Reading for the Real World 2 Second Edition – Test Bank

Unit 7

Language and Literature
Reading Set 2.1
The Truth About Memoirs
A memoir is a type of autobiographical writing. The word “memoir” is a French word that means “memory.”  In a memoir, an author recalls meaningful experiences in his or her life.  While the memoir is a subclass of the autobiography genre, it is actually quite different from an autobiography.  An autobiography is a work of nonfiction that is a comprehensive, chronological account of a writer’s entire life story.  An autobiography usually requires research of dates, places, and events, while a memoir is shorter and will focus on a part of a writer’s life recalled from memory.  A memoir presents pivotal, life-changing events that have shaped the identity of the writer. While an autobiography is an objective retelling of facts, a memoir tends to be more emotional. With a compelling plot and an almost literary rendering of the real-life characters, a memoir reads like a novel.
An early example of a memoir is a book published in England in 1821 called Confessions of an Opium-Eater by Thomas DeQuincey. The book describes in detail DeQuincey’s (A) [aversion / addiction] to opium and alcohol. It was widely read, not only for the incredible details of his dependence on drugs but also for the clues into the psychology of addicts. A modern-day example of a memoir is by Frank McCourt. In his book Angela’s Ashes, McCourt (B) [recounts / records] his childhood in Ireland and New York City. McCourt describes how he grew up poor, with a mostly absent father and a mother, Angela, who raised her children despite (C) [insignificant / tremendous] financial and personal obstacles.
The memoir is a genre with a wide appeal.  However, it didn’t start out that way.  But why are memoirs so popular?  One reason is that people are inherently curious about other people.  We might know the intimate details of the lives of only a handful of people such as our family members or our close friends.  When we read a memoir, we can enter into the world of the writer and find out what it is like to experience something we may never experience: an incredible adventure, a great loss, or a seemingly insurmountable problem.
Memoirs (a) ___________ because true stories are more powerful than fictional stories. (A) __________, if we read one of Elie Wiesel’s memoirs that tell about the time he spent in a Nazi concentration camp, we are struck by the fact that this is a real person who has lived through great adversity to tell his story. Brooke Shields, an American actress, wrote a memoir entitled Down Came the Rain in which she chronicles her debilitating struggle with post-partum depression. Women who have had a similar experience were able to see that other people struggle with the same things and (B) __________ felt better about themselves.
Are memoirs entirely truthful? Memoirs are  mostly written from memory, and it is natural that memories fade over time. Events can be forgotten, left out, or  told in a way that might be different from how they really happened. However, as readers we should be able to trust the writer to be truthful most of the time. Several memoirs  have turned out to be partially or completely untrue, which has disappointed  countless readers. Marlo Morgan wrote a book called Mutant Message Down Under about her supposed experiences living with Aboriginal people in Australia. It  discovered that several parts of the book were fake, and the publisher had to re-classify the book as fiction.
In spite of some controversy surrounding the truthfulness of memoirs, they remain a compelling literary form that will undoubtedly continue to touch readers in a fundamental way. Publishing companies are starting to do background checks on authors to verify the events presented in memoirs, but are not about to give up on a genre that has contributed so substantially to their bottom line.
A memoir is a type of autobiographical writing. The word “memoir” is a French word that means “memory.”  In a memoir, an author recalls meaningful experiences in his or her life.  While the memoir is a subclass of the autobiography genre, it is actually quite different from an autobiography.  An autobiography is a work of nonfiction that is a comprehensive, chronological account of a writer’s entire life story.  An autobiography usually requires research of dates, places, and events, while a memoir is shorter and will focus on a part of a writer’s life recalled from memory.  A memoir presents pivotal, life-changing events that have shaped the identity of the writer. While an autobiography is an objective retelling of facts, a memoir tends to be more emotional. With a compelling plot and an almost literary rendering of the real-life characters, a memoir reads like a novel.
1. Where is the best place to insert the sentence below?
It is also a type of autobiographical writing.









2. What is the purpose of this paragraph?

 To show why most memoirs are considered to be fiction

 To compare the popularity of memoirs and autobiographies

 To explain the differences between memoirs and autobiographies

 To give common steps authors take to write autobiographical writing

 To claim that autobiographies are more difficult to write than memoirs
An early example of a memoir is a book published in England in 1821 called Confessions of an Opium-Eater by Thomas DeQuincey. The book describes in detail DeQuincey’s (A) [aversion / addiction] to opium and alcohol. It was widely read, not only for the incredible details of his dependence on drugs but also for the clues into the psychology of addicts. A modern-day example of a memoir is by Frank McCourt. In his book Angela’s Ashes, McCourt (B) [records / recounts] his childhood in Ireland and New York City. McCourt describes how he grew up poor, with a mostly absent father and a mother, Angela, who raised her children despite (C) [insignificant / tremendous] financial and personal obstacles.
The memoir is a genre with a wide appeal.  However, it didn’t start out that way.  But why are memoirs so popular?  One reason is that people are inherently curious about other people.  We might know the intimate details of the lives of only a handful of people such as our family members or our close friends.  When we read a memoir, we can enter into the world of the writer and find out what it is like to experience something we may never experience: an incredible adventure, a great loss, or a seemingly insurmountable problem.
3. Choose the correct words for (A), (B) and (C).

(A) (B) (C)

 aversion recounts tremendous

 aversion records insignificant

 aversion recounts tremendous

 addiction records insignificant

 addiction recounts tremendous
4. Choose the sentence that does NOT belong.











Memoirs (a) ___________ because true stories are more powerful than fictional stories. (A) __________, if we read one of Elie Wiesel’s memoirs that tell about the time he spent in a Nazi concentration camp, we are struck by the fact that this is a real person who has lived through great adversity to tell his story. Brooke Shields, an American actress, wrote a memoir entitled Down Came the Rain in which she chronicles her debilitating struggle with post-partum depression. Women who have had a similar experience were able to see that other people struggle with the same things and (B) __________ felt better about themselves.
5. Choose the words that best fit in the blank (a).

 are rare

 make money

 are appealing

 offend many

 attract criticism

6. Choose the correct words for (A) and (B).

(A) (B)

 Even so finally

 As a result still

 Even so still

 For example consequently

 As a result consequently
Are memoirs entirely truthful? Memoirs are  mostly written from memory, and it is natural that memories fade over time. Events can be forgotten, left out, or  told in a way that might be different from how they really happened. However, as readers we should be able to trust the writer to be truthful most of the time. Several memoirs  have turned out to be partially or completely untrue, which has disappointed  countless readers. Marlo Morgan wrote a book called Mutant Message Down Under about her supposed experiences living with Aboriginal people in Australia. It  discovered that several parts of the book were fake, and the publisher had to re-classify the book as fiction.
In spite of some controversy surrounding the truthfulness of memoirs, they remain a compelling literary form that will undoubtedly continue to touch readers in a fundamental way. Publishing companies are starting to do background checks on authors to verify the events presented in memoirs, but are not about to give up on a genre that has contributed so substantially to their bottom line.
7. Which of the following is grammatically incorrect?











8. What is NOT true, according to the passage?

 Authors can accidentally forget to include events.

 Authors of false memoirs can be sued by publishers.

 Publishing companies now research authors’ backgrounds

 Readers can usually assume that authors are telling the truth.

 Memoirs remain popular regardless of doubts about truthfulness.

Reading Set 2.2