the narrator demonstrates the ability to

C Show enthusiasm for specific books

In context, which detail from the text is most closely associated with Mrs. Murdock's perspective in the final paragraph?

C The lights and the glory" (paragraph 1)

The poem as a whole juxtaposes Walker Evans' values with the speaker's by presenting the Evans photograph as a metaphor for the

E Incomplete nature of an artist's perspective

The details about Aunt Grace in lines 15-17 ("my clumsy . . . floor") suggest that, to the speaker, Aunt Grace is

A An embodiment of the messiness of reality versus the order that art sometimes imposes

In lines 3-6 ("Here . . . branch"), the speaker's description of Evans' photography techniques as "acrobatic" suggests that the photographer's relationship to his surroundings is

A Calculated and artificial

The narrator remarks on the sharp contrast between Malétroit's "expression" (paragraph 2) and his

A Calm silence

How does the information in the fourth sentence of the first paragraph ("Denis . . . hands") connect Denis with Malétroit?

A Denis appreciates Malétroit's status.

In the eleventh paragraph, the reference to "a siege from the shelves" reflects which shift in the narrator's view of the bookstore?

A From apprehension to lighthearted confidence

In the first paragraph, the narrator's choice of conceptually related words such as "devout," "worshiping," and "altars" draws attention to which aspect of Mrs. Murdock's character?

A Her zealous nature

The imagery in the first sentence ("The shelves . . . reach") most clearly suggests that the events of the passage might be read as a metaphorical

A Journey

In the final paragraph, the only spoken words in the passage highlight a juxtaposition between

A Malétroit's polite invitation and his threatening appearance

For the speaker, Evans' decision to use the ferns "as foreground and as border" (line 21) symbolically reveals

A The limitations resulting from Evans's artistic choices

The narrator of the passage is best described as

C An accidental job seeker

The contrast between the two central characters in the passage reveals that, unlike Mrs. Murdock, Miss Noyes is

C Artistic and daring

In the ninth paragraph, Penumbra's self-designation as the "custodian" of the bookstore, rather than the owner, suggests that he considers the bookstore a

C Temporary but important responsibility

The dramatic situation in the passage is best described as

C Meeting an idol

The speaker of the poem is best described as

D A viewer musing on the significance of a specific photograph

The speaker of the poem is best interpreted as taking on the role of

D An interpreter

In the second paragraph ("Then . . . needlepoint"), the repetition of the detail that Miss Noyes knew an actress primarily serves to

D Convey Mrs. Murdock's surprise and excitement

The narrator's description of the bookstore in the first paragraph presents it as

E A strange and fearful challenge

The detailed description that precedes Malétroit's spoken words has the effect of

E Giving Malétroit's greeting an ominous tone that suggests Denis' interaction with him may prove to be unpleasant

The technique of opening the passage by contrasting Mr. and Mrs. Murdock's views on "plays and their players" functions to

E Introduce one character's opinion that is then developed throughout the passage

In context, the question at the very end of the passage most likely strikes the narrator as a sign that

E The narrator has gotten the job

How does the detailed description of the Sire de Malétroit's hands toward the middle of the second paragraph ("Age, probably . . . martyr") serve to illuminate his character?

E The position of his hands is at odds with his malevolent gaze.