PPC#4
In context, which detail from the text is most closely associated with Mrs. Murdock's perspective in the final paragraph?
A. "No enthusiasm whatever for plays" (paragraph 1) B. "A particularly little girl" (paragraph 1) C. "The lights and the glory" (paragraph 1) - R D. "Miss Noyes was full of depths and mystery" (paragraph 4) E. "She played excellent bridge" (fourth paragraph) - Explain: In the final paragraph, Mrs. Murdock feels that the "stars sang in the sky above her." This imagery of light (as well as the association of "stars" with famous performers) echoes her earlier admiration of "the lights and the glory" that represent the wonder of the theater.
The narrator's description of the bookstore in the first paragraph presents it as
A. A crowded and muddled scene B. A strange and fearful challenge C. A strange and fearful challenge D. An obscure and sad mystery E. An eerie and magical place - R - Explain: The narrator makes references to a weird, unfriendly forest populated with creatures like "witches and dagger-wielding bandits." The ladders in the store magically appear to have a menacing personality and they whisper warnings.
The speaker of the poem is best described as
A. A descendant of a famous photographer B. A historian using photographs as information sources C. A researcher studying a historically important photographer D. A viewer musing on the significance of a specific photograph - R E. A beginner learning the basics of a photographic technique - Explain: The speaker presents a personal reaction to a Walker Evans photograph ("this shot" in line 11), reflecting on the composition of the photograph itself and on the family memories that the photograph evokes.
The contrast between the two central characters in the passage reveals that, unlike Mrs. Murdock, Miss Noyes is
A. A skilled bridge player B. A famous actress C. Artistic and daring - R D. Dignified and formal E. Statuesque and overbearing - Explain: Mrs. Murdock seems to find Miss Noyes unusual and glamorous; the passage contrasts her own life, in which she has never had direct contact with an actress, with that of Miss Noyes, who knows an actress personally. The narrator describes Miss Noyes as "full of depths and mystery" and lists her unusual, "difficult" hobbies, which include fashion design and sculpture.
The speaker of the poem is best interpreted as taking on the role of
A. An admirer B. A traveler C. A messenger D. An interpreter - R E. An investigator - Explain: The poem presents the speaker's interpretation of the Walker Evans photograph, touching on its qualities both as an aesthetic object (the technique to appear "acrobatic," the telephone pole "crossed off-center like a crucifix") and as evidence of Evans' attitude toward the people and landscapes he photographed (what he "wanted" and "didn't want").
The narrator of the passage is best described as
A. An anxious employee B. A reluctant reader C. An accidental job seeker - R D. A determined investigator E. An adventurous tourist - Explain: The narrator is an enthusiastic reader of at least one series of books, The Dragon-Song Chronicles; when Penumbra asks him to "Tell me . . . about a book you love," the narrator's thought is, "I knew my answer immediately. No competition."
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 - R B. A representative of attitudes toward art and society that people held in the past C. A kindred spirit who has similar experiences even though she lived in a different time D. An ordinary person who was unlikely to have ever been of interest to a photographer E. An embarrassing figure when viewed from the perspective of a person living today - Explain: Aunt Grace is described as "clumsy" (line 15) and as chasing slippery tomatoes around the floor, in contrast to the careful and impersonal composition of Evans' photograph.
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 - R B. Dangerous and destructive C. Hostile and predatory D. Reverent and careful E. Innovative and unique - Explain: The perspective in the photograph is somewhat of a trick in that photographers only appear to be acrobatic: Evans intentionally focused his camera in such a way that it "seemed" (line 6) to someone looking at the photograph that Evans must have been "poised on a branch" (line 6).
The narrator remarks on the sharp contrast between Malétroit's "expression" (paragraph 2) and his
A. Calm silence - R B. Small stature C. Restless eyes D. Brutish behavior E. Angry frown - Explain: In reflecting on Malétroit's calm silence, the narrator remarks that Malétroit's "quiescence seemed ironical and treacherous, it fitted so poorly with his looks."
In the second paragraph ("Then . . . needlepoint"), the repetition of the detail that Miss Noyes knew an actress primarily serves to
A. Clarify a previously stated fact about Mrs. Murdock's childhood B. Emphasize the reason why Miss Noyes joins the bridge club C. Reveal Mrs. Murdock's personal knowledge of Miss Noyes D. Convey Mrs. Murdock's surprise and excitement - R E. Suggest that Mrs. Murdock is jealous of Miss Noyes - Explain: The repetition of the detail, particularly with the insertion of "actually" in the second statement, implies that Mrs. Murdock is excited and rather amazed by the revelation of this fact.
