McqMate
These multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are designed to enhance your knowledge and understanding in the following areas: Bachelor of Arts in English (BA English) .
| 1. |
Which sentence tells the main idea of “I Hear America Singing”? |
| A. | in america, it is important to have a good job. |
| B. | americans love to sing. |
| C. | all different kinds of people come together to make america what it is. |
| D. | young people like to have parties at night. |
| Answer» C. all different kinds of people come together to make america what it is. | |
| 2. |
Read the lines from “I Hear America Singing.” “The day what belongs to the day-At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly, /Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs.” What does the word robust mean? |
| A. | dirty |
| B. | full of health |
| C. | artistic |
| D. | mean |
| Answer» B. full of health | |
| 3. |
What is the point of view used in “I Hear America Singing”? |
| A. | first person |
| B. | second person |
| C. | third person |
| D. | no point of view |
| Answer» B. second person | |
| 4. |
What is most likely the poet’s purpose for writing “I Hear America Singing”? |
| A. | to persuade people to find jobs in america |
| B. | to inform the reader about different kinds of jobs in america |
| C. | to teach the reader how to be a good american |
| D. | to give a lively description of people working in american |
| Answer» D. to give a lively description of people working in american | |
| 5. |
Read the line from “I Hear America Singing” “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear” This is an example of |
| A. | simile. |
| B. | alliteration. |
| C. | personification. |
| D. | plot |
| Answer» C. personification. | |
| 6. |
Read the line from “I Hear America Singing.” “The carpenter singing his, as he measure his plank or beam” The word beam in this sentence means |
| A. | a ray of light |
| B. | a piece of wood used in construction. |
| C. | a steel tube. |
| D. | to smile. |
| Answer» B. a piece of wood used in construction. | |
| 7. |
In “I Hear America Singing,” the poet probably described people at work because |
| A. | people often sing at work. |
| B. | he saw america as a poor country. |
| C. | he liked working more than doing other activities. |
| D. | he saw america as a country that was prospering. |
| Answer» D. he saw america as a country that was prospering. | |
| 8. |
Which sentence from “Walt Whitman” supports the idea that Whitman wrote poetry for everyday Americans? |
| A. | “he also began working as a journalist, and he wrote political speeches.” |
| B. | “he published the first edition of his poetry collection leaves of grass in 1855, paying for it himself. |
| C. | “for example, he liked to write about families and workers who had moved from the farms to the city.” |
| D. | “he was an admirer of abraham lincoln, and he wrote a number of poems in response to lincoln’s assassination in 1865.” |
| Answer» C. “for example, he liked to write about families and workers who had moved from the farms to the city.” | |
| 9. |
Which is a detail from “Walt Whitman”? |
| A. | whitman worked for martin van buren’s presidential campaign. |
| B. | whitman did not write short stories. |
| C. | whitman fought in the civil war. |
| D. | whitman worked as a mechanic. |
| Answer» A. whitman worked for martin van buren’s presidential campaign. | |
| 10. |
By reading both the poem and the passage, you can tell that Walt Whitman was |
| A. | a friend to abraham lincoln |
| B. | imaginative. |
| C. | a man who could not find time for family. |
| D. | a professional singer. |
| Answer» D. a professional singer. | |
| 11. |
The characters in “I Hear America Singing” are similar to Walt Whitman in that they |
| A. | are constantly singing. |
| B. | are mechanics and shoemakers. |
| C. | have worked in a print shop. |
| D. | are full of life. |
| Answer» B. are mechanics and shoemakers. | |
| 12. |
The biographical text tells us that Whitman “set out to define the American experience.” How did he approach this daunting task? |
| A. | with unlimited optimism so as to represent each person rather than categorize people according to race or class |
| B. | with confidence that the people would embrace him |
| C. | with an eagerness to earn a name for himself as a truly original national poet |
| D. | with the assumption that his work would result in him being a person |
| Answer» D. with the assumption that his work would result in him being a person | |
| 13. |
What major events in the world around influenced Whitman’s writing the most? |
