Wednesday, December 4, 2013

1984: AP Multiple Choice Sets


14 comments:

Samuel C's Comic Spirit said...

Samuel Carignan
The excerpt “There was another, lighter step in the passage. Mr. Charrington came into the room. The demeanor of the black-uniformed men suddenly became more subdued. Something had also changed in Mr. Charrington’s appearance.” primarily shows the
A.) Complete control Mr. Chrarrington has over his men
B.) Transition from a light to dark mood
C.) Drastic shift in Mr. Charrington’s demeanor
D.) Comparison between Mr. Charrington and his men

Noah and Trevor said...

What is the primary purpose of the repetition used in the following line?

"One thing mattered: to keep still, to keep still and not give them an excuse to hit you".

A. To show the inner feelings of the character.
B. To exercise the uncertain tone presented by the author
C. To further display the importance of a previously mentioned point.
D. To convey the tension in the present situation.
E. To maintain the syntax used throughout the passage.

Carl Weber and Max Marcotte said...

Mr. Charrington’s blunt orders to his men such as “pick up those pieces” show that he is a man that:
A) Has an impressive physical stature
B) Holds unlimited power
C) Commands total respect
D) Has absolute control over his subordinates
E) Has recently undergone a change in appearance

A) Incorrect because although he has an impressive physical stature at this time, this is not the best answer to the question. His orders do not quite display anything about his harsh orders to his men.

B) Incorrect. It may seem from this scenario that Charrington holds unlimited power, but in fact he does not. Also, his orders to his subordinates do not come into play in terms of arguing that he possesses unlimited power.

C) Incorrect. This is a close answer, and would be quite inviting to a struggling student looking for the right answer. Since it does seem that he demands respect from his subordinates, this would seem as if it was a good answer, but it does not cover that he HAS control over them.

D) Correct. This answer most closely describes Charrington’s characterization at the time of this scene. He has total control over his men, giving them orders that they follow. When he walks in to the room, they stand taller and try to not anger him. He causes fear in ‘lesser’ people than him, and thus has total control.

E) Incorrect. This will be easily marked as wrong as it pertains very little to the question at hand. It states truth, yet this truth is irrelevant.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Alison Dufault and Alexa Dosreis:
Winston’s actions reveal that the prevailing tone of the passage could best be describe as what?
A. Painful
B. Denial
C. Resisting
D. Indecisive
E. Rebelling

A. This is incorrect and will trick passive readers. While pain is implied and described throughout the passage as Julia is being arrested, the pain itself only helps to aid the overall tone.
B. This answer is correct because Winston understands what is happening but cannot seem to comprehend and reconcile that it is happening to him. He does not move an inch throughout the arrest which shows he knows he is in severe trouble. However, his wandering thoughts show that he does not reconcile the man being arrested with him. These two contrasting features make denial the prevailing tone of the passage.
C. This is a distracter but a flimsy one. Again passive readers are the targeted group since at the surface level Julia is resisting her arrest. However Winston’s reluctance to get hurt and wandering thoughts during her capture serve as an example of denial as he doesn’t react to her being taken away.
D. This is a distracter because it has a very similar connotation to denial. Some readers may misinterpret Winston’s actions to be indecisive while really they highlight the denial he is experiencing.
E. This is also a flimsy distracter because Julia and Winston’s relationship has been an act of rebellion the entire time and they resistance of arrest can also be argued as an act rebellion. However, the idea of rebelling is not the point Orwell is trying to prove in this passage.

Emily Anderson and Kerrin Hughes said...

“Someone had picked up the glass paperweight from the table and smashed it to pieces on the hearthstone. The fragment of coral, a tiny crinkle of pink like a sugar rosebud from a cake, rolled across the mat. How small, thought Winston, how small it always was!”
This passage serves primarily to:
A. objectify all of Winston’s pent up emotions
B. show how harshly Mr. Charrington will punish Winston
C. distract the reader from what is really going on
D. offer a microcosmic depiction of what is happening to Winston

A. This choice is incorrect. It is a desirable answer in that it mirrors the current situation, but Winston’s emotions are not mentioned in the passage.
B. This choice is incorrect. Although this scene might foreshadow a harsh punishment, there is not mention of what is to come or why the paperweight was broken.
C. This choice is incorrect. It is the most “off the mark” of the responses and should be eliminated first.
D. This choice is correct. The paperweight and its contents mimic Winston and his own life. The “fragment of coral” that “rolls across the mat” represents everything that Winston has concealed from the Party being revealed. The way that it was “smashed” on the ground reflects how his hopes were smashed when they were ambushed. The reference to “how small it always was” was really talking about the unrealistic hopes of working against the Party.

Cormac Kenney said...

