Daily Quiz

Question 1:

The narrator indicates that he believes himself to be smarter when he writes because:

Question 2:

In the last paragraph, the narrator suggests that writers’ awkward behavior should be met with:

Question 3:

In the beginning of the second paragraph (lines 21-45), the narrator admires Nabokov primarily for his:

Question 4:

As it is used in the fourth paragraph, the word “swaths” (line 107) most nearly means:

Question 5:

In the first paragraph, the narrator suggests that, in comparison to Nabokov’s clothes, Lionel Trilling’s clothes appeared:

Question 6:

Steven Pinker refers to mathematicians and quarterbacks primarily to support the idea that:

A. the act of writing can improve most people’s creativity.
B. the process of learning to write is similar to the process of learning to play an sport.
C. writers are often placed in situations that involve a great deal of pressure.
D. speaking informally does not require authors to engage their professional faculties.

Question 7:

Based on information provided in the second paragraph (lines 21-45), it can be reasonably inferred that Hazlitt is:

Question 8:

The narrator’s assertion in the end of the fifth paragraph (108-146) is based on the assumption that:

A. it is impossible for a good writer to be a good conversationalist.
B. good writing skills and good conversation skills are sometimes mutually exclusive.
C. good writers tend to dislike socializing.
D. many great writers have been known for their physical awkwardness.

Questions 9:

What is the main idea of the passage as a whole?

A. musical and writing talent are rarely achieved together.
B. great writers should not be expected to be extraordinary at everything.
C. people with multiple talents use their brains efficiently.
D. most people are limited in creativity by having to say their thoughts out loud.

Question 10:

The main idea above is best represented in which of the following lines?

A. “It’s not that a violin offers up secrets the piano withholds, but that the mind starts thinking differently when we play different instruments” (lines 112-117)
B. “since writing allows time for reveries and ruminations, it probably engages larger swaths of the brain” (lines 104-107)
C. “then I think: writers don’t have to be brilliant conversationalists; it’s not their job to be smart except, of course, when they write” (lines 33-37)
D. “when the work is going well, I’m expressing opinions that I’ve never uttered in conversation and that otherwise might never occur to me” (lines 58-63)

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