Excerpt from The Musician's Daughter
by Susanne Dunlap
I thought a lot, at the beginning, about my father playing the violin. I still remember the first time I ever saw a concert. I was very small, and we had just come to Esterhaza, a magnificent palace in Sopron, Hungary, when the prince's household moved there from his winter palace, at Eisenstadt, near Vienna. I think it may have been the first concert Papa took part in there. I had a new dress for the occasion, and Mama looked beautiful. I don't think Toby was born yet, or if he was, he was a small baby and stayed in our rooms with a nurse.
The palace at Esterháza was so new that it still smelled of raw wood and paint. The rooms were very grand. I had never seen so many candles in one place before. And they were expensive wax candles, not foul-smelling tallow. We stood to the side to watch the fine ladies enter. I thought they looked like dolls; their faces were so perfect. Later my mother told me that they painted them with white lead to make their skin artificially smooth and pale, and then rubbed rouge into their cheeks and lips, and drew lines of charcoal around their eyes so they would appear larger. And the headdresses-in those days the fashion was to have hair that towered up, stuck into place with diamond combs, with ribbons and pearls festooned around. And no matter what color it was naturally, ladies powdered their hair to snowy whiteness, so that the light of the candies was magnified by the glow from the people themselves.
And the men, too, were powdered and patched. Their gold buttons and lace were almost as gaudy as the ladies' finery. But the enormous panniers that held the ladies' skirts out to the side so far that they had to move sideways through doorways fascinated me most of all. I could barely be persuaded to turn my eyes to the orchestra when the concert started.
We were not seated with the guests. In fact, I think we were tucked away in an anteroom. The door was open so we could see through, and everyone pushed me forward to let me watch my father, who looked up now and again from the music and gave me a quick smile. The candlelight danced over the rich wood of his violin, the beautiful Italian instrument, an old Amati, that my grandfather had given him. Kapellmeister Haydn-who was also my godfather-sat at the harpsichord, smiling broadly all the time, waving one hand in the air to direct, then putting it back on the keys and instead using his head, bobbing and nodding to bring the winds in, or to indicate the entrance for the cellos. He looked like the music, 1 remember thinking. I wish I could bring that particular sound to my mind, but it has since blended with countless, other concert. I’ll always remember what it looked like, though. The light shimmering glow of everything and everyone.
The rooms were very grand. How would the meaning of this sentence be changed if the word 'grand' were replaced with 'large'?
- A. The sentence would describe the size of the room but not their magnificence.
- B. The sentence would provide information about the historical period in which these rooms were used.
- C. The sentence would offer insight into the particular decorations of the rooms but not the dimensions.
- D. The sentence would refer to the number of people the rooms would accommodate.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
Replacing "grand" with "large" alters the focus of the description. "Grand" conveys a sense of magnificence, elegance, and impressive beauty, while "large" simply indicates size without any connotation of splendor. Thus, option A accurately reflects that the sentence shifts from describing both size and magnificence to solely addressing size. Option B incorrectly suggests a historical context, which isn't implied by either term. Option C misinterprets the focus on decorations rather than size. Option D mistakenly assumes a focus on capacity, which is not relevant to the original meaning about the rooms.
Replacing "grand" with "large" alters the focus of the description. "Grand" conveys a sense of magnificence, elegance, and impressive beauty, while "large" simply indicates size without any connotation of splendor. Thus, option A accurately reflects that the sentence shifts from describing both size and magnificence to solely addressing size. Option B incorrectly suggests a historical context, which isn't implied by either term. Option C misinterprets the focus on decorations rather than size. Option D mistakenly assumes a focus on capacity, which is not relevant to the original meaning about the rooms.
Other Related Questions
With him she bravely threw off the British yoke, felt every pulsation of his heart for freedom, and inspired the glowing eloquence that maintained it through the century.' How would replacing the word 'yoke' with the word 'governance' affect the meaning of this sentence?
- A. it would add urgency for Americans to replace British laws with more republican ones
- B. it would strengthen the legitimacy of the American cause against the British.
