501 Critical Reading Questions

Critical Reading Questions

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misnomer
. This is the only sentence from Passage 2 that fits the
focus of Passage 1; the others concern the development or
defining characteristics of the blues.
333.
a.
The passage is a neutral narration of Mozart’s childhood and
the beginnings of his musical career. Choices 
c
,
d
, and 
e
can be
eliminated because the author does not take a side or try to
prove a point. Choice 
b
is incorrect because the author does not
make any generalizations about the classical music “scene.”
334.
c.
The passage clearly states that Wolfgang took an interest in the
clavier when his sister was learning the instrument.
335.
c.
The passage states (lines 18–19) that Wolfgang’s first 
publi
c
appearance was at Linz and that after this concert word of his
genius traveled to Vienna. The passage states earlier that
Vienna was the 
capital
of the Hapsburg Empire.
336.
b.
The author’s tone toward Leopold is 
mild
—neither strongly
approving nor disapproving. In a few places, however, the
author conveys some disappointment, especially lines 34–36 in
which she states that Leopold set an exhausting schedule for
Wolfgang.
337.
c.
Lavish
means expended or produced in abundance. Both 
waste-
ful
and 
extravagant
are synonyms for 
lavish,
but, because it is
modifying 
palace, extravagant
is the more logical choice.
338.
d.
The author’s language emphasizes Mozart’s imagination. The
phrase 
engrossed in the intricacies of his make-believe court
suggests
a child with a lively imagination. None of the other choices is
directly supported by the text.
339.
e.
The text directly states that 
the pattern established in his childhood
would be the template for the rest of his short life
. Choice 
d
could be
misleading as the text states that Mozart was buried in an
unmarked grave. However, it also states that this was customary
at the time so one cannot infer that he died an anonymous pau-
per.
340.
b.
Lauded
means praised or blessed. The meaning of the word can
be inferred from the structure of the paragraph. The paragraph
begins by summing up Mozart’s childhood, and then describes
how the features of his childhood were mirrored in his adult
life. In his childhood Mozart 
played for, and amazed, the heads of
the British and French royal families
and likewise as an adult he
was 
lauded for his genius
. From the structure, one can infer that
to be lauded is something positive. Of the positive choices,
praised
makes more sense in the sentence than 
coveted.
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