| A. | discrimination against african americans and the birth of the harlem renaissance |
| B. | prohibition of alcohol and the establishment of speakeasies |
| C. | the birth of america as a nation and the acceptance of american writers on the literary scene |
| D. | the plight of the common man and the regulation of publishing practices in america |
| Answer» A. discrimination against african americans and the birth of the harlem renaissance | |
| 14. |
In his poem, Whitman describes both the mechanics and their songs as “blithe.” In this sense, blithe means |
| A. | happy or joyful |
| B. | nostalgic or reminiscent |
| C. | sad or somber |
| D. | angry or raging |
| Answer» B. nostalgic or reminiscent | |
| 15. |
Which statement best expresses the main idea of the poem? |
| A. | america is a melting pot full of many different people and occupations |
| B. | what makes america great is its population of common or working – class people |
| C. | everyone in america has their own “song” to sing |
| D. | america is a place that promises so much, but has little to offer |
| Answer» C. everyone in america has their own “song” to sing | |
| 16. |
The tone of “I Hear America Singing” can be best described as |
| A. | somber |
| B. | hopeful |
| C. | lively |
| D. | inspirational |
| Answer» D. inspirational | |
| 17. |
The biographical text tells that it was the people that Langston Hughes called the “low down folks” who had the greatest influence in his poetry. This phrase refers to people who were |
| A. | african american |
| B. | mexican |
| C. | average and not easily noticed |
| D. | middle and working class |
| Answer» A. african american | |
| 18. |
What is Langston Hughes known for? |
| A. | beingasocialactivist. |
| B. | beingapoet. |
| C. | all of these answers are correct |
| D. | being an essayist. |
| Answer» C. all of these answers are correct | |
| 19. |
In his poem, Hughes characterizes the speaker as |
| A. | a young man unsure of his place in the world |
| B. | a black servant who longs to be treated with equality and respect |
| C. | an innocent child harmed by the discrimination he has experienced |
| D. | an average, working-class man who hates his job |
| Answer» C. an innocent child harmed by the discrimination he has experienced | |
| 20. |
Based on the titles of each poem, what statement is Hughes trying to make in response to Whitman’s poem? |
| A. | the authors have shared many similar life experiences |
| B. | both authors have great love for their country and mankind |
| C. | music and song have both played major roles in the lives of the authors |
| D. | the song america sings to hughes is much different than the song it sings to whitman because hughes’ america did not readily accept him |
| Answer» B. both authors have great love for their country and mankind | |
| 21. |
What is Snopes's occupation in 'Barn Burning'? |
| A. | lawyer. |
| B. | overseer. |
| C. | judge. |
| D. | sharecropper. |
| Answer» D. sharecropper. | |
| 22. |
What is Snopes accused of? |
| A. | arson. |
| B. | larceny. |
| C. | murder. |
| D. | perjury. |
| Answer» A. arson. | |
| 23. |
What is the name of Snopes's boss? |
| A. | major harold. |
| B. | justice henry. |
| C. | mr. harris. |
| D. | dr. hansen. |
| Answer» A. major harold. | |
| 24. |
The quality of Romanticism most clearly illustrated in “The Fall of the House of Usher” is an interest in |
| A. | the american past |
| B. | the beauty of the natural world |
| C. | legend and folklore |
| D. | irrational or mystical elements of the world |
| Answer» D. irrational or mystical elements of the world | |
| 25. |
The basic facts of the story include all of the following with one exception. Which of these statements is in error? |
| A. | the narrator has been invited to visit roderick usher, an old friend. |
| B. | roderick has a twin sister who dies of a cataleptic seizure the first night. |
| C. | roderick and his sister are the only surviving members of an ancient family. |
| D. | the sister in prematurely buried, with terrifying consequences. |
| Answer» B. roderick has a twin sister who dies of a cataleptic seizure the first night. | |
| 26. |
The story emphasizes from the start a major parallel, one that involves |
| A. | art and life |
| B. | a building and a family |
| C. | two close friends |
| D. | a poem and an event |
| Answer» D. a poem and an event | |
| 27. |
Before he enters the Usher mansion, the narrator notes “a barely imperceptible fissure” in the building, an example of |
| A. | foreshadowing |
| B. | a false clue |
| C. | vivid detail |
| D. | the use of local color |
| Answer» A. foreshadowing | |
| 28. |
Roderick Usher, the narrator discovers, is all of the following except |
