Dreams

Directions: Read the story. Then answer the questions below.



“Dreams”

The relationship between my mother, sister and me had been cold and inimical for as long as I could remember.
To me, my mother was irrational, hurling hurtful invectives for the slightest infraction. “Don’t matter,” my mother grumbled when I asked her where she moved my watercolor paints. “It ain’t like you got talent.” The time our mailbox got knocked off she somehow got it in her head that I was the culprit. “Never respected nothin’,” I heard her say. And my sister took my mother’s side against me every time. Five years my senior, Tammy seemed not to have a brain in her head. She dithered about everything, incapable of making any firm decision. No matter how often my mother deprecated her— “dumb, ugly, fat”—Tammy made futile attempts to fawn her way back into mother’s good graces.
My father would pontificate, “You three are more alike than you know.”
In April of 2000, my mother kicked us both out of the house. (Dad had been exiled many years before.) After that, my sister and I went our separate ways. It was then that I began having recurring dreams.
In one, I am running to catch up with a woman. Each time I get near, I trip and fall. Another woman, smiling and shouting my name, comes with great alacrity and offers her hand, but when I reach to grab it, she disappears.
In another, a female professor hands me a test. Although I have spent hours studying for it, I know none of the answers. The professor derides me for my poor performance. I watch while she relays my ignorance to the class with comic hilarity.
These dreams were not hard to understand. In fact, it was just the opposite; they were pellucid, and absent any knowledge of dream interpretation, I was still able to devise their significance. I knew that they both reflected the pugnacious relationship I shared with my mother and sister.
However, there was one dream I could never quite construe. I bite into an apple. All my teeth fall out. I had this dream far more than any of the others.
Years later, in an effort to heal our fractious relationship, Mom, Tammy and I elected to go to counseling together. After several sessions, I told my dream about teeth tumbling out of my head.
“My God, Crystal,” said my mother. “I’ve had the exact same dream many times.”
“Me, too,” said Tammy solemnly.
Breakthrough? No idea. But I was reminded of the words of my now-dead father. Maybe the three of us are more alike than we know.


Questions:
1) Which is most likely to make a relationship inimical (paragraph 1)?
A. great pathos
B. frequent maledictions
C. magnanimous gestures
D. ingenious discussions
E. heated debates

2) As used in paragraph 2, which is the best synonym for invectives?
A. insults
B. names
C. profanity
D. words
E. misfortunes

3) If the story were true, which would best describe its genre?
A. literary essay, based on a piece of literature
B. memoir essay, centered on a significant memory from the past
C. persuasive essay, characterized by choosing a side and refuting other arguments
D. expository essay, meant to inform the reader of a body of knowledge
E. satire, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule

4) The father's comment in paragraph 3 is best described as
A. hyperbole, an obvious exaggeration for effect
B. a paradox, an idea that contains two conflicting concepts
C. symbolism, using one thing to represent something else
D. foreshadowing, a hint at what is to come
E. a simile, comparing two or more things using like or as

5) What is the tone of this story?
A. matter-of-fact
B. sentimental
C. pompous
D. uncertain
E. comical

6) How does the relationship between the narrator, her mother, and her sister seem to change from the beginning of passage to end?
A. from brusque to florid
B. from egregious to impassive
C. from enervating to rejuvenating
D. from destructive to collaborative
E. from convivial to estranged

7) As used in paragraph 7, which is the best antonym for pellucid?
A. dirty
B. frightening
C. enlightening
D. strange
E. unclear

8) "The professor derides me for my poor performance." Which of the following is the best way to rewrite the above sentence (from paragraph 7) while keeping its original meaning the same?
A. The professor is in disbelief due to my poor performance.
B. The professor laughs mockingly at my poor performance.
C. The professor announces my poor performance.
D. The professor gives me a failing grade for my poor performance.
E. The professor gives me a tutorial because of my poor performance.

9) "I bite into an apple. All my teeth fall out." Which of the following is the best way to rewrite the above sentences (from paragraph 9) while keeping their original meaning the same?
A. I bite into an apple, so all my teeth fall out.
B. I bite into an apple, yet all my teeth fall out.
C. I bite into an apple, and all my teeth fall out.
D. I bite into an apple, because all my teeth fall out.
E. I bite into an apple, but all my teeth fall out.

