AP Lit Fall Final
21. In context, the friendship between Catherine and Isabella is best understood as a (A) reaffirmation of wisdom typically expressed in popular novels (B) reflection of the narrator's hostility toward other novelists (C) contrast to the lack of loyalty novelists show to one another (D) parallel to the relationship between novelists and reviewers (E) protest against the lack of realism in novels
(C) contrast to the lack of loyalty novelists show to one another
20. The narrator suggests that the abridgements and collections referred to in lines 35-40 are (A) widely read (B) aesthetically pleasing (C) excessively praised (D) factually inaccurate (E) stylistically pretentious
(C) excessively praised
39. The speaker makes a humorous comment in which of the following lines? (A) Line 11 (B) Line 17 (C) Line 21 (D) Line 28 (E) Line 31
(D) Line 28
2. Lines 1-4 are best understood as an attempt by the speaker to (A) dispel mistaken concerns (B) undermine a romantic bond (C) offer an excuse for repeated wrongdoings (D) acknowledge some unfair allegations (E) explain the reasons for a difficult decision
(A) dispel mistaken concerns
43. Lines 41-42 suggest that an author (A) accomplishes more than he or she can imagine (B) intends more than a critic can comprehend (C) cannot anticipate how a work will affect readers (D) cannot create what he or she cannot conceive (E) need not write to please a critic
(D) cannot create what he or she cannot conceive
23. Taken as a whole, the passage is best characterized as (A) an elaborate joke (B) an impassioned defense (C) a philosophical inquiry (D) a personal attack (E) a scholarly argument
(B) an impassioned defense
38. In line 23, "that malignant dull delight" refers to (A) finding faults (B) writing verse (C) being witty (D) reading poetry (E) being entertained
(A) finding faults
49. The narrator's tone in lines 21-22 ("Ruin . . . solid") is best characterized as (A) wry (B) reproachful (C) didactic (D) reverent (E) despondent
(A) wry
10. Lines 35-36 suggest that destiny may (A) take the beloved's life (B) grant the beloved's wishes (C) act in the beloved's stead (D) carry out what the beloved anticipates (E) subvert the beloved's fears
(D) carry out what the beloved anticipates
42. In context, the word "end" (line 41) is best understood to refer to the (A) final lines of a work (B) resolution of the plot (C) author's finished product (D) author's demise (E) author's aim in a work
(E) author's aim in a work
26. The idea that "Books transported you always into Reality" (lines 13-14) is best described as (A) self-evident (B) comical (C) subversive (D) paradoxical (E) cliché
(D) paradoxical
17. The narrator's attitude toward "Reviewers" (line 25) is best characterized as (A) appreciative (B) conciliatory (C) dispassionate (D) scornful (E) fearful
(D) scornful
52. Which of the following is best understood to be ironic? (A) "each terribly vulnerable wrist" (line 11) (B) "thumbs the leaves of his appointment calendar" (lines 15-16) (C) "a mindless rearrangement of cells in the crust of the spinning earth" (lines 28-29) (D) "his blood runs cold again as the galaxies revolve" (lines 35-36) (E) "He has brought order out of chaos" (lines 54-55)
(E) "He has brought order out of chaos" (lines 54-55)
50. The man is "touched with terror" (lines 26-27) because of his (A) need to relive a personal tragedy (B) complicity in a shameful event (C) fear of committing an unforgivable social gaffe (D) failure to recall the timing of a notable occurrence (E) feeling of imminent physical threat
(D) failure to recall the timing of a notable occurrence
13. In context, the statement "Yes, novels" (line 13) does all of the following EXCEPT (A) call attention to the subject of a digression (B) introduce a commentary about a practice common to writers of fiction (C) mark a shift from third-person to first-person narration (D) imply that the previous sentence may contain surprising information (E) suggest that an earlier observation is inaccurate
(E) suggest that an earlier observation is inaccurate
54. In context, the interjection in lines 49-50 ("Smell that new grass!") serves to (A) convey a new sense of optimism (B) demonstrate respect for the natural world (C) advocate a change in attitude (D) give a voice to a heartfelt request (E) issue a stern command
(A) convey a new sense of optimism
40. Which of the following lines contains an example of the poetic device apostrophe? (A) Line 18 (B) Line 22 (C) Line 28 (D) Line 34 (E) Line 37
(D) Line 34
7. Lines 27-28 contain an instance of (A) anaphora (B) malapropism (C) non sequitur (D) oxymoron (E) ellipsis
(D) oxymoron
29. It can be inferred from lines 34-39 ("But when . . . at-all' ") that Tantie considers the narrator's behavior to be (A) weird and threatening (B) amusing and harmless (C) endearing and childlike (D) silly and affected (E) aberrant and condescending
(D) silly and affected
51. Which best describes the series of questions and the exclamation in lines 27-32 ("The spring . . . Infinity!") ? (A) They reflect an increasingly broad set of anxieties. (B) They reveal a progressively more sophisticated outlook. (C) They reflect a growing faith in human autonomy. (D) They pinpoint several issues of universal concern. (E) They pursue a line of reasoning to a flawed conclusion.
