Chapter 1 English Test

Which excerpt from "The Fall of the House of Usher" best captures the story's overall effect?

There was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart—an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime.

What can you infer about the brother and sister's economic status in "House Taken Over"? (part a) Which of the following excerpts from "House Taken Over" best supports the inference made in Part A? (part b)

They have enough money to live comfortably. We didn't have to earn our living, there was plenty coming in from the farms each month, even piling up.

In "House Taken Over," what do the narrator and his sister do when the back section of the house is taken over?

They move into the other part of the house.

How do "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "House Taken Over" differ in their approach to describing events, characters, and places?

"The Fall of the House of Usher" vividly depicts frightening events, while "House Taken Over" calmly depicts a growing threat.

How are the houses similar in "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "House Taken Over"? Choose two options.

Both have long been in the owners' families. and Both are large and reflect the wealth of the owners.

Which is the most accurate description of the ending of the "The Fall of the House of Usher"?

During a storm, the barely perceptible fissure in the façade of the house widens until the house collapses.

Which option is the best statement of one of the main ideas in "House Taken Over"? (part a) Which excerpt from the story best supports the answer to Part A? (part b)

Each time people avoid confronting their fear, they lose a little more of themselves, until, finally, they have lost everything. "I had to shut the door to the passage. They've taken over the back part."... "In that case," she said, picking up her needles again, "we'll have to live on this side."

I went down to the kitchen, heated the kettle, and when I got back with the tray of mate, I told Irene:"I had to shut the door to the passage. They've taken over the back part." After reading this excerpt how would you describe the narrator's reaction after the back section of the house is taken over?

He is surprisingly calm.

At the beginning of "The Fall of the House of Usher," what does the narrator do?

He travels to visit Roderick Usher at Usher's family home.

We had what we had on. I remembered fifteen thousand pesos in the wardrobe in my bedroom. Too late now. What does this detail suggest about the force or creature that has invaded the house of the narrator and his sister?

It is terrifying enough to make them forget valued possessions.

If a room can be accurately described as spacious, which of the following must be true?

Many people must be able to fit in the room.

Which of the following is the most accurate description of what happens to Madeline Usher in "The Fall of the House of Usher"?

She appears to die, is mistakenly entombed, but then revives and forces her way to freedom before dying.

A letter, however, had lately reached me in a distant part of the country—a letter from him—which, in its wildly importunate nature, had admitted of no other than a personal reply. What is the most likely reason the narrator says the letter "admitted of no other than a personal reply"? Base your answer on your knowledge of the story as well as on the sentence.

The narrator feels obliged to respond to his friend's request for a visit because his friend is clearly upset.

How does the narrator's response to the supernatural events in "The Fall of the House of Usher" differ from the characters' response in "House Taken Over"?

The narrator in "The Fall of the House of Usher" is aware of the supernatural and seeks answers; the characters in "House Taken Over" do not confront their terror but try to ignore it.

In "House Taken Over," which of the following details most clearly suggest that the narrator and his sister are nervous and afraid?

They often cannot fall asleep and have trouble sleeping peacefully and They occupy themselves by cleaning.

In "The Fall of the House of Usher," which of the following is one of Roderick Usher's disturbing ideas? (part a) Which excerpt from the story best supports the answer to Part A? (part b)

Usher believes that his house has awareness, like a living thing. The belief, however, was connected ... with the gray stones of the home of his forefathers. The conditions of the sentience had been here, he imagined, fulfilled in the method of collocation of these stones....

In "The Fall of the House of Usher," which details of the house's interior seem to reflect Usher's appearance and the condition of his mind? (Part a) Which excerpt from "The Fall of the House of Usher" best supports the answer to Part A? (part b)

Usher's physical and mental deterioration is reflected in the gloomy darkness, lack of comfort, and old, worn-out possessions. The general furniture was profuse, comfortless, antique, and tattered.

Which of the following things would most likely be described as obscure?

a rare book

Which of the following is the best example of a tumultuous event?

a storm so loud that it is hard to hear others speaking

Which of the following would most likely be considered an antiquity?

a vase from ancient times

In "The Fall of the House of Usher," what does Usher say is his biggest fear?

being frightened to death

At the beginning of "House Taken Over," how do the narrator and his sister Irene spend most of their days?

cleaning and knitting

Which of the following words best describes the mood, or overall feeling, established in "House Taken Over"?

creepy

In which of the following circumstances would a person's voice most likely be muffled?

if the person were wearing a scarf over his or her mouth

Which phrase best describes Usher's state of mind in "The Fall of the House of Usher"?

nervous and agitated