10) Which of the following words from the story has/have a negative connotation?
I. deprecated (paragraph 2)
II. alacrity (paragraph 5)
III. pugnacious (paragraph 7)
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and III
D. II and III
E. I, II, and III

11) If the professor in the narrator's dream (paragraph 7) represented someone in her life, who would that person most likely be, and why?
A. the sister, because she was described in the passage as dithering
B. the mother, because she was described in the passage as mean-spirited
C. the narrator, because she seems to be testing everyone in the passage
D. the father, because he understood that that the three women were alike
E. herself, because she was hyper-aware of her own problems

12) Breakthrough? No idea. Which is the best way to rewrite the above sentence fragments so that they are grammatically correct, while keeping their original meaning as used in the final paragraph?
A. Breakthrough, no idea.
B. Was this a breakthrough? I have no idea.
C. If this was a breakthrough; I have no idea.
D. I had no idea. This was a breakthrough.
E. Breakthrough or not, I have no idea.


Answers and Explanations
1) B
inimical (adjective): hostile; unfriendly.
In paragraph 1, the narrator says, “The relationship between my mother, sister and me had been cold and inimical for as long as I could remember.” The narrator explains that her mother would say hurtful things and blame her for things she didn’t do. The narrator also says, “My sister took my mother’s side against me every time.” Since the narrator’s mother and sister were hurtful to the narrator, their relationship with the narrator is hostile. Therefore, the reader can infer that inimical means hostile. Maledictions are calling curses on someone or telling lies about someone. Frequently cursing someone or telling lies about them is certain to make a relationship hostile, or inimical. Therefore (B) is the best answer.

2) A
invectives (noun) abusive or rude expressions.
In paragraph 2, the narrator says, “To me, my mother was irrational, hurling hurtful invectives for the slightest infraction. ‘Don’t matter,’ my mother grumbled when I asked her where she moved my watercolor paints. ‘It ain’t like you got talent.’” Since the mother is saying something mean to the narrator, we can infer that invectives are abusive or rude expressions. Insults are offensive remarks. Since abusive or rude expressions are offensive remarks, insults is a good synonym for invectives. Therefore (A) is the correct answer.

3) B
The story begins with the narrator’s description of the difficult relationship between her, her mother, and her sister. Then, the narrator tells the reader about her recurring dreams. Finally, the narrator recounts a counseling session during which the narrator, her mother and sister discovered that they were all having the same dream. All the events in the passage are taken from the narrator’s life, so this story is a memoir, centered on the narrator’s memories of her past. Therefore (B) is correct.

4) D
At the beginning of the story, the narrator describes the strained relationship between her, her mother and her sister. Then, in paragraph 3, the narrator’s father says, “You three are more alike than you know.” Later in the story, the narrator tells the reader about a counseling session in which she, her mother and her sister discover they all have the same recurring dreams. Since the father’s comment that the three women were alike is shown to be true later in the story, the comment hints at what is to come in the story. The comment foreshadows what is to come. Therefore (D) is the best answer.

5) A
The author recounts facts from her life with little emotion, focusing on what happened and not how she feels about it. This means the tone is matter-of-fact. Therefore (A) is correct.

6) D
In the first half of the story, the narrator describes how terrible the relationship is between her, her mother, and her sister. Since the three treated each other so badly, the relationship can be described as destructive. However, at the end of the story we learn that the women are trying to heal their relationship through counseling. Since the women are working together to improve their relationship, their relationship is collaborative. The relationship changes from destructive to collaborative. Therefore (D) is correct.

7) E
pellucid (adjective): clear in meaning.
In paragraphs 5 and 6, the narrator describes her recurring dreams. In paragraph 7, she says, “These dreams were not hard to understand. In fact, it was just the opposite; they were pellucid, and absent any knowledge of dream interpretation, I was still able to devise their significance.” We can infer from this information that the narrator found the dreams easy to understand. Even knowing nothing about how to interpret dreams, the narrator knew what the dreams meant. Since the dreams were easily understood, pellucid means clear. The opposite of clear is unclear, so unclear is a good antonym for pellucid. Therefore (E) is the best answer.

8) B
deride (verb) to mock or jeer.
In paragraph 6, the narrator describes a dream where she has studied for a test yet knows none of the answers. The narrator says, “The professor derides me for my poor performance. I watch while she relays my ignorance to the class with comic hilarity.” Since the professor makes fun of the narrator’s ignorance, we can infer that derides means mocks or ridicules. The sentence The professor laughs mockingly at my poor performance best retains the meaning of the original sentence. Therefore (B) is correct.