The dramatic situation in the passage is best described as
A. Competing with a rival B. Working toward a goal C. Meeting an idol-R D. Overcoming an obstacle E. Fulfilling an obligation - Explain: Mrs. Murdock, a lifelong fan of the theater, is looking forward to meeting a famous actress.
How does the information in the fourth sentence of the first paragraph ("Denis . . . hands") connect Denis with Malétroit?
A. Denis appreciates Malétroit's status. - R B. Neither man has authentic aristocratic heritage. C. Denis welcomes Malétroit's handshake. D. Both men demonstrate reserve and a cold arrogance. E. Malétroit and Denis are family relations. - Explain: Denis feels "gratified" once he observes the "bearings," or coat of arms, as it symbolizes Malétroit's aristocratic lineage.
The technique of opening the passage by contrasting Mr. and Mrs. Murdock's views on "plays and their players" functions to
A. Emphasize the affection between husband and wife B. Explore the spectrum of viewpoints concerning the theater C. Establish an idea that is later negated by details in the text D. Portray the misogyny of the twentieth century E. Introduce one character's opinion that is then developed throughout the passage-R - Explain: The rest of the passage details and elaborates on Mrs. Murdock's lifelong love of the theater, demonstrating her great enthusiasm for it.
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
A. Fantastic characters in his book collection B. Ladders and bookshelves in the back of the store - R C. Rugged landscape of the area D. Lengthy years he has spent alone E. Bright sunshine coming through the glass panes - Explain: The narrator first encounters Penumbra as a "quiet voice," and then his "figure emerged" from the rows of shelves in the dark recesses of the store, as if he were stepping out from them. The narrator goes on to say that Penumbra is like the ladders because he is "tall and skinny."
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
A. Foreign to Mrs. Murdock herself B. Well-known to average people - R C. Familiar to matinee performers D. Composed of gifted artisans E. Reserved for the upper class - Explain: The list of activities in these lines contains common and accessible hobbies that an average person might have.
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 - R B. From suspicion to steadfast resistance C. From alarm to joyful celebration D. From mistrust to easygoing curiosity E. From vulnerability to proud strength - Explain: Unlike the narrator's earlier impressions of the bookstore as being sinister and menacing, the image of the shelves launching an attack is whimsical and lighthearted. The narrator has become comfortable inside the bookstore since meeting Penumbra and is playful rather than earnest in attributing aggression to the shelves.
Penumbra becomes increasingly friendly once the narrator demonstrates the ability to
A. Function well in a busy workplace B. Venture into the darker regions of the store C. Show enthusiasm for specific books - R D. Identify the works of Dashiell Hammett E. Distinguish among famous fantasy writers - Explain: Penumbra tests the narrator by asking, "Tell me . . . about a book you love," and once the narrator has described the experience of loving a series of books, Penumbra begins to smile and indicates his approval by saying, "That is good, very good."
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 - R B. Her sense of duty C. Her vivid imagination D. Her quiet humility E. Her hopeful attitude - Explain: The diction in the paragraph implies an almost religious devotion to the theater.
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?
A. His soft hands convey his childlike innocence and warm hospitality. B. His hands reveal signs of his advanced age and a lifetime of labor. C. The prayerlike position of his hands indicates his devout piety. D. His long and refined fingers demonstrate his artistic endeavors. E. The position of his hands is at odds with his malevolent gaze. - R - Explain: The narrator comments on the contradictory nature of a man with hands "devoutly folded like a virgin martyr" having "so intent and startling an expression of face."
The poem as a whole juxtaposes Walker Evans' values with the speaker's by presenting the Evans photograph as a metaphor for the
A. Impossibility of re-creating the past B. Power of art to create beauty out of suffering C. Invasion of industry into formerly rural settings D. Relative insignificance of the role of human beings in nature E. Incomplete nature of an artist's perspective - R - Explain: The Evans photograph shows the distance between the values of the photographer and the people who live in the houses in his photograph; according to the speaker, the artist's perspective and interests in composing the photograph do not account for the reality of the family's lived experience in the house.
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 - R B. Eclipse C. Theft D. Climb E. Conflict - Explain: The narrator compares standing inside the bookstore to standing "at the border of a forest" and speaks of what the forest seems to contain, as if planning to travel through the forest. This technique metaphorically suggests that the narrator is setting out on a journey by entering into the world of the bookstore.
