Excerpt from Don Quixote
by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
translated from the Spanish by John Ormsby
1. At this point they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that were on the plain, and as soon as Don Quixote saw them he said ta his squire, "Fortune is arranging matters for us better than we could have shaped our desiress ourselves, for look there, friend Sancho Panza, when thirty or more monstrous giants present themselves, all of whom I mean to engage in battle and stay, and with whose spoils we shall begin to make our fortunes; for this is righteous warfare, and it is God's good service to sweep so evil a breed from off the face of the earth."
2. "What giants?" said Sancho Panza.
3. "Those thou seest there." answered his master; "with the long arms, and some nave them nearly two leagues long.'
4. "Lock, your warship," said Sancho, "what we see there are not giants but windmills, and what seem to be their arms are the sails that turned by the wind make the millstone go."
5. "It is easy to see," replied Don Quixote, "that thou art not used to this business of adventures those are giants; and it thou art afraid, away with thee out of this and betake thyself to prayer while I engage them in fierce and unequal combat.
6. So saying, he gave the spur to his steed Rocinante, heedless of the cries his squire Sancho sent after him, warning him that most certainty they were windmills and not giants he was going to attack. He, however, was so positive they were giants that he neither heard the cries of Sancho, nor perceived, near as he was, what they were, but made at them shouting, "Fly not, cowards and vile beings, for a single knight. attacks you."
7. A slight breeze at this moment sprang up, and the great sails began to move, seeing which
Don Quixote exclaimed, “Though ye flourish more arms than the giant Briareus, ye have to
reckon with me.â€
8. So saying, and commending himself with all his heart to his lady Dulcinea, imploring her to support him in such a pert, with lance in rest, and covered by his buckler, he charged at Rocinante's fullest gallop and fell upon the first mill that stood in front of him, but as he drove his lance point into the sail the wind whirled it round with such force that it shivered the lance to pieces, sweeping win it horse and rider, who went rolling over on the plan, in a sorry condition. Sancho hastened to his assistance as fast as his donkey could go, and when he came up found Don Quixote unable to move, with such a shock had Rocinante fallen with him
9. “God bless me!" said Sancho. "Did I not tell your worship to mind what you were about, for they were only windmills? And no one could have made any mistake about it but one who had something of the same kind in his head."
10. “Hush, friend Sancho," replied Don Quixote, "the fortunes of war more than any other are liable to frequent fluctuations; and moreover I think, and it is the truth, that that same sage Friston who carried off my study and books, has turned these giants into mills in order to rob me of the glory of vanquishing them, such is the enmity he bears me; but in the and his wicked
…but as he drove his lance point into the sail the wind whirled it round with such force that it shivered the lance to pieces, sweeping with it horse and rider, who went rolling over on the plain, in a sorry condition.' Which definition matches the use of the word 'shivered' in the excerpt?
- A. splintered
- B. stuck
- C. swung
- D. surrendered
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
In the context of the excerpt, "shivered" refers to the action of breaking or splintering into pieces, which aligns with option A. The imagery of the lance being shattered by the force of the wind supports this interpretation. Option B, "stuck," does not fit, as the action described involves destruction, not adhesion. Option C, "swung," implies movement rather than breaking, which is not consistent with the context. Finally, option D, "surrendered," suggests giving up, which is unrelated to the physical destruction of the lance. Thus, only option A accurately captures the intended meaning of "shivered."
In the context of the excerpt, "shivered" refers to the action of breaking or splintering into pieces, which aligns with option A. The imagery of the lance being shattered by the force of the wind supports this interpretation. Option B, "stuck," does not fit, as the action described involves destruction, not adhesion. Option C, "swung," implies movement rather than breaking, which is not consistent with the context. Finally, option D, "surrendered," suggests giving up, which is unrelated to the physical destruction of the lance. Thus, only option A accurately captures the intended meaning of "shivered."
Other Related Questions
Burl refers to the thief as an 'artiste' in the story because
- A. the thief arranges the jars in patterns.
- B. the thief scrawls a drawing on the back of an IOU.
- C. the thief leaves beautiful objects rather than money.
- D. the thief avoids getting caught by being creative.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
Burl refers to the thief as an 'artiste' primarily because of the thief's ability to arrange the jars in visually appealing patterns (Option A). This artistic presentation elevates the act of theft to an expression of creativity. Option B, while mentioning a drawing, does not highlight the thief's overall artistic flair as effectively as the arrangement of jars. Option C suggests that leaving beautiful objects is significant, but it lacks the direct connection to artistry implied by the careful arrangement. Option D focuses on the thief's creativity in avoiding capture, which, although clever, does not specifically relate to artistry in the same way as the aesthetic arrangement of jars.
