AP Literature Practice Exam
Boll-weevils coming, and the winter's cold, Made cotton-stalks look rusty, seasons old, And cotton, scarce as any southern snow, Was vanishing; the branch, so pinched and slow, Failed in its function as the autumn rake; Drouth fighting soil had caused the soil to take All water from the streams; dead birds were found In wells a hundred feet below the ground- Such was the season when the flower bloomed. Old folds were startled, and it soon assumed Significance. Superstition saw Something it had never seen before: Brown eyes that loved without a trace of fear, Beauty so sudden for that time of year. Which description best characterizes the poem?
A recollection of a remarkable occurrence
In lines 31-32: "A soul like mine was never formed to prove Those viler passions with which some can burn." the speaker does which of the following?
Proclaims that he cannot by nature tolerate a lack of dignity in love
Boll-weevils coming, and the winter's cold, Made cotton-stalks look rusty, seasons old, And cotton, scarce as any southern snow, Was vanishing; the branch, so pinched and slow, Failed in its function as the autumn rake; Drouth fighting soil had caused the soil to take All water from the streams; dead birds were found In wells a hundred feet below the ground- Such was the season when the flower bloomed. Old folds were startled, and it soon assumed Significance. Superstition saw Something it had never seen before: Brown eyes that loved without a trace of fear, Beauty so sudden for that time of year. The primary purpose of lines 1-8 is to
Provide a context for the poem's central image
Which of the following best describes the overall development of the poem?
The speaker makes an extended, reasoned complaint to the lady before providing himself thoughtful consolation
The repetition of "vainly," in the third stanza serves primarily to emphasize the extent to which the
lady's discouragement fails to affect her suitors
In context, Touchwood's reaction to "an invitation" (lines 6-7): "An invitation or any sin or expectation throws him into an attitude of refusal" is best described as
perverse
The second stanza: "You tell me, you my friend alone will be, Yet speak of friendship in a voice so sweet, That, while I struggle to be coldly free, I feel my heart with wildest throbbings beat." primarily reveals the
speakers internal conflict
Boll-weevils coming, and the winter's cold, Made cotton-stalks look rusty, seasons old, And cotton, scarce as any southern snow, Was vanishing; the branch, so pinched and slow, Failed in its function as the autumn rake; Drouth fighting soil had caused the soil to take All water from the streams; dead birds were found In wells a hundred feet below the ground- Such was the season when the flower bloomed. Old folds were startled, and it soon assumed Significance. Superstition saw Something it had never seen before: Brown eyes that loved without a trace of fear, Beauty so sudden for that time of year. If the context of the poem is interpreted broadly, the cotton flower most likely symbolizes
the possibility of miraculous change
In lines 31-33: "Yet if you go, I passe not; take your way: For, Thou art still my God, is all that ye Perhaps with more embellishment can say." the speaker implies that
the theme of his poems remains the same
The speaker's references to "Church" in lines 17 and 22 primarily serve to
underscore the laudable purpose of his poetic work
In line 22, the word "luxury" is best interpreted as suggesting that Soames
views emotions as experiences to be savored
in lines 40-51 ("if touchwood's .... against resort"), the narrator primarily makes use of which of the following?
A hypothetical scenario
In line 30: "Beautie and beauteous words should go together." the speaker does which of the following?
Asserts a connection between the subject of the poetry and its execution
Which of the following responses is part of the "marked effect" (line 14, passage 2) that the statue has on Soames?
He meditates on mortality
What is the most likely reason that Touchwood inclined to make the tradesman wait for the money?
He refuses to respond to another's prompting
The use of the second person (you) starting in line 24 has which of the following effects?
It involves the reader more intimately in the passage
According to the passage, which statement about the statue is true?
Its meaning to Soames varies with his angle of perspective
Which of the following statements best summarizes the meaning of the fifth stanza? "Life is a darksome and dreary day, The solitary wretch no pleasure knows; Love is the star that lights him on his way, And guides him on to pleasure and repose."