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
A. Luxury appropriate to Malétroit's privileged class B. Barrenness to spotlight Malétroit himself - R C. Darkness as a metaphor for Malétroit's personality D. Strangeness akin to Denis' own discomfort E. Poverty at odds with the family coat of arms - Explain: The barrenness that Denis observes as he enters the room stems from the room's containing "little furniture," a hearth "innocent of fire," and a stone floor that is only "sparsely strewn" with a traditional covering of rushes. The figure of the "little old gentleman" assumes greater prominence as a result.
In the final paragraph, the only spoken words in the passage highlight a juxtaposition between
A. Malétroit's polite invitation and his threatening appearance - R B. Malétroit's refined manner and his use of dialect C. Malétroit's artificiality and his guest's honesty D. Denis' rude behavior and his host's gentle nature E. Denis' high expectations and his bitter disappointment - Explain: A considerable amount of the passage is devoted to describing Malétroit's overwhelmingly intimidating appearance, which seemingly contrasts with his very polite greeting of "Pray step in."
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
A. Mundane but cherished possession B. Sinister but intriguing hideout C. Temporary but important responsibility - R D. Demanding but rewarding environment E. disordered but congenial workplace - Explain: The job of a custodian may include protecting and preserving a resource such as a historic building for present and future use. Penumbra's word choice indicates that he sees himself as the current caretaker and protector of "this place," not its owner; later mysterious statements such as "Prior experience in the book trade is of little use to you here" emphasize the bookstore's unusual qualities.
In context, the question at the very end of the passage most likely strikes the narrator as a sign that
A. Penumbra seeks to avoid danger B. Penumbra is on a quest for knowledge C. The narrator has begun to question reality D. The narrator is unqualified for the job E. The narrator has gotten the job - R - Explain: Penumbra asks the narrator if the narrator can "climb a ladder" because it is one of the tasks at the bookstore. Penumbra poses this question to the narrator only after being impressed with the narrator's response to his question about a beloved book, which signifies that the narrator has passed the "interview."
Reprinted by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press. The juxtaposition of what Evans "wanted" (line 12) and "didn't want" (line 14) serves to emphasize that Evans
A. Preferred formal portraits rather than unposed candid photographs B. Focused on the details of the landscape rather than the lives of the people who inhabit it - R C. Tended to take photographs from a distance rather than at close range D. Sought out architectural styles particularly well suited to photography E. Captured everyday experience in sometimes surprising ways - Explain: In these lines, the speaker observes that Evans wanted to highlight surfaces and shapes in his photographs; what he did not want to capture was the human experience of the people living in the houses he photographed, such as the speaker's mother and aunt.
The attitude of the speaker in lines 18-19 ("I look . . . hills") might best be described as
A. Resentful B. Patient C. Nostalgic - R D. Disoriented E. Forgetful - Explain: The speaker "look[s] back from the future" (line 18), metaphorically past the Evans photograph, with wistful feelings for events and people of "nearly fifty years ago" (line 11).
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 - R B. The emphasis on the power of the natural world in Evans's photographs C. How Evans captured essential truths about rural life D. Evans's views about the importance of family E. Evans's interest in the beauty of imperfection - Explain: The speaker describes Evans's use of the ferns as something that merely frames and that therefore needs to be looked beyond in order to clearly see what the speaker values. The ferns define what the photographer wants to capture in his photograph, which does not include the family inside the house.
The detailed description that precedes Malétroit's spoken words has the effect of
A. Undermining Malétroit's credibility by suggesting that he may not have actually been expecting Denis' arrival B. Highlighting a noticeable contrast between the forbidding surroundings and Malétroit's enthusiastic welcome C. Heightening a surprising plot twist that occurs when Denis realizes that he in fact already knows Malétroit D. Creating a sense of comfortable familiarity that is then undercut by Malétroit's open hostility E. Giving Malétroit's greeting an ominous tone that suggests Denis' interaction with him may prove to be unpleasant - R - Explain: The narrator's extended description of the eeriness of the room and of Malétroit's intimidating demeanor suggests that Malétroit's greeting may have sinister overtones.
The setting described in the poem is best identified as a landscape that
A. Was photographed by Walker Evans from multiple angles on multiple occasions B. Is depicted in a photograph that has captured the speaker's attention - R C. The speaker is preparing to photograph for the first time D. The speaker has sought out after seeing it in a photograph E. The speaker is revisiting after having spent many years away - Explain: The poem offers details about the landscape in "this shot" (line 11), a specific Evans photograph that has captured the speaker's interest; in the final lines of the poem, the speaker notes the photographer's technique in how the photograph has been "framed."