Burl refers to the thief as an 'artiste' primarily because of the thief's ability to arrange the jars in visually appealing patterns (Option A). This artistic presentation elevates the act of theft to an expression of creativity. Option B, while mentioning a drawing, does not highlight the thief's overall artistic flair as effectively as the arrangement of jars. Option C suggests that leaving beautiful objects is significant, but it lacks the direct connection to artistry implied by the careful arrangement. Option D focuses on the thief's creativity in avoiding capture, which, although clever, does not specifically relate to artistry in the same way as the aesthetic arrangement of jars.
The monologue in paragraphs 4 and 5 suggests that Don Quixote believes that Sancho
- A. fails to trust in the abilities of an experienced knight.
- B. relies on outside help rather than personal strength.
- C. prefers harmless realities to exciting adventures
- D. lacks the confidence to face a potential danger.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
The monologue in paragraphs 4 and 5 indicates that Don Quixote perceives Sancho as someone who favors the comfort of familiar, safe experiences over the thrill of adventure. This preference highlights Sancho's inclination towards stability rather than embracing the uncertainties of knightly quests. Option A is incorrect as the text does not imply that Sancho distrusts Don Quixote's abilities. Option B misinterprets Sancho’s character; he often shows resourcefulness and courage. Option D suggests a lack of confidence in facing danger, but the text emphasizes Sancho's practical nature rather than fearfulness.
The monologue in paragraphs 4 and 5 indicates that Don Quixote perceives Sancho as someone who favors the comfort of familiar, safe experiences over the thrill of adventure. This preference highlights Sancho's inclination towards stability rather than embracing the uncertainties of knightly quests. Option A is incorrect as the text does not imply that Sancho distrusts Don Quixote's abilities. Option B misinterprets Sancho’s character; he often shows resourcefulness and courage. Option D suggests a lack of confidence in facing danger, but the text emphasizes Sancho's practical nature rather than fearfulness.
Drag and drop the events into the chart to show the order in which they occur in the story.
- A. Burl has trouble falling asleep.
- B. Burl notices his honey jars are lined up perfectly.
- C. Burl makes a delivery in town.
- D. Burl realizes that someone is stealing his honey.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C, B, D, A
The sequence begins with Burl making a delivery in town (C), which sets the stage for the events that follow. Upon returning, he notices his honey jars are lined up perfectly (B), indicating something unusual has occurred. This observation leads him to realize that someone is stealing his honey (D), prompting concern about the situation. Finally, the story culminates with Burl having trouble falling asleep (A), likely due to his worries about the theft. Options A, B, and D are out of order as they depend on the delivery and the subsequent realization of the theft, which must occur before Burl's sleeplessness.
The sequence begins with Burl making a delivery in town (C), which sets the stage for the events that follow. Upon returning, he notices his honey jars are lined up perfectly (B), indicating something unusual has occurred. This observation leads him to realize that someone is stealing his honey (D), prompting concern about the situation. Finally, the story culminates with Burl having trouble falling asleep (A), likely due to his worries about the theft. Options A, B, and D are out of order as they depend on the delivery and the subsequent realization of the theft, which must occur before Burl's sleeplessness.
Currently, the technology exists to meet a significant portion of the world's energy demands by converting wave power to electricity. If the author removed the word 'significant' from this sentence, the new sentence would
- A. show diminished potential for this technology.
- B. allow the reader to infer the importance of the technology.
- C. create a realistic portrayal of the technology.
- D. indicate a greater reliance on the technology.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
Removing the word "significant" diminishes the perceived potential of wave power technology. Without it, the sentence suggests that the technology may only meet a minor portion of energy demands, which undercuts its viability and importance. Option B incorrectly implies that the omission would enhance the reader's understanding of the technology's importance, which is not the case. Option C suggests a realistic portrayal, but the removal leads to a less optimistic view rather than a realistic one. Option D misinterprets the change, as it does not indicate greater reliance; instead, it suggests a lesser impact.
Removing the word "significant" diminishes the perceived potential of wave power technology. Without it, the sentence suggests that the technology may only meet a minor portion of energy demands, which undercuts its viability and importance. Option B incorrectly implies that the omission would enhance the reader's understanding of the technology's importance, which is not the case. Option C suggests a realistic portrayal, but the removal leads to a less optimistic view rather than a realistic one. Option D misinterprets the change, as it does not indicate greater reliance; instead, it suggests a lesser impact.