(A) They reflect an increasingly broad set of anxieties.
6. In lines 25-28, the speaker's images suggest that (A) the speaker is profoundly affected by the beloved's every emotion (B) the speaker sighs and weeps for the beloved (C) the beloved perceives and struggles to accept that the speaker is near death (D) the beloved has betrayed the speaker (E) the beloved is a better person than the speaker
(A) the speaker is profoundly affected by the beloved's every emotion
22. Which of the following best states the narrator's central point about novelists? (A) They are unfairly represented in popular fiction. (B) They inappropriately malign their own profession. (C) They are less talented than writers of nonfiction. (D) They present an unrealistic vision of ordinary life. (E) They place their own interests above those of readers.
(B) They inappropriately malign their own profession.
47. The narrator implies that keeping track of time provides (A) a useful reminder of the fragility of life (B) a false sense of one's power over the world (C) an inducement to use one's time more wisely (D) an awareness that life involves constant change (E) a continuous sense of progress and achievement
(B) a false sense of one's power over the world
25. The author uses capital letters for some words in the second paragraph (lines 6-15) primarily to (A) emphasize the ominous tone of the paragraph (B) call attention to the idealized notions of the narrator as a young girl (C) demonstrate the narrator's youthful enthusiasm (D) reveal the narrator's lack of sophistication as a writer (E) emphasize the narrator's playful attitude as a young girl
(B) call attention to the idealized notions of the narrator as a young girl
14. From line 13 on, the narrator is speaking primarily as (A) a defensive reader (B) the heroine of a novel (C) an indignant reviewer (D) a novelist (E) an editor
(D) a novelist
41. Lines 31-38 suggest that the appropriate way to appreciate a work of art is to consider its (A) nobility of purpose (B) flawlessness (C) wit (D) balance and unity (E) creativity and inspiration
(D) balance and unity
11. The form of the poem may best be described as a (A) lyric in free verse (B) ballad without a refrain (C) series of abbreviated sonnets (D) series of octaves with fixed metrical and rhyming patterns (E) series of enjambed stanzas with irregular meter but regular rhyming
(D) series of octaves with fixed metrical and rhyming patterns
46. Which best describes the overall structure of the passage? (A) A pronouncement is made and its implications are addressed. (B) A hypothesis is advanced and its accuracy is debated. (C) A maxim is offered and its origins are described. (D) A cliché is cited and systematically debunked. (E) A claim is made and illustrated with multiple examples.
(E) A claim is made and illustrated with multiple examples.
3. In comparing himself to the Sun in the second stanza, the speaker makes all the following points EXCEPT: (A) The Sun cannot feel as he can. (B) The Sun returns, and so will he. (C) The Sun lacks his passion. (D) The Sun is slower paced than he will be. (E) The Sun has a shorter distance to travel than he does.
(E) The Sun has a shorter distance to travel than he does.
35. According to lines 3-4, in order to become sober one should (A) refrain completely from further drinking (B) drink only water from the spring (C) study rather than drink (D) drink only in small quantities (E) drink a great amount
(E) drink a great amount
4. The "wings and spurs" mentioned in line 16 are best understood to represent (A) the speaker's desires to allay his anxieties about death (B) desire for the beloved that the speaker carries with him (C) jokes by the speaker regarding his own mortality (D) the beloved's criticisms of the speaker's previous behavior (E) the beloved's apprehensions about the faithfulness of the speaker
(B) desire for the beloved that the speaker carries with him
55. The final sentence in each long paragraph (lines 9-12, lines 21-22, and lines 54-55) is best understood to (A) humorously implicate the reader in a belief (B) gently mock a character's sense of security (C) obliquely note humankind's true purpose (D) ironically comment on humankind's destructiveness (E) enthusiastically celebrate the beauty of the world
(B) gently mock a character's sense of security
18. The narrator uses the word "body" (line 29) primarily to (A) exalt the status of a group (B) reinforce a feeling of community (C) justify a concern for self-interest (D) emphasize a physical danger (E) demand immediate help
(B) reinforce a feeling of community
9. Lines 33-34 suggest that the speaker's beloved (A) has spiritual aspirations (B) worries about future events (C) keeps secrets (D) is remote and unapproachable (E) is manipulative
(B) worries about future events
28. In context, the expression "play the monkey" (line 37) likely means to (A) deny one's own humanity (B) contort one's features (C) act like a fool (D) make fun of the elders (E) try to amuse the family
(C) act like a fool
8. In line 31, "thine" refers to (A) the beloved's blood (B) the beloved's love (C) the beloved's life (D) the speaker's life (E) the speaker's blood
(C) the beloved's life
53. The reference to the "shape of his first wife's smile and the sound of her voice in tears" (lines 39-41) suggests that (A) the man idealizes his first marriage (B) the man regrets his treatment of his wife (C) the man does not recall intimate details about his wife (D) the man's first wife was emotionally unstable (E) the man's first wife was a demanding presence in his life
(C) the man does not recall intimate details about his wife
24. The books the narrator gets from the library van are significant to her because they (A) transport her to an earlier era (B) require her to read at an advanced level (C) describe a world that does not really exist (D) are written mostly by Caribbean writers who live in exile (E) describe things and activities that are outside of her everyday experience
(E) describe things and activities that are outside of her everyday experience
32. The word "loomed" (line 60) primarily suggests the narrator's feeling of (A) anger (B) horror (C) resignation (D) despair (E) insignificance
(E) insignificance
12.The absence of "fresh proof" (line 5) suggests which of the following about Catherine and Isabella? (A) their friendship had fully developed. (B) their relationship was puzzling to others. (C) their feelings toward one another were beginning to change. (D) they gave no outward sign of their mutual affection. (E) they constantly sought reassurance from one another.