What is the primary purpose of the paragraph beginning with the sentence “He stood dead still”?
A. To clarify the situation.
B. To demonstrate Winston’s rapid-fire thought process.
C. To show Winston’s panic.
D. To elaborate on the setting.

(A) Incorrect. The paragraph almost does the opposite of clarifying by added jumbled, irrelevant details.
(B) Incorrect. While Winston’s mind does work very quickly in this scene, it is not the product of intentional concentration as much as it is a way for Winston to cope with the situation through distraction.
(C) Correct. Winston’s mind is throwing up inane distractions such as “whether they had got Mr. Charrington” and “that he badly wanted to urinate” in order to keep himself preoccupied during this very traumatic situation.
(D) Incorrect. While Winston does describe certain details of the setting in this paragraph, the main purpose of these details is for his mind to cope with the situation through distraction.

Tyler McNeill and Cassidy McDonald said...

Name: Cassidy McDonald and Tyler McNeill

What is Orwell’s overall purpose in the final paragraph of the excerpt?
A. Convey the realness of the situation while highlighting its drastic consequences
B. Present a shift from a peaceful to a tumultuous atmosphere
C. Express a combination of Winston’s sudden and gradual realization processes
D. Describe Mr. Charrington’s physical appearance
E. Detail the dramatic irony associated with the relationship of Winston and Mr. Charrington

Explanations:
A. This response is incorrect, though it tempts the reader by discussing the reality that quickly steals Winston from his world of splendor and happiness. Yet, this excerpt does not discuss consequences in any way, innately; rather, these consequences are assumed knowing the societal situation present within the book.
B. This response is incorrect. Akin to response A, the reader understands the shifting atmosphere, innately, while there is no direct reference to the situation within the selected excerpt. Additionally, readers often interpret emotions and situations in ways that the author did not express overtly within the work. In this case, the hostility and chaotic atmosphere, though obvious, is not the aspect that the author hoped to pinpoint.
C. This response is correct. The paragraph begins with an obvious statement of recognition (“Winston suddenly realized whose voice it was”) and continues on to expressing a less overt sense of gradual realization (“It occurred to Winston that for the first time in his life”). Additionally, the combination is highlighted as Orwell begins to discuss the various attributes of Mr. Charrington; these characteristic descriptions are used to develop an image that contrasts the previous one of the man, thereby emphasizing a realization process.
D. This response is incorrect though it may easily distract readers since it discusses the idea of Charrington’s physical appearance. Though Orwell attempts to describe the physical appearance of Mr. Charrington, this is used as means of expressing the overall purpose of highlighting the immediate sequence of Winston’s realizations.
E. This response is incorrect. By definition, dramatic irony is employed when the audience understands the significance of the event but the characters do not understand said significance. In this situation, both the readers and the characters understand the significance of being captured by the Thought Police; therefore, there dramatic irony is not utilized in this exc

Sara Silva and Natalie Connors said...

In the last paragraph of the passage, what is the author’s intent in describing Mr. Charrington, who was already familiar to the reader?
a) To further elaborate upon the previous characterization from Book One
b) To depict how a certain event or circumstance had impacted him
c) To indicate/imply that he is a foil to Mr. Parsons
d) To contradict and refute the previous characterization for a thematic purpose
Choice A is incorrect because the characterization from Book One and the new characterization at the end of Book Two are contradictory and indicate a clear transformation and revelatory idea.
Choice B is incorrect because although a very significant event is occurring in the selected passage, the event is not changing Mr. Charrington, but rather showing his true character. Also, there is no evidence of Mr. Charrington being personally impacted by the event; the author does not focus on his emotions/thoughts, but rather appearance.
Choice C is incorrect because none of the qualities described should evoke ideas and beliefs that should indicate any relationship with Mr. Parsons from Book One. This choice is a plausible option for students who may try reading too hard into the make connections that are not truly there.
Choice D is correct because Orwell compares the previous characterization from Book One to the new characteristics, and in turn uses it as a method of communicating one of the book’s main themes of dishonesty, manipulation, and uncertainty.

Anonymous said...

Meghan B. and Nick C.

What is Orwell's primary purpose in making Mr. Charrington a member of the Thought Police?

a. To display to Winston the lies that the Party has been feeding to him.
b. To make the theme of betrayal a prominent one in the book.
c. To make Winston seem naïve for not realizing it in the first place.
d. To show Winston that someone is always watching him.

A) This answer is correct. The Party has been lying to everyone, including Winston, and this is one example of that.
B) This answer is incorrect. throughout the book, betrayal isn't a main theme, and this section definitely does not make it a major one.
C) This answer is incorrect. There is no way that Winston could have predicted this about Mr. Charrington because it was not made obvious.
D) This answer is incorrect. Although this may seem right, Winston is already aware that he is constantly being watched.

