This passage is from a 2019 novel. The narrator is reflecting on a time when she was about ten years old. A ham (amateur) radio is a device for exchanging messages and requires a license to operate. (1) One day, my father brought home a pile of the parts needed to build a ham radio and asked if I wanted to help him put it together. (2) It took us a week, and we built it at our kitchen table, which meant that for that week we ate dinner on our laps in our living room. (3) After dinner, my father went straight to the kitchen table where he'd left a mess of wire and cables and vacuum tubes, and got to work. (4) I started by helping my mother clean up, but then I went over to him, leaning over the part of the radio he was working on to study the diagrams and assembly instructions. (5) Once the receiver was built, we took it into the garage and built a simple transmitter. (6) Then we studied for the radio license, quizzing each other on Morse code and electrical principles and radio wave characteristics every night. (7) My father already knew all of it from the war. (8) He'd been a radio operator as a soldier, and he told me how radio waves could go far, far out into space and how a few years ago two radio operators from opposite sides of the world had sent messages to each other by bouncing them off the moon. (9) After we received our radio licenses, we spent many nights sitting side by side in the garage, picking up radio stations and messages from other amateur radio operators. (10) There were so many messages floating around, waiting to be picked up: Are you lonely? (11) How are you? (12) What's the weather like there? (13) There were reports of shipwrecks, and messages from as far away as Canada, and we decoded each message as it arrived. (14) Nowadays, when communication is so instantaneous, I cannot help remembering with nostalgia how my father and I turned the knobs to the contraption we had built as the messages came in through our complicated machine of vacuum tubing and plumbing wire. (15) We recorded the taps as they came in—and I marveled that each tap traveled only a little bit slower than the speed of light. (16) Tap tap tap came the pulses of radio waves into our earphones, and I transcribed the taps as fast as I could into letters, watching them gather into words and then sentences. (17) It was the closest thing to performing magic that I could imagine: manipulating the radio waves that were all around us to talk to someone across the world.
What is the main purpose of the questions in sentences 10–12?
- A. To reveal the narrator's sense of isolation from family members other than her father
- B. To suggest the narrator's uncertainty about whether the radio will work
- C. To demonstrate the knowledge of electric principles required to operate the radio
- D. To provide examples of the kinds of messages the narrator and her father obtained
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
The main purpose of the questions in sentences 10–12 is to provide examples of the types of messages that the narrator and her father received, illustrating their communication and connection through the radio. Option A misinterprets the focus of the questions, as they do not primarily express isolation but rather highlight shared experiences. Option B suggests uncertainty about the radio's functionality, which is not the central theme of the questions. Option C incorrectly emphasizes technical knowledge, while the questions are more about the content of the messages rather than the mechanics of operating the radio.
The main purpose of the questions in sentences 10–12 is to provide examples of the types of messages that the narrator and her father received, illustrating their communication and connection through the radio. Option A misinterprets the focus of the questions, as they do not primarily express isolation but rather highlight shared experiences. Option B suggests uncertainty about the radio's functionality, which is not the central theme of the questions. Option C incorrectly emphasizes technical knowledge, while the questions are more about the content of the messages rather than the mechanics of operating the radio.
Other Related Questions
The claim about the 'metamorphosis' primarily serves to:
- A. refute a theory
- B. support a prediction
- C. introduce an alternative view
- D. downplay a change
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
The claim about the 'metamorphosis' primarily serves to support a prediction by illustrating how significant transformations can lead to anticipated outcomes. This connection reinforces the idea that change is not only possible but expected in certain contexts. Option A, refuting a theory, does not align since the claim does not attempt to discredit existing ideas. Option C, introducing an alternative view, is incorrect as the claim builds upon existing concepts rather than presenting a different perspective. Lastly, option D, downplaying a change, is inaccurate; the term 'metamorphosis' emphasizes rather than minimizes the impact of transformation.