9) C
The sentence, I bite into an apple and all my teeth fall out, combines the 2 sentences while retaining the original meaning, which is that her teeth fall out after she bites into an apple. Therefore (C) is correct.

10) C
deprecate (verb): to belittle.
alacrity (noun): quickness and willingness.
pugnacious (adjective): belligerent.
In paragraph 2, the narrator says of her sister, “my mother deprecated her— ‘dumb, ugly, fat.’” Since the mother has called the sister terrible things, we can infer that deprecated means to belittle. This has a negative connotation, so it supports option (I). In paragraph 5, the author is describing a recurring dream. She says, “I trip and fall. Another woman, smiling and saying my name, comes with great alacrity and offers her hand, but when I reach to grab it, she disappears.” Since the woman is smiling and shouting the narrator’s name, she is encouraging the narrator to take her hand. We can infer from this that alacrity is willingness. Willingness to help has a positive connotation, so this eliminates option (II). The narrator describes the terrible relationship she has with her mother and sister. Then she tells the reader about her recurring dreams, which she believes reflect this relationship. In paragraph 7, the narrator says, “I knew that they both reflected the pugnacious relationship I shared with my mother and sister.” Since we know the relationship between the women was belligerent, we can infer that pugnacious means belligerent. This has a negative connotation, so it supports option (III). Therefore (C) is correct.

11) B
The mother is described as mean-spirited, calling one daughter names and telling the other that she has no talent. Later, the professor in the narrator’s dream also behaves in a mean-spirited way, making fun of the narrator in front of the class. The professor most likely represents the mother. Therefore (B) is correct.

12) B
Near the end of the story, the narrator tells her mother and sister about her dreams during a counseling session, and they tell her they have the same dreams. The narrator says, “Breakthrough? No idea.” We can infer from this information that the narrator does not know whether learning that they share the same dreams is a breakthrough in their relationship. This same meaning is clear in the statements, Was this a breakthrough? I have no idea. Therefore (B) is correct.

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A Mystery

Directions: Read the story. Then answer the questions below.




“A Mystery”

“Something is very wrong,” says the detective.
“I know!” says Ms. Gervis. “It is wrong that someone has stolen from me!”
The detective looks around Ms. Gervis’ apartment. “That is not what I am talking about, ma’am. What is wrong is that I do not understand how the robber got in and out.”
Ms. Gervis and the detective stand in silence. Ms. Gervis’ eyes are full of tears. Her hands are shaking.
“The robber did not come through the window,” says the detective. “These windows have not been opened or shut in months.”
The detective looks at the fireplace. “The robber did not squeeze down here.”
The detective walks to the front door. He examines the latch. “And since there are no marks or scratches, the robber definitely did not try to break the lock.”
“I have no idea how he did it,” says a bothered Ms. Gervis. “It is a big mystery.”
“And you say the robber stole nothing else?” asks the detective. “No money, no jewelry, no crystal?”
“That’s right, detective. He took only what was important to me,” Ms. Gervis says with a sigh. “There is only one thing I can do now.”
“And what is that?” the detective asks with surprise.
“I will stop baking cakes,” Ms. Gervis says. “They are mine to give away. They are not for someone to steal.”
“You can’t do that!” says the detective with alarm. “Who will bake those delicious cakes?”
“I am sorry. I do not know,” says Ms. Gervis.
“I must solve this case immediately!” says the detective.



Questions:
1) Where does this story take place?
A. in a bakery
B. at the police station
C. in Ms. Gervis' house
D. in Ms. Gervis' apartment

2) Near the beginning of the story, “Ms. Gervis’ eyes are full of tears. Her hands are shaking.” How does Ms. Gervis probably feel?
A. She is upset.
B. She is tired.
C. She is hungry.
D. She is confused.

3) What makes the detective sure that the robber did not come through the windows?
A. The windows are locked.
B. The windows face the police station.
C. The windows have not been used in months.
D. The windows are too small for a person to fit through.

4) "And the robber definitely did not use the front door." Which is the best way to rewrite this sentence?
A. "And the robber may not have used the front door."
B. "And the robber probably did not use the front door."
C. "And the robber was not able to use the front door."
D. "And the robber certainly did not use the front door."