Unknown said...

Corina and Angie

Winston’s realization of the size of the pink coral is used primarily to:

A. Symbolize the fragility of Winston’s security
B. Emphasize the folly of Winston’s purchase
C. Show how small Winston is in comparison to the strength of the Party
D. Highlight Winston’s ignorance about the outside world


A is incorrect. This answer is an enticing “distractor”. Winston’s security is shattered like the glass ball surrounding the coral; however, the reader should recognize the coral’s symbolic property as Winston and Julia’s rebellious lives. Winston’s security is constantly being threatened throughout the novel, and this instance is not the realization of the Party’s power. Telescreens better symbolize the fragility of security.

B is incorrect, and is likely to be eliminated first by most test takers. Winston does not mention any type of regret of his purchase even after the realization of how small the coral is.

C is correct. Prior to the shattering of the paperweight, Winston believed it symbolized his and Julia’s lives encased in a protective glass ball. The coral, their strength to rebel, is discovered to be miniscule. Winston realizes he is powerless in the hands of the Thought Police and the Party. The symbolic invasion into Winston and Julia’s bubble is seen simultaneously on a grander scale as the Thought Police shatter through the windows and burst through the doors into the upstairs room.

D is incorrect. Although Winston is ignorant about the world outside of Oceania, his knowledge of coral and other aspects of the outside world is irrelevant to the current situation. The primary purpose of this passage is to show how the Party can infiltrate one’s personal life, discover their secrets, and destroy them from the inside.

Unknown said...

Meghan Pestana & Alicia Mello
1984 Multiple Choice Question and Answer Set
What is the significance of the small fragment of coral (“a tiny crinkle of pink like a sugar rose bud from a cake”) found in the smashed paperweight?
a. It is used to juxtapose the grey world around them with the hopeful pink color of Julia and Winston’s love.
b. It is used to clarify that Julia and Winston’s romance is being shattered.
c. It is used to symbolize a minuscule bit of everything that the Party is against (love, trust, compassion, hope) that can still found in the tiniest of places.
d. It is used to symbolize the broken trust between Mr. Charrington and Winston.

Explained:

a. This answer is a distracter because the emotional tie between Julia and Winston is not the focus of the passage, but the way it is explained using color in the answer makes it seem plausible.
b. This answer is incorrect because Julia and Winston’s romance is not the focus of this passage.
c. This answer is correct because though a Party member shattered the paperweight (a figure that represents Winston’s life) there is still a small bit of pink coral good (in the form of love, trust, compassion and hope) that the Party is against.
d. This answer is incorrect because the pink coral would not symbolize the broken trust between Charrington and Winston, the smashed paperweight would.

Unknown said...

Multiple Choice for 1984- Tyler Fairbairn and Emily Johansen

“There was another crash...how small it always was!” (Pg 223) Which of the following best describes the significance of the paperweight destroyed in these lines?

A.(Correct) It is a symbol for the breach of Winston and Julia’s safe haven.
B.(Incorrect) It is a symbol for the forced separation of Julia and Winston
C.(Incorrect) Demonstrates the hostile regard the party has of the past.
D. (Incorrect) Provides a beacon of hope with the continued survival of the piece of coral.


A. This is correct as Orwell draws connections between the hotel room and a bubble protecting them from the world. Winston’s exclamation of lament “How small it always was” echos this.
B. This is an off the mark answer that has little, if any, relevance to the question.
C. While this is tempting as it goes along with the theme established with the paperweight as a link to the past, it is ultimately a minor factor to this scene.
D. While this could be argued because the coral represents their sanctuary away from the party, the answer is a bit too vague and doesn’t really fit the question.

Unknown said...

‘ Multiple Choice for 1984

“There was another crash...how small it always was!” (Pg 223) Which of the following best describes the significance of the paperweight destroyed in these lines?

A.(Correct) It is a symbol for the breach of Winston and Julia’s safe haven.

B.(Incorrect) It is a symbol for the forced separation of Julia and Winston

C.(Incorrect) Demonstrates the hostile regard the party has of the past.

D. (Incorrect) Provides a beacon of hope with the continued survival of the piece of coral.


A. This is correct as Orwell draws connections between the hotel room and a bubble protecting them from the world. Winston’s exclamation of lament “How small it always was” echos this.

B. This is an off the mark answer that has little, if any, relevance to the question.

C. While this is tempting as it goes along with the theme established with the paperweight as a link to the past, it is ultimately a minor factor to this scene.

D. While this could be argued because the coral represents their sanctuary away from the party, the answer is a bit too vague and doesn’t really fit the question.