Life is gloomy and onerous, and only love illuminates one's path to a gratifying peace
In lines 1-2: "The harbingers are come. See, see their mark; White is their colour, and behold my head." the speaker describes
a sign of old age
In the fourth stanza, the speaker addresses the "Louely enchanting language" (line 19) from the perspective of
a spurned lover
In lines 33-34: "Then fear not me; for since it is thy will, Adhere with stubborn coolness to thy vow;" The speaker is best described as
acceding to the lady's requirements
In lines 30-31 the narrator uses "any reference to the weather" as an example of
an inoffensive remark
Boll-weevils coming, and the winter's cold, Made cotton-stalks look rusty, seasons old, And cotton, scarce as any southern snow, Was vanishing; the branch, so pinched and slow, Failed in its function as the autumn rake; Drouth fighting soil had caused the soil to take All water from the streams; dead birds were found In wells a hundred feet below the ground- Such was the season when the flower bloomed. Old folds were startled, and it soon assumed Significance. Superstition saw Something it had never seen before: Brown eyes that loved without a trace of fear, Beauty so sudden for that time of year. For the "Old Folks" (line 10), the blooming of the flower was
an unexpected and profound revelation
At the end of the passage, the narrator suggests that the person who has had the "accident" will
be reluctant to respond to verbal attacks from Touchwood
The narrator suggests that agreeing with Touchwood on a given subject is a way to
cause him to alter his original approach
The final paragraph of passage 2 primarily presents Soames as
contented
In context, the word "alone" in line 5: "You tell me, you my friend alone will be" primarily serves to
define the limits of the relationship
The narrator mentions the oak leaves in lines 36-37 to emphasize that Soames is
fascinated
In the first paragraph: "In Washington, District of Columbia, the "Fall" sun shone, and all that was not evergreen or stone in Rock Creek Cemetery was glowing. Before the Saint Gaudens statue Soames Forsyte sat on his overcoat, with the marble screen to his back, enjoying the seclusion and a streak of sunlight passaging between the cypresses." the cemetary is presented as
idyllic
Lines 27-29: "Impossible that you can have committed any offense. If mice had disturbed him, that is not your fault;" primarily serves to
imagine and reject possible provocations
The tone of the questions in lines 13-16: "O, wherefore should you fly from the seducing charm it spreads around? O why enshrine your soul with apathy? Or wish in frozen fetters to be bound?" is best described as
imploring
Lines 18 through 23: "Yesterday, in the presence of Fleur, Michael, and other people, all gaping like himself, he had not so much noted the mood of the thing as its technical excellence, but now, alone, he could enjoy the luxury of his own sensations." describe a change from
intellectual appreciation to affective reaction
In lines 30-33: "From his present position the woman had passed beyond grief. She sat in a frozen acceptance deeper than death itself, very remarkable!" the narrator suggests that the woman appears to have
reached a point of acquiescence
The purpose of the speaker's question in lines 3-4: "By why, then, traitress, do you seek to move in others what your breast can never inspire?" is to
reproach the lady's encouragement in others of what she will not feel
Soame's attitude toward "Americans" is best described as
resigned tolerance
The primary purpose of passage 2 (cemetery) is to
reveal aspects of Soame's character
Lines 25-27: "Let foolish lovers, if they will love dung, With canvas, not with arras clothe their shame: Let follie speak in her own native tongue." present a criticism of
sensuous love poetry
the phrase "dangerous fire" (line 2) refers most directly to
the fervor of love
Taken together, the two paragraphs in lines 40-46: "He rose, crossed towards the statue, and gingerly touched a fold on the green bronze, as if questioning the possibility of everlasting nothingness. 'Got a sister living in Dallas- married a railroad man down there as a young girl. Why! Texas is a wonderful State. I know my sister laughs at the idea that the climate of Texas isn't about right.'" most directly present
a juxtaposition of the profound and the mundane
The statement "Thou art still my God" is best described as
a refrain
Lines 33-35: "He remembered his own father, James, a quarter of an hour after death, as if- as if he had been told at last!" describe death as though it were
a revelation
In the context of passage 2, the description of Soames as feeling "thoroughly at home" (line 15) in front of the statue is
ironic, since Soames has been traveling for a long time and looks forward to returning home
Which of the following is true of the adjective "superfluous" as it is used in line 5? "their superfluous agreement..."
it reflects Touchwood's point of view
Boll-weevils coming, and the winter's cold, Made cotton-stalks look rusty, seasons old, And cotton, scarce as any southern snow, Was vanishing; the branch, so pinched and slow, Failed in its function as the autumn rake; Drouth fighting soil had caused the soil to take All water from the streams; dead birds were found In wells a hundred feet below the ground- Such was the season when the flower bloomed. Old folds were startled, and it soon assumed Significance. Superstition saw Something it had never seen before: Brown eyes that loved without a trace of fear, Beauty so sudden for that time of year. In line 5, "failed in its function as" is best understood to mean
was useless as
According to the narrator, when is Touchwood LEAST contented?
when he lacks a specific object to challenge
In line 6, the speaker suggests that his relationship with God
will withstand his mortal decline
In the passage as a whole, the speaker's tone can best be described as one of
wry amusement
Boll-weevils coming, and the winter's cold, Made cotton-stalks look rusty, seasons old, And cotton, scarce as any southern snow, Was vanishing; the branch, so pinched and slow, Failed in its function as the autumn rake; Drouth fighting soil had caused the soil to take All water from the streams; dead birds were found In wells a hundred feet below the ground- Such was the season when the flower bloomed. Old folds were startled, and it soon assumed Significance. Superstition saw Something it had never seen before: Brown eyes that loved without a trace of fear, Beauty so sudden for that time of year. Which best described the technique used in lines 4-8?
Examples of death in nature accumulate to provide emphasis
Boll-weevils coming, and the winter's cold, Made cotton-stalks look rusty, seasons old, And cotton, scarce as any southern snow, Was vanishing; the branch, so pinched and slow, Failed in its function as the autumn rake; Drouth fighting soil had caused the soil to take All water from the streams; dead birds were found In wells a hundred feet below the ground- Such was the season when the flower bloomed. Old folds were startled, and it soon assumed Significance. Superstition saw Something it had never seen before: Brown eyes that loved without a trace of fear, Beauty so sudden for that time of year. The statement in line 9 serves to emphasize that the blooming of the flower was
incongruous
In the first stanza: The harbingers are come. See, see their mark; White is their colour, and behold my head. But must they have my brain? Must they dispark Those sparkling notions, which therein were bred? Must dulnesse turn me into a clod? Yet have they left me, thou art still my God. the speaker expresses dismay at the possibility that he will
lose his creative powers