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Section 1: Reading Test
QUESTION 1.
Choice B is the best answer. In the passage, a young man (Akira) asks a
mother (Chie) for permission to marry her daughter (Naomi). The request
was certainly surprising to the mother, as can be seen from line 47, which
states that prior to Akira’s question Chie “had no idea” the request was coming.
Choice A is incorrect because the passage depicts two characters engaged
in a civil conversation, with Chie being impressed with Akira’s “sincerity”
and finding herself “starting to like him.” Choice C is incorrect because
the passage is focused on the idea of Akira’s and Naomi’s present lives and
possible futures. Choice D is incorrect because the interactions between
Chie and Akira are polite, not critical; for example, Chie views Akira with
“amusement,” not animosity.
QUESTION 2.
Choice B is the best answer. The passage centers on a night when a young
man tries to get approval to marry a woman’s daughter. The passage includes
detailed descriptions of setting (a “winter’s eve” and a “cold rain,” lines 5-6);
character (Akira’s “soft, refined” voice, line 33; Akira’s eyes “sh[ining] with
sincerity,” line 35); and plot (“Naomi was silent. She stood a full half minute
looking straight into Chie’s eyes. Finally, she spoke,” lines 88-89).
Choice A is incorrect because the passage focuses on a nontraditional mar-
riage proposal. Choice C is incorrect because the passage concludes without
resolution to the question of whether Akira and Naomi will receive permis-
sion to marry. Choice D is incorrect because the passage repeatedly makes
clear that for Chie, her encounter with Akira is momentous and unsettling,
as when Akira acknowledges in line 73 that he has “startled” her.
1
, QUESTION 3.
Choice C is the best answer. Akira “came directly, breaking all tradition,”
(line 1) when he approached Chie and asked to marry her daughter, and he
“ask[ed] directly,” without “a go-between” (line 65) or “mediation,” because
doing otherwise would have taken too much time.
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because in these contexts, “directly” does
not mean in a frank, confident, or precise manner.
QUESTION 4.
Choice A is the best answer. Akira is very concerned Chie will find his mar-
riage proposal inappropriate because he did not follow traditional protocol and
use a “go-between” (line 65). This is clear in lines 63-64, when Akira says to
Chie “Please don’t judge my candidacy by the unseemliness of this proposal.”
Choice B is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that Akira
worries that Chie will mistake his earnestness for immaturity. Choice C is incor-
rect because while Akira recognizes that his unscheduled visit is a nuisance, his
larger concern is that Chie will reject him due to the inappropriateness of his
proposal. Choice D is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that
Akira worries Chie will underestimate the sincerity of his emotions.
QUESTION 5.
Choice C is the best answer. In lines 63-64, Akira says to Chie, “Please
don’t judge my candidacy by the unseemliness of this proposal.” This reveals
Akira’s concern that Chie may say no to the proposal simply because Akira
did not follow traditional practices.
Choices A, B, and D do not provide the best evidence for the answer to the
previous question. Choice A is incorrect because line 33 merely describes
Akira’s voice as “soft, refined.” Choice B is incorrect because lines 49-51
reflect Chie’s perspective, not Akira’s. Choice D is incorrect because lines
71-72 indicate only that Akira was speaking in an eager and forthright matter.
QUESTION 6.
Choice D is the best answer because Akira clearly treats Chie with respect,
including “bow[ing]” (line 26) to her, calling her “Madame” (line 31), and
looking at her with “a deferential peek” (line 34). Akira does not offer Chie
utter deference, though, as he asks to marry Naomi after he concedes that he
is not following protocol and admits to being a “disruption” (line 31).
Choice A is incorrect because while Akira conveys respect to Chie, there is
no evidence in the passage that he feels affection for her. Choice B is incor-
rect because neither objectivity nor impartiality accurately describes how
Akira addresses Chie. Choice C is incorrect because Akira conveys respect
to Chie and takes the conversation seriously.
2
, QUESTION 7.
Choice D is the best answer. The first paragraph (lines 1-4) reflects on how
Akira approached Chie to ask for her daughter’s hand in marriage. In these
lines, the narrator is wondering whether Chie would have been more likely
to say yes to Akira’s proposal if Akira had followed tradition: “Akira came
directly, breaking all tradition. Was that it? Had he followed form—had he
asked his mother to speak to his father to approach a go-between—would
Chie have been more receptive?” Thus, the main purpose of the first para-
graph is to examine why Chie reacted a certain way to Akira’s proposal.
Choice A is incorrect because the first paragraph describes only one aspect of
Japanese culture (marriage proposals) but not the culture as a whole. Choice B
is incorrect because the first paragraph implies a criticism of Akira’s individual
marriage proposal but not the entire tradition of Japanese marriage proposals.
Choice C is incorrect because the narrator does not question a suggestion.
QUESTION 8.
Choice B is the best answer. In line 1, the narrator suggests that Akira’s
direct approach broke “all tradition.” The narrator then wonders if Akira had
“followed form,” or the tradition expected of him, would Chie have been
more receptive to his proposal. In this context, following “form” thus means
following a certain tradition or custom.
Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because in this context “form” does not
mean the way something looks (appearance), the way it is built (structure),
or its essence (nature).
QUESTION 9.
Choice C is the best answer. Akira states that his unexpected meeting with
Chie occurred only because of a “matter of urgency,” which he explains as “an
opportunity to go to America, as dentist for Seattle’s Japanese community”
(lines 41-42). Akira decides to directly speak to Chie because Chie’s response
to his marriage proposal affects whether Akira accepts the job offer.
Choice A is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that Akira is
worried his parents will not approve of Naomi. Choice B is incorrect because
Akira has “an understanding” with Naomi (line 63). Choice D is incorrect;
while Akira may know that Chie is unaware of his feelings for Naomi, this is
not what he is referring to when he mentions “a matter of urgency.”
QUESTION 10.
Choice B is the best answer. In lines 39-42, Akira clarifies that the “mat-
ter of urgency” is that he has “an opportunity to go to America, as dentist
for Seattle’s Japanese community.” Akira needs Chie’s answer to his marriage
proposal so he can decide whether to accept the job in Seattle.
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