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Multiple Choice Questions (Short Fiction I)

6 min readapril 18, 2023

Multiple Choice Practice for Short Fiction I

Welcome to the AP English Lit Multiple Choice Questions! Grab some paper and a pencil 📄 to record your answers as you go. You can see how you did on the Short Fiction I Practice Questions Answers and Review sheet once you're done. Don't worry, we have tons of resources available if you get stumped 😕 on a question. And if solo study is not your thing, join a group in Rooms!

Not ready to take a quiz yet? Take a look at our study content about Short Fiction (Unit 4 and Unit 7).

https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/09/05/18/32/old-books-436498_1280.jpg

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Facts about the test: The AP English Lit exam has 55 multiple-choice questions and you will be given 1 hour to complete the section. That means it should take you around 10 minutes to complete 9 questions.

The following questions were not written by College Board and although they cover information outlined in the AP English Literature and Composition Course and Exam Description the formatting in the exam may be different.


(1) What emphasis does this offer?

"Just you, without a name. Attaching a name attaches you to the world of fact, which is riskier, more hazardous: who knows what the chances are out there, of survival, yours? I will say you, you, like an old love song. You can mean more than one." (The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood)

(A) Emphasizes words like "risk" and "hazard"

(B) "One" is lonely

(C) "Song" represents something pleasant

(D) "You" is a really important word because it is repeated


(2) What importance does this offer?

"There is a difference between being put out and being put outdoors. If you are put out, you go somewhere else; if you are outdoors, there is no place to go." (The Bluest Eye, Morrison)

(A) "Out" is bad

(B) "Out" is celebratory

(C) "Outdoors" implies the narrator's loneliness

(D) "Outdoors" means engaging with nature


(3) What context do these details offer?

"The Carraways are something of a clan, and we have a tradition that we’re descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch, but the actual founder of my line was my grandfather’s brother, who came here in fifty-one, sent a substitute to the Civil War, and started the wholesale hardware business that my father carries on to-day." (The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald)

(A) Lumber is important to the story

(B) The narrator has a distant relationship with his father

(C) The narrator is a coward

(D) Wars have taken place and the family is privileged enough to avoid them


(4) Which thesis is most sophisticated?

(A) Gatsby represents the dangers of desire

(B) Montag is one hope for salvation in an ambiguously defined time period where books become taboo, but he is able to rebel by memorizing them and keeping their knowledge alive

(C) Okonkwo's stubbornness is an example of patriarchy's shortcomings

(D) Pecola's constant desire for more appealing features reflects not only her own struggles with dysphoria, but the ways in which the society around her introduces and fosters those standards of beauty


(5) What does this evoke?

"But the year had gone mad. Rain fell as it had never fallen before. For days and nights together it poured down in violent torrents, and washed away the yam heaps. Trees were uprooted and deep gorges appeared everywhere. Then the rain became less violent. But it went from day to day without a pause. The spell of sunshine which always came in the middle of the wet season did not appear. The yams put on luxuriant green leaves, but every farmer knew that without sunshine the tubers would not grow." (Things Fall Apart, Achebe)

(A) Abundance

(B) Dismal

(C) Melancholy

(D) Misfortune


(6) What emphasis does this offer?

"Polly knew that she was being watched, but still her mother’s persistent silence could not be misunderstood." (The Dubliners, Joyce)

(A) Her mother's dominance

(B) Polly's fear

(C) Polly is respectful

(D) There is a double negative


(7) "What importance does this offer?

Duncan: 'Welcome hither. / I have begun to plant thee and will labor / To make thee full of growing.—Noble Banquo, / That hast no less deserved nor must be known / No less to have done so, let me enfold thee / And hold thee to my heart.' /
Banquo: There, if I grow, / The harvest is your own. (Macbeth, Shakespeare)

(A) Banquo is indebted to Duncan

(B) Duncan admires Banquo

(C) Duncan and Banquo are equals

(D) Duncan begins a about planting and Banquo continues it


(8) What context do these details offer?

