Prose Passage 1 AP Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the quote, “...and making the imagination turbid with monstrous fancies and misshapen dreams”, the word “turbid” most likely means…

        A. expire

        B. transformed

        C. confused

        D. engrossed

        E. curious

2. The quote, “ordinary people waited… or painting”, serves to…

A. Describe how he feels the lives of ordinary people are boring

B. Portray the idea of how art compares to life

C. Explain the different effects different types of art can have

D. Compare the understanding of the elite with that of the ordinary

E. Describe how one can be a part of art

3. The passage compares all of the following except…

        A. Art and Life

B. Soul and Body

C. Experience and Observation

D. Good Artists and Bad Artists

E. Natural Science and Psychology

4. In the passage the reader can infer that Lord Henry views art as…

A. necessary for the enjoyment of life

B. superficial and a nuisance

C. something above the appreciation of ordinary people

D. having multiple dimensions and complexities

E. harmful to the great artists, but exuberating to those who receive it

5. In the sentence, “One could never pay too high a price for any sensation”, the word “sensation” is synonymous with…

1. experience
2. dream
3. lesson

        A. I only

        B. I and III

        C. II and III

        D. I and II

        E. I, II, and III

1. ANS: C

• The answer is choice C. In leading up to this sentence there had been discussion of investigating people, but how there was no way of escaping certain troubles that come with it that hinder the investigation, thus making one confused.
• Choice A is incorrect. Although the imagination is infected with less than desirable thoughts, it is still existent.
• Choice B is incorrect. The thoughts in the imagination are different than usual, but there is not a change that occurs within it.
• Choice D is incorrect. The passage implies they are trying to escape from these thoughts so they would not be engrossed with them.
• Choice E is incorrect. The imagination is more confused by the differing thoughts than it is curious.

2. ANS: B

• The answer is choice B. In an earlier line Lord Henry refers to Dorian as a “creation”, and the last line very specifically looks at the comparison of the two.
• Choice A is incorrect. His reference to “ordinary people” does not serve as the main point of the quote.
• Choice C is incorrect. Although he brings up different types of art he does not compare and contrast them.
• Choice D is incorrect. Again “ordinary people” is not the main focus, and he does not bring up a direct comparison to the elite.
• Choice E is incorrect. While it does discuss art and life, it is more of a comparison, as in answer choice B, than a description.

3. ANS: E

• The answer is choice E. Although both natural science and psychology are brought up, they are in separate parts of the passage and are not compared.
• Choice A is incorrect. One of the main comparisons made in the passage is that between art and life.
• Choice B is incorrect. The last paragraph of the passage is mainly concerned with this comparison.
• Choice C is incorrect. The longest part and beginning of Lord Henry’s internal monologue discusses his want for observation, but also the need he sees for people to have experiences, and how they are invaluable.
• Choice D is incorrect. The beginning of the passage is spent with Lord Henry and Basil directly comparing the good and bad artist.

4. ANS: D

• The answer is choice D. Throughout the passage there are multiple different meanings of art that are brought up and expanded upon.
• Choice A is incorrect. While he does speak favorably about art in some cases, he never states that it is of necessity.
• Choice B is incorrect. He says that art, “dealt immediately with the passions and the intellect”, clearly not seeing it as a nuisance.
• Choice C is incorrect. Although he says not all people can completely understand the complexities of art, he never says not all people can enjoy and appreciate it.
• Choice E is incorrect. While he does discuss how great writers are “uninteresting” he does not go into the idea of their work being harmful to them.

5. ANS: B

• The answer is choice B. Lord Henry had been discussing experience as an invaluable thing that is necessary for one “to understand their nature”.
• Choice A is incorrect. While experience is correct, “sensation” can also be synonymous with lesson,  as one not only had to experience something, but also learn from the experience to understand it.
• Choice C is incorrect. Although he referenced dreams, it was not to express them as something priceless that one needed, as was the case with experience.
• Choice D is incorrect. Although experience is included, dream, once again was not used to be in relation to the “sensation”.
• Choice E is incorrect. While both lesson and experience are included, dream is not an acceptable answer.