Going out for a Walk MCQ

In the final paragraph, the author uses the phrase "as it were" to A) call attention to a play on words B) underscore his main point C) refute an opposing view D) acknowledge exceptions to a rule E) generalize from specific incidents

A) call attention to a play on words

The series of questions in the first paragraph ("The ideas that came . . . over any topic that was started?") is most likely intended to A) offer factual support for the author's position B) present a broad range of perspectives C) reinforce a claim presented earlier D) appeal to the reader's sense of curiosity E) clarify the passage's sequence of topics

C) reinforce a claim presented earlier

The term "bitter lesson" in the second paragraph can best be read as a... A) common boast B) reflective aside C) warning to the audience D) humorous exaggeration E) defiant rejoinder

D) humorous exaggeration

In the first paragraph ("He says . . . a wreck"), the author uses repetition and parallel sentence structure to A) create a sense of mounting tension and anxiety B) mimic the simple-minded monotony of the conversation C) suggest a jumble of competing thoughts and impressions D) hint at the presence of innuendo and hidden meanings E) portray the quick and bantering nature of the incident

B) mimic the simple-minded monotony of the conversation

In the second paragraph, "salves him and floats him in full sail" most nearly means A) causes him embarrassment B) restores him to his best C) makes him disavow his faults D) exposes his shallowness E) soothes his hurt feelings

B) restores him to his best

Which of the following rhetorical strategies does the author employ in the second paragraph ("He is saying . . . reading out the inscriptions") ? A) He compares himself with the fellow-guest to emphasize the philosophical differences between them. B) He makes a potent allusion to demonstrate the breadth of his knowledge. C) He presents credible evidence to forestall any potential objections from the reader. D) He repeats the structure of an earlier conversation to underscore his main argument. E) He mounts a personal attack on the fellow-guest to discredit his actions.

D) He repeats the structure of an earlier conversation to underscore his main argument.

In the passage's first two sentences, the author A) anticipates support for his thesis B) expresses interest in contrary views C) mocks those readers who disagree with his perspective D) sets forth his central claim E) appeals to common experience

D) sets forth his central claim

In context, "valetudinarians" in the final paragraph refers to persons who are A) acting like meddling servants B) taking brave but unnecessary chances C) bidding their friends farewell D) noted for their intellectual accomplishments E) preoccupied with their health

E) preoccupied with their health

Taken as a whole, the tone of the passage is best described as A) quietly confessional B) deeply philosophical C) sternly reproachful D) scrupulously objective E) wryly mocking

E) wryly mocking

In the third paragraph, the author presents the conversation between the brain and the soul in order to A) distinguish between practical activity and speculative thought B) propose an important link between physical fitness and mental fitness C) account for the brain's behavior described earlier in the passage D) introduce a difference between the two that will be refuted later E) explain why the body must obey the soul's impulses

C) account for the brain's behavior described earlier in the passage

The sentence "Such as it is, this essay was composed in the course of a walk" in the final paragraph best exemplifies the author's A) use of concrete imagery B) advocacy for regular exercise C) use of self-deprecating irony D) willingness to disclose personal information E) reconciliation of opposing positions

C) use of self-deprecating irony

How does the statement in the first paragraph ("I foresee . . . occurs") relate to the subsequent sentences in the first paragraph? A) It poses a theory that is refined later in the paragraph. B) It reveals feelings of the narrator's that change later in the paragraph. C) It provides an explanation for some of the behavior described later in the paragraph. D) It introduces a shift in the narrator's thinking that is explored in the rest of the paragraph. E) It makes a prediction that is then supported in the rest of the paragraph.

E) It makes a prediction that is then supported in the rest of the paragraph.