| A. | exceedingly nervous and gloomy |
| B. | hypersensitive and superstitious |
| C. | broken in spirit and deranged |
| D. | bedridden |
| Answer» D. bedridden | |
| 29. |
Which of the following events does not occur at the end of the story? |
| A. | madeline struggles free of her vault. |
| B. | madeline enters roderick’s presence and strangles him before she dies. |
| C. | the terrified narrator flees from the house into a storm. |
| D. | the “vast house” collapses and sinks beneath the tarn. |
| Answer» B. madeline enters roderick’s presence and strangles him before she dies. | |
| 30. |
Which of the following is true of the story? |
| A. | roderick was a victim of paralysis and was bedridden most of his life. |
| B. | madeline was pretending to be dead so that she could come back to kill her brother and inherit the estate. |
| C. | as his sister becomes more physically ill, roderick becomes increasingly ill emotionally. |
| D. | the house was uninhabited and in great disrepair. |
| Answer» A. roderick was a victim of paralysis and was bedridden most of his life. | |
| 31. |
The total collapse of the Usher mansion at the end of the story best supports the idea that: |
| A. | unreasonable fear and paranoia can lead to complete madness. |
| B. | an overactive imagination can terrify a person with illusions. |
| C. | isolation of the creative genius may one day result in its destruction. |
| D. | a mind without a firm base in reality will eventually destroy itself. |
| Answer» B. an overactive imagination can terrify a person with illusions. | |
| 32. |
A theme of the story is how: |
| A. | too much contact with the world leads to a distortion of reality. |
| B. | isolation of the mind leads to death of the body. |
| C. | a person who is cut off from the world can fall prey to another’s fears. |
| D. | the mind cannot affect the body in any way. |
| Answer» C. a person who is cut off from the world can fall prey to another’s fears. | |
| 33. |
Which of the following quotations supports the statement that this story is about how the imagination distorts reality? |
| A. | “the disease of the lady madeline had long baffled the skill of her physicians.” |
| B. | “. . . for there could be no doubt whatever that, in this instance, i did actually hear . . . a low and apparently distant . . . sound . . .” |
| C. | “his long improvised dirges will ring forever in my ears.” |
| D. | “[usher’s] opinion . . . was that of the sentience of all vegetable things.” |
| Answer» B. “. . . for there could be no doubt whatever that, in this instance, i did actually hear . . . a low and apparently distant . . . sound . . .” | |
| 34. |
The main character is a salesman who, after thirty four years with the company, has been taken off salary and is experiencing some personal and financial difficulties. What is his name? |
| A. | his name is willy loman |
| B. | his name is charley wills. |
| C. | his name is ben happs. |
| D. | his name is william benson. |
| Answer» A. his name is willy loman | |
| 35. |
Who is Willy's wife? |
| A. | her name is jenny. |
| B. | her name is letty. |
| C. | her name is linda. |
| D. | her name is happy. |
| Answer» C. her name is linda. | |
| 36. |
What happened to Willy after he got a little above Yonkers? |
| A. | he ran out of gas. |
| B. | he forgot he was driving and ran off the road. |
| C. | he ran into a truck. |
| D. | he had a heart attack while driving. |
| Answer» B. he forgot he was driving and ran off the road. | |
| 37. |
What is Linda's reaction to Willy's complaints about himself? |
| A. | she agrees and says she never should have married him. |
| B. | she urges him to see a therapist. |
| C. | she cries and says not to talk like that. |
| D. | she makes excuses for him. |
| Answer» D. she makes excuses for him. | |
| 38. |
Who are Biff and Happy? |
| A. | they are two new young salesmen who are trying to get willy's territory. |
| B. | they are willy's sons. neither is very settled or responsible. |
| C. | they are willy's older brothers. they are both highly successful, and ridicule willy for his failure. |
| D. | they are two neighbours |
| Answer» B. they are willy's sons. neither is very settled or responsible. | |
| 39. |
What seems to be the problem between Biff and Willy? |
| A. | biff is a draft dodger, and willy wanted him to have a military career. |
| B. | biff was disrespectful to his mother, and wily was angry about it. |
| C. | biff wants to move to alaska, but willy wants him to go into sales and take over his (willy's) route. |
| D. | biff is unsettled and hasn't made anything of himself yet, and this distress willy. |
