Daily Quiz

Question 1:

In context of the passage, the author uses the phrase “failing shell” (line 102) primarily to indicate:

A. the link between Laird’s diminished physical and mental abilities.
B. the exhaustion that Laird’s mother feels because of her role as his primary caregiver.
C. the contrast between the weakness of Laird’s body and the strength of his personality.
D. the fragility of a creature that Laird once found on a trip to the seashore.

Question 2:

The passage indicates that people who had not seen Laird for a long time generally reacted with:

A. profound joy at being given the opportunity to see him one last time.
B. impatience at his persistent exhaustion and confusion.
C. sympathy for his mother and sister, who were given no choice but to take care of him.
D. surprise and sadness at how much his appearance had been changed by illness.

Question 3:

Which of the following questions is NOT answered by information in the passage?

Question 4:

In context of the passage, it can be most reasonably inferred that Janet feels “nostalgic for cigarettes” (line 61) because:

Question 5:

Which of the following best describes the difference between Laird’s initial understanding of the gloaming and his mother’s actual meaning?

A. Laird believed that it saddened his mother when, in reality, she actually considered it a moment of serenity.
B. Laird saw it as a premonition of his impending illness, while his mother understood it as a symbol of life.
C. Laird associated it primarily with his home in America, while his mother associated it with a trip to Scotland she once took.
D. Laird could only understand it as a solitary moment, in contrast to his mother’s experience of it as a social event.

Question 6:

The author most likely includes the phrase “out of habit” (line 82) mainly to indicate that:

A. Janet has extensive professional training as a naturalist.
B. Janet and Laird’s house is in a rural location and is surrounded by wildlife.
C. Janet’s observations of the world around her are careful and deliberate.
D. Janet’s observations of the natural world are automatic for her.

Question 7:

The passage indicates that Laird responds to stressful emotional situations primarily by:

Question 8:

According to the passage, Laird refused to have visitors because:

A. he no longer wanted to be responsible for comforting them.
B. it was difficult for him to interact with healthy people without becoming depressed.
C. he was too tired and ill to receive them.
D. he did not want his mother to be bothered with entertaining them.

Question 9:

As it is used in line 10, the word gird most nearly means:

Question 10:

It can be reasonably inferred that Janet does not want to make too much of Laird’s mention of the gloaming because:

A. she worries that such a bad memory could make Laird’s condition deteriorate even faster.
B. she is afraid that he will retreat back into silence if she draws too much attention to the fact that he is talking.
C. she finds the memory upsetting and does not want to waste the remainder of her time with Laird on such unpleasant matters.
D. she believes that he considers the incident overly important, while she regards it as trivial.

Reading 15