American Lit. (H) S2 Final Study Guide

nebulous

(adj.) cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct

egregious

(adj.) conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense)

culpable

(adj.) deserving blame, worthy of condemnation

pretentious

(adj.) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; making demands on one's skill or abilities, ambitious

torpid

(adj.) inactive, sluggish, dull

astute

(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom

dilatory

(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone

irresolute

(adj.) unable to make up one's mind, hesitating

slovenly

(adj.) untidy, dirty, careless

evanescent

(adj.) vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy

avarice

(n.) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth

anathema

(n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)

penury

(n.) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

novice

(n.) one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally)

adulation

(n.) praise or flattery that is excessive

supposition

(n.) something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence

abate

(v.) to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit

recapitulate

(v.) to review a series of facts; to sum up

resuscitate

(v.) to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence

equivocate

(v.) to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous

D

About what did Holden write Stradlater's composition? a. It was about his bedroom when he was a little boy. b. It was about the inside of a New York subway car. c. It was about the shower stall between his room and the adjoining one. d. It was about his dead brother's baseball glove.

B

Describe Holden's relationship with Jane Gallagher. a. They have been romantically involved for over a year, although they are currently having a disagreement because Jane wants to date others and Holden doesn't. b. They seem to be good friends, playing checkers, going to movies, and talking. There was no advanced romantic involvement between them. c. They used to be romantically involved but now they can't stand each other. d. They have only spoken a few times, but Holden would like to get to know her better.

C

Holden said he felt like committing suicide. Why didn't he do it? a. He wanted to write a letter to Phoebe first, but he didn't have paper or pencil, so he decided to wait. b. He was afraid he might not succeed, and then he would have to face his parents. c. He didn't want a bunch of "stupid rubbernecks" looking at him all gory. d. He was going to jump out the window, but he couldn't get it open. He got tired of trying, and fell asleep.

C

Identify Bernice, Marty and Laverne. a. They are three chambermaids in the hotel where Holden stays. b. They are characters in a short story Holden is writing. c. They are three women whom Holden met and danced with in the Lavender Room. d. They are Jane Gallagher's school friends. Holden met them in the hotel dining room.

B

Identify Jane Gallagher. a. She was the sister of a boy on the fencing team. She usually attended the games, hoping to attract Holden's attention. b. She had lived next door to Holden before he came to Pencey. They played checkers and became good friends. c. He was the headmaster's daughter. Holden had been dating her until her father made them stop seeing each other. d. She was the daughter of his mother's best friend. Holden introduced her to Stradlater because he didn't want to date her himself.

D

Identify Sally Hayes. a. She was the girl his roommate often dated. He was mad at Stradlater for going out with Jane, so he decided to get even by taking Sally out. b. She was the receptionist at the hotel. She saw that Holden was having some difficulties, and offered to call a doctor or one of his friends to help him. c. She was another girl who worked with Maurice. She tried to seduce Holden, but he wisely refused this time. d. She was a girl Holden sometimes dated. He didn't like to too much, but he thought she was good looking.

A

What "dirty trick" did Mr. Spencer pull on Holden? a. He orally read back Holden's exam answer and the note Holden had written. b. He had a surprise going away party, even though Holden had said he didn't want a party. c. He pretended to be dead to scare Holden. d. He called Holden's parents while Holden was present and discussed his (Holden's) situation with them.

A

What do we learn about Holden from his diversion about his gloves being stolen at Pencey? a. He calls himself a coward, but he is really too humane to hurt anyone. b. He is very selfish and materialistic. c. He will jump at any chance to fight. d. Possessions don't mean a lot to him.

B

What happened to the composition Holden wrote for Stradlater? a. Stradlater turned it in and got an "A" on it. b. Stradlater insulted Holden about the topic and Holden ripped it up. c. The English teach recognized Holden's style and failed Stradlater. d. Stradlater didn't use it because Jane wrote one that he liked better.

D

What was the "big mess" Holden got into when he got back to the hotel after being at Ernie's? a. He was drunk and lost his temper. He started destroying the furniture and punching holes in the walls in his room. The hotel security came to subdue him. b. He was being chased by a group of young boys. He ran into the hotel for safety and they followed him in. The management came to his rescue. c. He didn't have enough money to pay his cab fare. The cab driver followed him into the hotel and up to his room, complaining loudly that Holden had not paid. d. The elevator operator set him up with a prostitute, and told him the fee was $5.00. When she arrived, he decided he didn't want her services, and paid her the $5.00. She said it was $10.00, but Holden refused to pay the extra $5.00.

D

Where did Holden decide to go? a. He thought he would go to California to see his brother. b. He decided to visit Jane Gallagher. c. He thought it best to go directly to his parents' house. d. He decided to leave Pencey early and stay in a hotel in New York for a few days.

D

Where is Holden as he narrates the story? a. He is at his parents' house in New York. b. He is on a plane flying to Europe. c. He is in the school library. d. He is at a rest home in California.

B

Who is Holden Caulfield? a. He is a writer for a New York newspaper. b. He is a sixteen year old student at a prep school in Pennsylvania. c. He is a psychiatrist at a well-known hospital in California. d. He is an up and coming movie star in Hollywood.

A

Who is Phoebe? a. She is Holden's little sister. b. She is an old friend of Holden's brother. c. She is Holden's aunt, in whom he confides. d. She is a playmate from his early childhood.

D

Who was Robert Ackley? a. He was tall and athletic, with a good sense of humor., b. He was fair-skinned and had a large birthmark on his right cheek. He was intelligent and friendly. c. He was short and heavy with a mean disposition. d. He had a pimply face. He was a nuisance and rather nasty.

