The narrator of this passage from a novel is Nasarian, a woman who was born in Kenya and now lives in New York City. (1) Looking at her makes me remember. (2) I can almost feel the heat rising, riding the backs of broken cobblestones, gray and scraped smooth by a ceaseless parade of tired, black, sandaled feet. (3) But that was far away and long ago. (4) Here, this woman peers almost timidly around the curving, splintered wood of the brownstone door, blinking furiously now as the wind and rain whip her face. (5) I stare, and a sudden longing whistles through my mind, dancing around me on each restless gust of cold, wet wind that slams into my chest as I walk down 132nd Street in Harlem. (6) Harlem. (7) So far from my home. (8) So far from the endless Kenyan plains that I still dream about each night. (9) The rain pelts my face, and I shiver as it shimmies down my neck and creeps underneath the thick, scratchy collar of my coat. (10) I cannot stop staring into this woman's face, this African mother draped from brow to ankle in gold and wind-crushed linen. (11) As she descends the stairs, the rain seems to disappear around her. (12) Now that she has committed herself, she does not blink or falter. (13) If anything, the rain has become a tightly woven fruit basket bearing down on the crown of her head, under which her pride demands that she stand erect. (14) The only concession she gives is to pull her head wrap up out of the folds of her long, dark cloak and clutch it tightly underneath her chin. (15) The scarf is a replica of the same gilded hijab my mother wore as a child, long before she became my mother. (16) I know this because it is the outfit that she chooses when she comes to me at night in my dreams. (17) This woman looks nothing like my mother, yet somehow my heart tells me that they are almost exactly the same. (18) She tucks her curling braids underneath the edges of the wrap, attempting to cover the wildness embroidered in her hair. (19) I don't understand why, modesty is no kin to women like her. (20) She cannot help but walk like a mountain's peak through the raunchy streets of Harlem, wearing her continent on the high bridge of her nose, with the valleys curving round like clattering rings into her nostrils. (21) Her exposed heels are lined with the deep furrows of an elephant's trunk. (22) She wears sandals in the November cold, in the hard, trash-swilling rain because the thirsty leather straps remind her of deserts and home (at least that's why I do so).
The narrator primarily portrays the woman she is observing as someone who is:
- A. modest and self-effacing
- B. imposing and dignified
- C. youthful and energetic
- D. angry and impatient
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
The portrayal of the woman emphasizes her imposing and dignified presence, suggesting strength and confidence. This is evident through her posture and the way she commands attention in her environment. Option A, modest and self-effacing, contradicts the strong impression she leaves, as she does not appear to shy away from the spotlight. Option C, youthful and energetic, overlooks the woman's gravitas and maturity, focusing instead on a fleeting quality. Option D, angry and impatient, misrepresents her demeanor, which is more composed and authoritative than reactive. Thus, the emphasis on dignity and presence aligns best with the narrator's observations.
The portrayal of the woman emphasizes her imposing and dignified presence, suggesting strength and confidence. This is evident through her posture and the way she commands attention in her environment. Option A, modest and self-effacing, contradicts the strong impression she leaves, as she does not appear to shy away from the spotlight. Option C, youthful and energetic, overlooks the woman's gravitas and maturity, focusing instead on a fleeting quality. Option D, angry and impatient, misrepresents her demeanor, which is more composed and authoritative than reactive. Thus, the emphasis on dignity and presence aligns best with the narrator's observations.
Other Related Questions
The author implies that the social sciences:
- A. are valued for their techniques
- B. can make no contribution to progress
- C. cannot deal with long-term issues
- D. may someday add to the world's knowledge
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
The social sciences are portrayed as fields that hold potential for future contributions to global knowledge, indicating optimism about their evolving role. Option A suggests that their value lies solely in techniques, which limits their broader impact. Option B dismisses their potential entirely, contradicting the author's implication of future contributions. Option C incorrectly asserts that social sciences cannot address long-term issues, overlooking their capability to analyze historical trends and societal changes. Thus, the emphasis on future contributions aligns best with the text's implications.
The social sciences are portrayed as fields that hold potential for future contributions to global knowledge, indicating optimism about their evolving role. Option A suggests that their value lies solely in techniques, which limits their broader impact. Option B dismisses their potential entirely, contradicting the author's implication of future contributions. Option C incorrectly asserts that social sciences cannot address long-term issues, overlooking their capability to analyze historical trends and societal changes. Thus, the emphasis on future contributions aligns best with the text's implications.
