which of the following is the main point of the passage

ATI TEAS 7

ATI TEAS Reading

1. What is the central idea conveyed in the passage?

A. David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest is the holy grail of modern literature.
B. Infinite Jest is a page-turner.
C. David Foster Wallace wrote Infinite Jest.
D. Infinite Jest is a modern classic for good reason and everybody should read it.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The passage describes Infinite Jest as a modern classic that holds significant value, indicating that it is highly recommended for everyone to read it. Choice A focuses solely on the praise of the book without emphasizing the recommendation to read it. Choice B, mentioning it as a page-turner, does not capture the essence of it being a modern classic that everyone should read. Choice C is a factual statement about the authorship but does not encompass the main point that the book is a modern classic that deserves to be read by all.

2. Which of the following sentences distracts the reader from the main focus of the passage?

A. Malory's work, which is believed to be largely a translation of older French stories, was written in prose style.
B. Instead of embracing the romance angle, however, Malory focused more on the moral elements within these stories.
C. In Tennyson's work, Arthur chooses to forgive Guinevere, and she chooses to spend the rest of her days doing good works in a convent.
D. Charles Dickens is remembered for doing the same thing in his novels about the abuses of lower-class children in Victorian England.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The focus of the passage is on Malory and Tennyson and their interpretations of the Arthurian legends. The mention of Charles Dickens in choice D is irrelevant and distracts the reader from the main discussion. While the other choices discuss Malory's prose style, his focus on moral elements, and Tennyson's approach to the Arthurian stories, choice D brings in a comparison to Charles Dickens and his novels about lower-class children in Victorian England. This mention of Dickens does not directly relate to the main theme of the passage, making it the correct answer as the distracting sentence.

3. What is the significance of the word 'mind' in the following passage? The emperor had a mind one day to entertain me with several of the country shows, wherein they exceed all nations I have known, both for dexterity and magnificence.

A. The ability to think
B. A collective vote
C. A definitive decision
D. A mythological question

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The word 'mind' in this context refers to a definitive decision or desire by the emperor. In the passage, the emperor had a specific intention or choice to entertain the narrator with country shows, indicating a clear decision rather than just the ability to think (Choice A), a collective vote (Choice B), or a mythological question (Choice D). The emperor's 'mind' here represents a deliberate and decisive plan to host the narrator for the country shows.

4. Which of the following events occurred fourth on the timeline?

A. Helped found the National Geographic Society
B. Developed a metal detector
C. Moved to Canada
D. Started a school for the deaf

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The event that occurred fourth on the timeline was starting a school for the deaf. Looking at the provided extract, we can see that the order is significant when discussing a timeline. Out of the given events, founding a school for the deaf would come fourth in chronological order. 'Helped found National Geographic Society,' 'Developed a metal detector,' and 'Moved to Canada' would precede starting a school for the deaf in a chronological timeline, making them incorrect choices.

5. Why was Lamarr's invention not of interest to the US?

A. Hollywood was known to have spies
B. The navy preferred to use the work of military engineers
C. The military was too preoccupied to consider new inventions
D. They suspected her patent was invalid

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. The US Navy preferred to utilize technology developed by military engineers rather than consider Lamarr's invention. Choice A is incorrect because Hollywood containing spies is not relevant to why the US was not interested in Lamarr's invention. Choice C is incorrect as there is no mention of the military being too preoccupied to consider new inventions in the provided context. Choice D is incorrect as there is no indication that the US suspected Lamarr's patent to be invalid; rather, the focus was on the navy's preference for technology developed by military engineers.