5) What else could the detective have asked Ms. Gervis in order to solve the mystery?
I. Which types of cakes does Ms. Gervis know how to bake?
II. Does someone else have a key to the apartment?
III. Does Ms. Gervis ever leave the door unlocked?
A. I only
B. I and II
C. II and III
D. I, II, and III

6) What does Ms. Gervis do with her cakes?
A. She eats them.
B. She sells them.
C. She hides them.
D. She gives them away.

7) What does the detective seem to think will happen if he solves the mystery?
A. Ms. Gervis will start baking cakes again
B. Ms. Gervis will bake him extra cakes
C. Ms. Gervis will give him her secret recipe
D. Ms. Gervis will give him money and jewels

8) What is a mystery?
A. something that is wrong
B. something that happens at night
C. something a robber leaves behind
D. something that cannot be explained

9) What else was stolen from the apartment?
A. crystal
B. jewelry
C. money
D. nothing

10) If something is said with alarm, how is it said?
A. with fear and panic
B. with bells and whistles
C. with smiles and laughter
D. with sadness and tears


Answers and Explanations
1) D
Near the beginning of the story, “the detective looks around Ms. Gervis’ apartment.” We can understand from this that the story takes place in Ms. Gervis’ apartment. Therefore (D) is correct.

2) A
The detective is at Ms. Gervis’ apartment because Ms. Gervis has been robbed. In fact, the robber took “only what was important” to Ms. Gervis. Since Ms. Gervis’ apartment has been robbed and the robber took something important to her, we can understand that Ms. Gervis is upset. Therefore (A) is correct.

3) C
In the middle of the story, the detective says, “The robber did not come through the windows.” Then the detective says, “These windows have not been opened or shut in months.” We can understand from these statements that the detective believes that the robber didn’t come through the windows because the windows had not been used in months. Therefore (C) is correct.


4) D
definitely (adjective): certainly; without doubt.
In the middle of the story, the detective examines the latch on the door. The detective says, “Since there are no marks or scratches, the robber definitely did not try to break the lock.” The reader can understand from this that since there is no evidence that someone tried to break the lock, someone certainly did not try to break the lock. Certainly is another way to say definitely. Therefore (D) is correct.

5) C
The detective determined that the robber did not come in through the windows or the fireplace. Also, the robber did not try to break the lock on the door. Therefore, the mystery here is how someone got into the apartment to steal the cake. Knowing what kinds of cakes Ms. Gervis can bake will not help the detective determine how someone got in the apartment. This eliminates option (I). Knowing whether someone else had a key could help the detective find possible suspects, because someone with a key could get in the apartment without breaking the lock. This supports option (II). If Ms. Gervis left the door unlocked, someone could also have come in without breaking the lock. This supports option (III). Therefore (C) is correct.

6) D
Near the end of the story, Ms. Gervis says that she will stop baking cakes: “They are mine to give away. They are not for someone to steal.” We can understand from this that Ms. Gervis gives her cakes away. Therefore (D) is correct.

7) A
Near the end of the story, Ms. Gervis says that she will stop baking cakes. This makes the detective alarmed. The detective wonders, “Who will bake those delicious cakes?” Then, the detective decides to “solve this case immediately!” We can understand from this that the detective wants to solve the case immediately because he thinks that Ms. Gervis will bake cakes again if the case is solved. Therefore (A) is correct.

8) D
mystery (noun): an unexplained event; something that is not fully understood.
In this story, the detective is trying to figure out how a robber got into an apartment. The detective notices that the robber did not come in through a window, through the fireplace, or break the lock to the door. Ms. Gervis says that how the robber got in is a big mystery. Since the detective has looked at all the normal ways that someone may have gotten into the apartment and ruled them out, a mystery must be something that is hard to figure out or explain. Therefore (D) is correct.

9) D
In the middle of the story, the detective asks Ms. Gervis if the robber stole anything else: “No money, no jewelry, no crystal?” Ms. Gervis says, “That’s right, detective.” Ms. Gervis goes on to say that the robber has taken the only thing that is important to her, and that now she will stop baking cakes. We can understand from this that the only thing that the robber stole was cake. Therefore (D) is correct.

10) A
alarm (noun): fear or terror aroused by awareness of danger.
When Ms. Gervis says that she will no longer bake cakes, the detective reacts with alarm. The detective says he will “solve the case immediately!” The reader can understand from this that the detective is very afraid that Ms. Gervis will not bake her delicious cakes if the he does not solve the case. Alarm is fear or terror. Therefore (A) is correct.

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