The claim about the 'metamorphosis' primarily serves to support a prediction by illustrating how significant transformations can lead to anticipated outcomes. This connection reinforces the idea that change is not only possible but expected in certain contexts. Option A, refuting a theory, does not align since the claim does not attempt to discredit existing ideas. Option C, introducing an alternative view, is incorrect as the claim builds upon existing concepts rather than presenting a different perspective. Lastly, option D, downplaying a change, is inaccurate; the term 'metamorphosis' emphasizes rather than minimizes the impact of transformation.
In context, the metaphor in the third sentence ('it was... years') chiefly serves to:
- A. Call attention to the age of the United States as a nation
- B. Question the literary value of the writings by Lewis and Clark
- C. Trivialize the accomplishments of the Lewis and Clark expedition
- D. Place the Lewis and Clark expedition into a broad context
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
The metaphor in the third sentence effectively situates the Lewis and Clark expedition within a larger historical framework, emphasizing its significance in the broader narrative of American exploration and expansion. Option A incorrectly focuses solely on the age of the United States, neglecting the expedition's specific context. Option B misinterprets the metaphor's intent, as it does not critique literary value but rather highlights historical importance. Option C suggests a diminishing view of the expedition's accomplishments, which contradicts the metaphor's purpose of elevating its significance within American history.
The metaphor in the third sentence effectively situates the Lewis and Clark expedition within a larger historical framework, emphasizing its significance in the broader narrative of American exploration and expansion. Option A incorrectly focuses solely on the age of the United States, neglecting the expedition's specific context. Option B misinterprets the metaphor's intent, as it does not critique literary value but rather highlights historical importance. Option C suggests a diminishing view of the expedition's accomplishments, which contradicts the metaphor's purpose of elevating its significance within American history.
In the first two sentences ('During'… 'alley'), scientists are presented as all of the following EXCEPT:
- A. predisposed
- B. determined
- C. inherently logical
- D. overly zealous
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
The portrayal of scientists in the first two sentences emphasizes their predisposition (A) and determination (B) in their pursuits, highlighting their commitment to discovery. Additionally, the term "overly zealous" (D) suggests an intense passion, which can also be a characteristic of scientists. However, the phrase "inherently logical" (C) is not supported in the text, as it does not imply that scientists are always guided by logic alone; emotions and biases can also influence their work. Thus, option C stands apart from the others.
The portrayal of scientists in the first two sentences emphasizes their predisposition (A) and determination (B) in their pursuits, highlighting their commitment to discovery. Additionally, the term "overly zealous" (D) suggests an intense passion, which can also be a characteristic of scientists. However, the phrase "inherently logical" (C) is not supported in the text, as it does not imply that scientists are always guided by logic alone; emotions and biases can also influence their work. Thus, option C stands apart from the others.
Which of the following statements does the passage most directly counter?
- A. Having a non-arts job stifles and detracts from an artist’s creative work
- B. For people working in non-arts professions, art is more than just an entertaining distraction
- C. The poetry of William Carlos Williams exemplifies autobiographical poetry
- D. The public’s interest in the arts has declined over the last century
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
The passage argues that engaging in non-arts jobs can enhance rather than hinder an artist's creativity, directly countering the notion that such jobs stifle artistic work. Option B suggests that art serves a significant purpose for those in non-arts professions, which aligns with the idea that diverse experiences can enrich creativity. Option C discusses William Carlos Williams' poetry style, which is unrelated to the impact of non-arts jobs on creativity. Option D addresses public interest in the arts, a separate issue that does not connect to the effects of non-arts employment on artists.
The passage argues that engaging in non-arts jobs can enhance rather than hinder an artist's creativity, directly countering the notion that such jobs stifle artistic work. Option B suggests that art serves a significant purpose for those in non-arts professions, which aligns with the idea that diverse experiences can enrich creativity. Option C discusses William Carlos Williams' poetry style, which is unrelated to the impact of non-arts jobs on creativity. Option D addresses public interest in the arts, a separate issue that does not connect to the effects of non-arts employment on artists.