EOC Drills - Passage 2

1. 1. Which sentence best expresses a central idea of passage A?

• The artist Basil Hallward is so entranced with a portrait he has painted that he does not want to put it on public display.

• Lord Henry, a patron of the arts, tries to persuade the artist Basil Hallward to change the gallery he works with.

• Basil Hallward’s earlier disappearance from London has caused a great deal of excitement in the city.

• Basil Hallward risks his professional reputation by insisting that his work not be displayed.

2. How do Lord Henry’s feelings toward Basil Hallward change by the end of Passage A?

• He is jealous of Basil’s abilities at first but begins to pity the lonely painter by the end.

• He admires Basil’s fine work at the beginning but becomes confused by his strange behavior.

• He has little interest in Basil when he arrives but comes to wonder at his magnificent talent.

• He is worried about Basil at the beginning but becomes hopeful after speaking with his friend.

3. What does the word delineate mean as it is used in paragraph 9?

• Ignore

• Forgive

• Portray

• Fabricate

4. Part A: Which sentence best expresses a central idea of Passage B?

• A scientist suffers delusions from long periods of solitude.

• A creator feels an unexpected revulsion for his creation.

• An ordinary man represses his human emotions in a sterile, scientific environment.

• An inventor persists in pursuing his goal despite criticism from peers.

4. 4. Part B: Which quotation from the passage best supports the correct answer to Part A?

• “With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet” (8).
• “His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful” (9).
• “The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature (10).
• "I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (10).

5. 5. Part A: In Passage B, which statement characterizes the narrator’s reaction to his creation?

• He is surprised that his feelings about his creation have changed so quickly.
• Regardless of his horror, he remains proud of his accomplishment.
• In spite of himself, he feels loyal to his creature.
• He realizes that he has sacrificed companionship for his creation.

5. 5. Part B: Select the phrase from paragraph 10 that best supports the correct answer in Part A.

• “...I had deprived myself of rest and health.”
• “...the beauty of the dream vanished…”
• “...disgust filled my heart…”
• “...I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bedchamber…”

6. 6. What do the main characters in the two passages have in common?

• They both feel disappointment in a creation.
• They both desire to create an object of beauty.
• They both feel a sense of satisfaction about a creation.
• They both desire to maintain a respectable reputation.

7. 7. Select two central ideas shared by both passages.

• The process of creating can have unsettling results.
• The process of creation is more important than the creation itself.
• The creators are selfishly unwilling to share their creations with others.
• The process of creation is a solitary occupation.
• The creators lack self-confidence.