E.O.C test prep —Jonathan Swift excerpted from The Works of Jonathan Swift: Gulliver’s Travels, 1932

The narrator introduces the hypothetical dispute over a cow (lines 6 through 9) in order to show the

• illogical nature of the legal system

• importance of having many lawyers

• ignorance of the common man

• reasonable traditions of dispute resolution

Lines 8 and 9 convey a tone of

• seriousness

• sarcasm

• empathy

• reluctance

In lines 19 through 25, the narrator observes that the practices of judges are

• respected

• constructive

• indifferent

• insincere

As used in line 26, the word “maxim” most nearly means

• rule

• question

• secret

• conflict

The details presented in lines 32 through 37 contribute to a central idea by

• acknowledging a cow’s value

• stressing the legal system’s irrelevance

• validating the narrator’s memory

• recognizing the legal system’s history

In lines 38 through 43, the narrator describes lawyers’ “peculiar cant and jargon” as being

• primarily ceremonial

• deceptively complex

• deliberately insulting

• consistently objective

Lines 44 through 46 suggest that, in crimes against the state, judges are inclined to

• rely on common sense

• follow the accepted precedent

• impose a lengthy sentence

• submit to higher authority

The text supports the narrator’s point of view by

• referencing historical examples

• using concrete evidence

• employing exaggerated descriptions

• describing fantastic experiences

The text as a whole supports the narrator’s opinion that lawyers and judges are

• stubborn

• corrupt

• misunderstood

• inexperienced