(A) their friendship had fully developed.
30. The narrator rejects the term "double" (line 43) most likely because it (A) calls up a conflict she had tried to suppress (B) implies an equality she did not experience (C) denotes a similarity she was unwilling to acknowledge (D) carries a responsibility she was not ready to face (E) hints at a sentiment she was embarrassed to express
(B) implies an equality she did not experience
34. In lines 1-18, the speaker suggests that the more one knows. (A) the more harmoniously one writes. (B) the more one finds there is to know. (C) the more creative one is likely to become. (D) the better one is able to evaluate art. (E) the fewer flaws one allows in one's work.
(B) the more one finds there is to know.
33. In lines 1-18, mountain climbing is used primarily as (A) a metaphor for acquiring knowledge (B) an analogy illustrating the struggle for self-knowledge (C) a simile describing the relationship between human beings and nature (D) an image of the difficulty of all human endeavor (E) a symbol of the poet's own creative process
(A) a metaphor for acquiring knowledge
44. The speaker believes that the "verbal critic" (line 47) is (A) essentially objective in his or her evaluations (B) a good guide for poets to follow (C) overly concerned with trivial rules (D) too idealistic to understand most real poetry (E) essentially naïve
(C) overly concerned with trivial rules
27. The creation of Helen reflects the narrator's (A) disenchantment with life on the island of Trinidad (B) desire to become a creative writer (C) sense that all people have alter egos (D) need for a true friend and confidante (E) eagerness to make amends with Tantie
(A) disenchantment with life on the island of Trinidad
1. The primary intention of the speaker is to (A) reassure and comfort his beloved (B) soothe his own breaking heart (C) chastise his beloved for ignoring his attentions (D) help his beloved to understand the finality of death (E) advise his beloved about the misfortunes of love
(A) reassure and comfort his beloved
19. All of the following are used to refer to novels EXCEPT (A) "performances" (line 16) (B) "effusions of fancy" (line 26) (C) "strains" (line 27) (D) "trash" (line 28) (E) "productions" (line 30)
(C) "strains" (line 27)
31. Which of the following would the narrator most likely identify as an example of the "wrongside" (line 49) ? (A) Having "read the two books by Monday morning" (lines 4-5) (B) Eating "potatoes, not rice" (line 9) (C) Using the word "'washicong' for plimsoll" (line 12) (D) Spending "the summer holidays at the sea-side" (lines 17-18) (E) Putting on shoes the moment she woke up (lines 29-30)
(C) Using the word "'washicong' for plimsoll" (line 12)
36. In line 5, "Fired" is best interpreted as meaning (A) tempted (B) dismissed (C) inspired (D) fatigued (E) bedeviled
(C) inspired
37. At line 19, the subject matter shifts from (A) labor to amusement (B) science to morality (C) study to criticism (D) nature to art (E) pedantry to humor
(C) study to criticism
16. In line 23, "patronized" is best interpreted to mean (A) condescended to (B) taken as a model (C) lionized (D) scrutinized (E) supported
(E) supported
5. The observation in the third stanza is that (A) good fortune and bad fortune are equally to be expected in our experience (B) good fortune has more impact on our lives than bad fortune (C) good fortune cannot be prolonged, but we help bad fortune to endure (D) good fortune should be recollected in times of bad fortune (E) good fortune is what we hope for when bad fortune strikes
(C) good fortune cannot be prolonged, but we help bad fortune to endure
45. The speaker believes that the success of a work is achieved through (A) qualities not immediately perceptible on the surface (B) the individual success of each of its compo-nent parts (C) the harmony among its parts, in spite of their individual weaknesses (D) the regularity of each of its component parts (E) an author's capacity to conceal its most serious flaws
(C) the harmony among its parts, in spite of their individual weaknesses
48. In context, "jeweled" (line 6) is best understood to connote (A) frivolous (B) affluent (C) radiant (D) ostentatious (E) delicate
(E) delicate
15. The statement in lines 22-24 ("Alas . . . regard") produces its effect primarily by (A) describing a technical goal of many novelists (B) overstating the extent of an aesthetic problem (C) implying a type of conspiracy among female authors (D) expressing disapproval of the public's taste in literature (E) imagining a kind of sisterhood among fictional protagonists
(E) imagining a kind of sisterhood among fictional protagonists