- C. it would shift the blame for starting war from the British to the early Americans.
- D. it would weaken the idea that the British acted like masters of the Americans.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
Replacing "yoke" with "governance" would weaken the idea that the British acted like masters of the Americans. "Yoke" conveys oppression and subjugation, emphasizing the burden imposed by British rule. In contrast, "governance" suggests a more neutral or structured form of authority, diminishing the sense of tyranny inherent in the original term. Option A misinterprets the context, as urgency is not directly related to the term change. Option B incorrectly assumes that "governance" would enhance legitimacy, which it wouldn't. Option C wrongly shifts blame, as the focus remains on British oppression rather than American actions.
Replacing "yoke" with "governance" would weaken the idea that the British acted like masters of the Americans. "Yoke" conveys oppression and subjugation, emphasizing the burden imposed by British rule. In contrast, "governance" suggests a more neutral or structured form of authority, diminishing the sense of tyranny inherent in the original term. Option A misinterprets the context, as urgency is not directly related to the term change. Option B incorrectly assumes that "governance" would enhance legitimacy, which it wouldn't. Option C wrongly shifts blame, as the focus remains on British oppression rather than American actions.
Which sentence from the blog supports Rodriguez's claim that the Equal Protection Clause was too narrow in scope when first adopted?
- A. The Court even confirmed its prejudicial position in 1875 when it upheld state laws that extended the right to vote only to men.'
- B. Clearly, the Court was relegating as women to a second-class status.'
- C. The 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868, applied only to men.'
- D. This decision remained the law until ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving us women the right to vote, 45 years later.'
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A
Option A highlights the Court's 1875 decision to uphold laws that restricted voting rights to men, illustrating how the Equal Protection Clause initially failed to encompass all citizens, particularly women. This directly supports Rodriguez's argument about the clause's narrow scope. Option B, while indicating the second-class status of women, does not specifically reference the Equal Protection Clause or its limitations. Option C states that the 14th Amendment applied only to men, but it lacks context about the Court's decisions and their implications. Option D discusses the timeline of women's voting rights but does not address the initial constraints of the Equal Protection Clause.
Option A highlights the Court's 1875 decision to uphold laws that restricted voting rights to men, illustrating how the Equal Protection Clause initially failed to encompass all citizens, particularly women. This directly supports Rodriguez's argument about the clause's narrow scope. Option B, while indicating the second-class status of women, does not specifically reference the Equal Protection Clause or its limitations. Option C states that the 14th Amendment applied only to men, but it lacks context about the Court's decisions and their implications. Option D discusses the timeline of women's voting rights but does not address the initial constraints of the Equal Protection Clause.
Read this sentence from paragraph 1. 'People know that landfills are a disgusting, if necessary, evil and that they spread disease and pestilence throughout populated communities.' The reasoning in this sentence is unsound because it claims something is true simply because
- A. it has not been proven false.
- B. experts say it is.
- C. a popular opinion makes it correct.
- D. it has always been that way.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
The reasoning in the sentence is flawed because it relies on the idea that widespread belief or popular opinion validates a claim. Just because many people think landfills are harmful does not inherently make it true; it requires scientific evidence to support such assertions. Option A is incorrect since the absence of proof does not automatically confirm a statement's validity. Option B is misleading, as expert opinion must be backed by research and data rather than being accepted as fact. Option D is also wrong, as tradition or historical precedent does not guarantee the accuracy of a claim; beliefs must evolve with new evidence.
The reasoning in the sentence is flawed because it relies on the idea that widespread belief or popular opinion validates a claim. Just because many people think landfills are harmful does not inherently make it true; it requires scientific evidence to support such assertions. Option A is incorrect since the absence of proof does not automatically confirm a statement's validity. Option B is misleading, as expert opinion must be backed by research and data rather than being accepted as fact. Option D is also wrong, as tradition or historical precedent does not guarantee the accuracy of a claim; beliefs must evolve with new evidence.
…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."