| Answer» D. biff is unsettled and hasn't made anything of himself yet, and this distress willy. | |
| 40. |
Why doesn't Happy go west with Biff? |
| A. | he is about to be married, and his wife-to-be won't let him go. |
| B. | he has just applied to graduate school. |
| C. | he wants to show the executives in his company that he can make the grade. |
| D. | he is too insecure to try something risky. |
| Answer» C. he wants to show the executives in his company that he can make the grade. | |
| 41. |
What does Biff want from Bill Oliver? |
| A. | he wants money to buy a ranch. |
| B. | he wants a recommendation to a film director bill knows in hollywood. |
| C. | he wants his old job back. |
| D. | biff wants bill oliver to become partners with him and open a consulting service. |
| Answer» A. he wants money to buy a ranch. | |
| 42. |
Why did Biff stop working for Bill Oliver? |
| A. | bill never gave him a raise in four years. |
| B. | biff suspected bill knew he had stolen basketball. |
| C. | biff had been dating bill's daughter; bill fired him when biff dropped her |
| D. | bill wanted biff to lie to an insurance adjuster, and biff refused |
| Answer» B. biff suspected bill knew he had stolen basketball. | |
| 43. |
Happy says, "I don't know what to do about him [Willy], it's getting embarrassing." What is he referring to? |
| A. | he is referring to willy's growing obesity. |
| B. | he is referring to willy's crude gestures and language. |
| C. | he is referring to willy's excessive spending. |
| D. | he is referring to willy's mental lapses into a dream world. |
| Answer» D. he is referring to willy's mental lapses into a dream world. | |
| 44. |
What does Happy's thinking tell you about his character? |
| A. | it shows that happy really loves willy. |
| B. | it shows that happy is more concerned about his own welfare than willy's health. |
| C. | happy is admitting his ignorance, and acknowledging that he should have studied more in school. |
| D. | happy prefers his mother to his father. |
| Answer» B. it shows that happy is more concerned about his own welfare than willy's health. | |
| 45. |
Why does Willy talk so much about the car? |
| A. | buying a new car for his wife is his motivation for keeping his sales job. |
| B. | he thinks the car makes him powerful. |
| C. | he had a bad experience in his car today, and the old car is a happy experience from the past. |
| D. | he has developed a nervous phobia, and thinks that talking about the car will bring him good luck. not talking about it may bring bad luck. |
| Answer» C. he had a bad experience in his car today, and the old car is a happy experience from the past. | |
| 46. |
Where did Biff get the football? |
| A. | biff had stolen it from school. |
| B. | biff had received it as a gift from his mother. |
| C. | he borrowed it from happy |
| D. | he had stolen it from a kid down the street |
| Answer» A. biff had stolen it from school. | |
| 47. |
What does Willy tell Linda about his business? |
| A. | he's doing great and should get a promotion in a few weeks. |
| B. | business isn't so good. |
| C. | people he does business with don't seem to like him. |
| D. | b& c |
| Answer» D. b& c | |
| 48. |
Who is The Woman? |
| A. | linda |
| B. | someone with whom willy had a brief affair |
| C. | willy's best client |
| D. | ben's wife |
| Answer» B. someone with whom willy had a brief affair | |
| 49. |
What does Willy mean, "I'll make it up to you, Linda, I'll --"? What does Linda think he means? |
| A. | willy means that he'll make up for his infidelity, linda thinks he is talking about his business and will try to make more money for them. |
| B. | willy means that he will pay more attention to her when he's at home. she is thinking the same thing. |
| C. | willy means he will make more money, linda thinks he is talking about spending more time together. |
| D. | willy means he'll spend more time with her and the boys. linda thinks he is talking about his past indiscretions. |
| Answer» A. willy means that he'll make up for his infidelity, linda thinks he is talking about his business and will try to make more money for them. | |
| 50. |
What does Willy want young Bernard to do for Biff? |
| A. | willy wants bernard to give up his position on the football team so that biff can get on it. |
| B. | willy wants bernard to give biff answers for a test. |
| C. | willy wants bernard to introduce biff to his (bernard's) sister, whom biff likes. |
| D. | willy wants bernard to beat up a bully who has been bothering biff. |
| Answer» B. willy wants bernard to give biff answers for a test. | |
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