A

Who was Selma Thurmer? a. the headmaster's daughter b. a girl Holden liked c. a girl Holden hanged out with a lot d. Stradlater's gilrfriend

C

Who was Stradlater? a. He was Holden's English professor. He tried to encourage Holden to stay in school. b. He was the coach of the fencing team. He wanted Holden to pay for the lost equipment. c. He was Holden's good-looking, but conceited roommate. d. He was a shy boy who lived down the hall from Holden.

B

Whom did Holden meet at the sandwich bar? What did they talk about? a. He met Sunny. They talked about what had happened the night before. b. He met two nuns. They talked about literature and Holden's views on Romeo and Juliet. c. He met Stradlater. They talked about school and Holden's personal problems. d. He met Ernie, the piano player. They talked about Holden's brother.

B

Whom did Holden meet on his train ride? Why did he lie to her? a. He met a friend of his mother's. He lied because he was afraid she would tell his mother she saw him. b. He met the mother of a schoolmate. He lied because he wanted the mother to feel proud of her son, and he wanted to tell her what she wanted to hear. c. He met a friend who had graduated from Pencey the previous year. He lied because he was embarrassed to admit that he had flunked out. e. He met one of his teachers from elementary school He lied because she had always had a good opinion of him, and he didn't want to change that.

B

Why did Holden check out of the hotel, and where did he go? a. He was out of money, so he went to sit in the subway station. b. He didn't want to meet Maurice again, so he went to Grand Central Station and checked his bags in a locker there. c. Sally had invited him to spend the rest of the weekend at her parents' house. d. The heat broke down in the hotel, so he went to a YMCA and got a room there instead.

D

Why did Holden have to leave Ernie's? a. They evicted him because he was underage. b. He ran out of money. c. He was drunk and felt like he was going to get sick. d. He didn't want to sit with his brother's friend and her date.

A

Why did Maurice hit Holden? a. Maurice was roughing Holden up to make him pay Sunny the extra fee. Holden called Maurice a dirty moron, so Maurice hit him in the stomach. b. Holden had made insulting remarks about the caliber of the hotel, the prostitute, and Maurice's job. Maurice didn't want to hear it from a teenager, so he hit Holden to shut him up. c. Sunny had lied and told Maurice that Holden had hit her. Maurice believed he was defending Sunny. d. Maurice was just a bully. He enjoyed roughing up the young rich boys.

C

Why did Stradlater hit Holden? a. Holden cursed at Stradlater for stretching out his jacket. b. Holden refused to turn the lights out and stop smoking. c. Holden called him a moron, and then threw a punch at him. d. It was Stradlater's way of showing that he didn't want Holden to leave the school.

A

Why doesn't Holden go down to see Jane? a. He wasn't in the mood. b. Stradlater threatened to punch him if he did. c. He didn't think she would remember him. d. He didn't want to get stuck taking her out.

C

Why wasn't Holden at the big football game? a. He couldn't afford the ticket. b. He was on academic probation and was not allowed to attend any extra-curricular activities. c. He had just returned to school with the fencing team and had to see his history teacher. d. He had to finish a term paper that was due the next Monday.

A

Why wouldn't Holden be back to Pencey after Christmas vacation? a. He had been expelled because he failed four of five subjects. b. He had lost his athletic scholarship and could not afford the tuition. c. He had been given an early acceptance to college and was starting the next semester. d. His father was sick and he had to go to work to help support the family.

penury

antonyms: affluence, abundance, luxury, opulence

anathema

antonyms: benediction, blessing

culpable

antonyms: blameless, innocent, laudable, meritorious

nebulous

antonyms: definite, distinct, clear, sharply focused

irresolute

antonyms: determined, decisive, unwavering

torpid

antonyms: energetic, dynamic, vigorous

evanescent

antonyms: everlasting, immortal, imperishable

abate

antonyms: intensify, increase, magnify, wax

slovenly

antonyms: neat, tidy, careful, meticulous

astute

antonyms: obtuse, doltish, empty-headed, dumb

dilatory

antonyms: prompt, punctual, speedy, expeditious

adulation

antonyms: ridicule, derision, scorn, odium

equivocate

antonyms: to speak one's mind plainly

pretentious

antonyms: unassuming, unaffected, modest

egregious

antonyms: unnoticeable, paltry, piddling

novice

antonyms: veteran, past master, pro, expert

adulation

synonyms: adoration, idolization, hero-worship

supposition

synonyms: assumption, presumption, hypothesis

avarice

synonyms: cupidity, rapacity acquisitiveness

penury

synonyms: destitution, want, indigence

abate

synonyms: diminish, decrease, subside, let up

evanescent

synonyms: ephemeral, transient, transitory

egregious

synonyms: glaring, flagrant, blatant

culpable

synonyms: guilty, delinquent, peccant, blameworthy

nebulous

synonyms: hazy, fuzzy, cloudy, vague, murky, opaque, indeterminate

irresolute

synonyms: indecisive, vacillating, wavering

pretentious

synonyms: inflated, ostentatious, affected

anathema

synonyms: malediction, imprecation, abomination

novice

synonyms: neophyte, tyro, trainee, apprentice

recapitulate

synonyms: review, summarize, sum up, go over

resuscitate

synonyms: revitalize, reanimate, restore, reactivate

astute

synonyms: shrewd, acute, sagacious, judicious, wily

torpid

synonyms: sluggish, lethargic, otiose, languid

dilatory

synonyms: stalling, slow, tardy, laggard

equivocate

synonyms: to talk out of both sides of one's mouth, palter, hedge

slovenly

synonyms: unkempt, slatternly, slipshod, lax