In sentence 13, the narrator most likely uses the image of 'a tightly woven fruit basket' to suggest that the rain is:
- A. a physical challenge that must be endured
- B. falling so heavily that she can barely see through it
- C. a reminder of the weather in harvest season
- D. important because it allows crops to survive
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
The image of "a tightly woven fruit basket" conveys the idea of resilience and endurance, suggesting that the rain is a challenge that must be faced. This metaphor implies that just like a tightly woven basket holds its contents together despite external pressures, the narrator must endure the rain's intensity. Option B misinterprets the imagery; while heavy rain can obscure vision, the metaphor focuses more on endurance than visibility. Option C incorrectly links the rain to harvest season, which is not implied in the context. Option D, while true about rain's importance for crops, does not capture the struggle suggested by the basket imagery.
The image of "a tightly woven fruit basket" conveys the idea of resilience and endurance, suggesting that the rain is a challenge that must be faced. This metaphor implies that just like a tightly woven basket holds its contents together despite external pressures, the narrator must endure the rain's intensity. Option B misinterprets the imagery; while heavy rain can obscure vision, the metaphor focuses more on endurance than visibility. Option C incorrectly links the rain to harvest season, which is not implied in the context. Option D, while true about rain's importance for crops, does not capture the struggle suggested by the basket imagery.
Which of the following, if true, would most challenge the 'implication' mentioned in the fourth sentence? 'Some experts reject the implication that Çatalhöyük’s farmers cultivated distant fields, since large quantities of grain would have had to be transported.'
- A. Çatalhöyük's farmers obtained through trade the wheat and barley that Rosen analyzed.
- B. Çatalhöyük's farmers understood the impact of soil conditions on crop productivity.
- C. Çatalhöyük's farmers shared wheat and barley fields with neighboring villages.
- D. Çatalhöyük's farmers used wood that deteriorated in the damp environment.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
Option A directly challenges the implication that farmers at Çatalhöyük cultivated distant fields by suggesting they obtained the grains through trade instead. This undermines the need for transporting large quantities of grain from faraway locations, thus supporting the idea that local cultivation was not necessary. Option B focuses on soil conditions but does not address the transportation issue, leaving the original implication intact. Option C implies shared resources with neighbors but does not clarify whether these fields were local or distant, failing to challenge the transportation concern. Option D discusses environmental factors unrelated to the cultivation and transport of grain, making it irrelevant to the implication.
Option A directly challenges the implication that farmers at Çatalhöyük cultivated distant fields by suggesting they obtained the grains through trade instead. This undermines the need for transporting large quantities of grain from faraway locations, thus supporting the idea that local cultivation was not necessary. Option B focuses on soil conditions but does not address the transportation issue, leaving the original implication intact. Option C implies shared resources with neighbors but does not clarify whether these fields were local or distant, failing to challenge the transportation concern. Option D discusses environmental factors unrelated to the cultivation and transport of grain, making it irrelevant to the implication.
Both authors indicate that meeting the world's food needs should not come at the expense of:
- A. innovative farming practices
- B. environmental integrity
- C. humane treatment of animals
- D. economic development
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
Meeting the world’s food needs should prioritize environmental integrity, as it ensures sustainable practices that protect ecosystems for future generations. If environmental health is compromised, long-term agricultural productivity is at risk. Option A, innovative farming practices, while important, can still be pursued without sacrificing environmental integrity. Option C, humane treatment of animals, is critical but may not directly relate to the broader environmental concerns outlined by the authors. Option D, economic development, is essential for food security, but it should not overshadow the imperative of maintaining ecological balance.
Meeting the world’s food needs should prioritize environmental integrity, as it ensures sustainable practices that protect ecosystems for future generations. If environmental health is compromised, long-term agricultural productivity is at risk. Option A, innovative farming practices, while important, can still be pursued without sacrificing environmental integrity. Option C, humane treatment of animals, is critical but may not directly relate to the broader environmental concerns outlined by the authors. Option D, economic development, is essential for food security, but it should not overshadow the imperative of maintaining ecological balance.