The following poem was published in 1986.
Among Elms and Maples, Morgantown, West Virginia, August 1935 Houses are wedged between the tall stacks1 of Seneca Glass beside the Monongahela2 and waffle up steep hills. Here, the terrain allows photographers to appear acrobatic.5Walker Evans3 liked standing on a hill, focusing down so it seemed he was poised on a branch. He liked the single telephone pole against the flat sky, crossed off-center like a crucifix. Beneath it, among elms and maples, is the house10my mother lived in with her sister and their mother nearly fifty years ago. In this shot, Evans only wanted the rough surfaces of clapboard houses, their meshed roofs and slanted gables. He didn't want my mother peeling the thin skin15from tomatoes with a sharp knife, my clumsy Aunt Grace chasing the ones she'd dropped around the linoleum floor. That would be another picture, not this one. I look back from the future, past the undulating, unremitting line of hills20Evans framed my family in, through the shaggy fronds of summer ferns he used as foreground and as border. "Among Elms and Maples, Morgantown, West Virginia, August, 1935" 21 lines fromCold Comfort, by Maggie Anderson, © 1986. Reprinted by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press.
The following passage is excerpted from a short story first published in 1878. The passage is set in France in 1429. Denis has entered a stranger's house to avoid detection by approaching soldiers.
He found himself in a large apartment of polished stone. There were three doors; one on each of three sides; all similarly curtained with tapestry. The fourth side was occupied by two large windows and a great stone chimney-piece, carved with the arms of the Malétroits. Denis recognized the bearings1, and was gratified to find himself in such good hands. The room was strongly illuminated; but it contained little furniture except a heavy table and a chair or two, the hearth was innocent of fire, and the pavement was but sparsely strewn with rushes2 clearly many days old. On a high chair beside the chimney, and directly facing Denis as he entered, sat a little old gentleman in a fur tippet.3 He sat with his legs crossed and his hands folded, and a cup of spiced wine stood by his elbow on a bracket on the wall. His countenance had a strongly masculine cast; not properly human, but such as we see in the bull, the goat, or the domestic boar; something equivocal and wheedling, something greedy, brutal, and dangerous. The upper lip was inordinately full, as though swollen by a blow or a toothache; and the smile, the peaked eyebrows, and the small, strong eyes were quaintly and almost comically evil in expression. Beautiful white hair hung straight all round his head, like a saint's, and fell in a single curl upon the tippet. His beard and mustache were the pink of venerable sweetness. Age, probably in consequence of inordinate precautions, had left no mark upon his hands; and the Malétroit hand was famous. It would be difficult to imagine anything at once so fleshy and so delicate in design; the tapered, sensual fingers, were like those of one of Leonardo's women; the fork of the thumb made a dimpled protuberance when closed; the nails were perfectly shaped, and of a dead, surprising whiteness. It rendered his aspect tenfold more redoubtable, that a man with hands like these should keep them devoutly folded like a virgin martyr—that a man with so intent and startling an expression of face should sit patiently on his seat and contemplate people with an unwinking stare, like a god, or a god's statue. His quiescence4 seemed ironical and treacherous, it fitted so poorly with his looks. Such was Alain, Sire de Malétroit. Denis and he looked silently at each other for a second or two. "Pray step in," said the Sire de Malétroit. "I have been expecting you all the evening."
This passage is excerpted from a short story published in 1933.
Mr. Murdock was one who carried no enthusiasm whatever for plays and their players, and that was too bad, for they meant so much to little Mrs. Murdock. Always she had been in a state of devout excitement over the luminous, free, passionate elect who serve the theater. And always she had done her wistful worshiping, along with the multitudes, at the great public altars. It is true that once, when she was a particularly little girl, love had impelled her to write Miss Maude Adams a letter beginning "Dearest Peter," and she had received from Miss Adams a miniature thimble inscribed "A kiss from Peter Pan." (That was a day!) And once, when her mother had taken her holiday shopping, a limousine door was held open and there had passed her, as close as that, a wonder of sable and violets and round red curls that seemed to tinkle on the air; so, forever after, she was as good as certain that she had been not a foot away from Miss Billie Burke. But until some three years after her marriage, these had remained her only personal experiences with the people of the lights and the glory.Then it turned out that Miss Noyes, new come to little Mrs. Murdock's own bridge club, knew an actress. She actually knew an actress; the way you and I know collectors of recipes and members of garden clubs and amateurs of needlepoint.The name of the actress was Lily Wynton, and it was famous. She was tall and slow and silvery; often she appeared in the role of a duchess, or of a Lady Pam or an Honorable Moira. Critics recurrently referred to her as "that great lady of our stage." Mrs. Murdock had attended, over years, matinee performances of the Wynton successes. And she had no more thought that she would one day have opportunity to meet Lily Wynton face to face than she had thought—well, than she had thought of flying!Yet it was not astounding that Miss Noyes should walk at ease among the glamorous. Miss Noyes was full of depths and mystery, and she could talk with a cigarette still between her lips. She was always doing something difficult, like designing her own pajamas, or reading Proust, or modeling torsos in plasticine.* She played excellent bridge. She liked little Mrs. Murdock. "Tiny one," she called her."How's for coming to tea tomorrow, tiny one? Lily Wynton's going to drop up," she said, at a therefore memorable meeting of the bridge club. "You might like to meet her."The words fell so easily that she could not have realized their weight. Lily Wynton was coming to tea. Mrs. Murdock might like to meet her. Little Mrs. Murdock walked home through the early dark, and stars sang in the sky above her."Glory in the Daytime," copyright 1933, renewed © 1961 by Dorothy Parker
The following passage is excerpted from a novel published in 2012.
The shelves were packed close together, and it felt like I was standing at the border of a forest—not a friendly California forest, either, but an old Transylvanian forest, a forest full of wolves and witches and dagger-wielding bandits all waiting just beyond moonlight's reach. There were ladders that clung to the shelves and rolled side to side. Usually those seem charming, but here, stretching up into the gloom, they were ominous. They whispered rumors of accidents in the dark. So I stuck to the front half of the store, where bright midday light pressed in and presumably kept the wolves at bay. The wall around and above the door was glass, thick square panes set into a grid of black iron, and arched across them, in tall golden letters, it said (in reverse): Below that, set in the hollow of the arch, there was a symbol—two hands, perfectly flat, rising out of an open book. So who was Mr. Penumbra? "Hello, there," a quiet voice called from the stacks. A figure emerged—a man, tall and skinny like one of the ladders, draped in a light gray button-down and a blue cardigan. He tottered as he walked, running a long hand along the shelves for support. When he came out of the shadows, I saw that his sweater matched his eyes, which were also blue, riding low in nests of wrinkles. He was very old. He nodded at me and gave a weak wave. "What do you seek in these shelves?" That was a good line, and for some reason, it made me feel comfortable. I asked, "Am I speaking to Mr. Penumbra?" "I am Penumbra"—he nodded—"and I am the custodian of this place." I didn't quite realize I was going to say it until I did: "I'm looking for a job." Penumbra blinked once, then nodded and tottered over to the desk set beside the front door. It was a massive block of dark-whorled wood, a solid fortress on the forest's edge. You could probably defend it for days in the event of a siege from the shelves. "Employment." Penumbra nodded again. He slid up onto the chair behind the desk and regarded me across its bulk. "Have you ever worked at a bookstore before?" "Well," I said, "when I was in school I waited tables at a seafood restaurant, and the owner sold his own cookbook." It was called The Secret Cod and it detailed thirty-one different ways to— You get it. "That probably doesn't count." "No, it does not, but no matter," Penumbra said. "Prior experience in the book trade is of little use to you here." Wait—maybe this place really was all erotica. I glanced down and around, but glimpsed no bodices, ripped or otherwise. In fact, just next to me there was a stack of dusty Dashiell Hammetts on a low table. That was a good sign. "Tell me," Penumbra said, "about a book you love." I knew my answer immediately. No competition. I told him, "Mr. Penumbra, it's not one book, but a series. It's not the best writing and it's probably too long and the ending is terrible, but I've read it three times, and I met my best friend because we were both obsessed with it back in sixth grade." I took a breath. "I love The Dragon-Song Chronicles." Penumbra cocked an eyebrow, then smiled. "That is good, very good," he said, and his smile grew, showing jostling white teeth. Then he squinted at me, and his gaze went up and down. "But can you climb a ladder?" Excerpts from "The Bookstore" from MR. PENUMBRA'S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE by Robin Sloan. Copyright © 2012 by Robin Sloan. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.Excerpt from MR. PENUMBRA'S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE © 2012 by Robin Sloan. Published in Canada by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.