"ROSE: 'They got a lot of colored baseball players now. Jackie Robinson was the first. Folks had to wait for Jackie Robinson.'" (Fences, Wilson)

(A) Jackie Robinson was expected

(B) People were excited to see Jackie Robinson

(C) Rose is ignorant of race relations

(D) There has been past movement on race relations


(9) What best describes this language?

"Then came the war, old sport. It was a great relief, and I tried very hard to die, but I seemed to bear an enchanted life." (The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald)

(A) and morose

(B) Disenchanted and formal

(C) Inviting and nostalgic

(D) Pensive and friendly


(10) What does this evoke?

"The water had turned a deep golden color, and then red, purple, and finally black. The sky had darkened and red lantern lights started to glow all over the lake. I could hear people talking and laughing, some voices from the front of our boat, some from other boats next to us. And then I heard the wooden kitchen door banging open and shut and the air filled with good rich smells. The voices from the pavilion cried in happy disbelief, "Ai! Look at this! And this!" I was hungry to be there." (The Joy Luck Club, Tan)

(A) Blessed, but waning

(B) Dark and frightened

(C) Foreboding and evil

(D) Tranquil and favored


(11) What emphasis does this offer?

"So, with lightsome hearts, and the happy consciousness of being usefully employed,—in their own behalf, at least, if not for our beloved country,—these good old gentlemen went through the various formalities of office." (The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne)

(A) A mundane workplace

(B) A sense of fraternity and patriotism

(C) Duty to a job

(D) Pleasure of spirit


(12) What importance does this offer?

"It's warm for the time of year. Houses like this heat up in the sun, there's not enough insulation. Around me the air is stagnant, despite the little current, the breath coming in past the curtains. I'd like to be able to open the window as wide as it could go. Soon we'll be allowed to change into the summer dresses." (The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood)

(A) A conceit of breathlessness

(B) Anticipation of freedom in the summer

(C) It suggests

(D) Uncomfortable warmth


(13) What context do these details offer?

"That is when I began to understand the stories Popo taught me, the lessons I had to learn for my mother. "When you lose your face, An-mei," Popo often said, "it is like dropping your necklace down a well. The only way you can get it back is to fall in after it." (The Joy Luck Club, Tan)

(A) It is a place full of fear

(B) It is a place of traditions

(C) It is a place where lessons come from folktales

(D) The narrator's relationship with her grandmother is fearful


(14) What best describes this language?

"For the first time in many years Okonkwo had a feeling that was akin to happiness. The times which had altered so unaccountably during his exile seemed to be coming round again. The clan which had turned false on him appeared to be making amends." (Things Fall Apart, Achebe)

(A) Casual

(B) Disregarded

(C) Esteemed

(D) Formal


(15) What does this evoke?

"Her dress was white and it whispered. He almost thought he heard the motion of her hands as she walked, and the infinitely small sound now, the white stir of her face turning when she discovered she was a moment away from a man who stood in the middle of the pavement waiting." (Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury)

(A) Ghostly

(B) Peaceful

(C) Warm

(D) Welcoming

-----


Key Terms to Review (8)

Claustrophobia

: Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an irrational fear of confined spaces. It can cause feelings of panic, shortness of breath, and a strong desire to escape.

Colloquial

: Colloquial refers to informal language used in everyday conversation rather than formal writing. It includes slang, regional expressions, and idioms specific to certain groups or communities.

Diction

: Diction refers to the choice of words and phrases used in a literary work. It encompasses the writer's vocabulary, word order, and overall style of expression.

Imagery

: Imagery refers to vivid and descriptive language that appeals to our senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) in order to create mental images and evoke emotions in the reader.

Metaphor

: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things by stating that one thing is another, without using the words "like" or "as". It creates a vivid image in the reader's mind.

Mood

: Mood refers to the emotional atmosphere created by a literary work. It influences how readers feel while reading and helps establish the tone of the story.

Narrative Structure

: Narrative structure refers to the organization and arrangement of events in a story. It includes elements such as plot, character development, and the order in which events are presented.

Syntax

: Syntax refers to the arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence or line of poetry. It determines the order and structure of language to convey meaning.

Multiple Choice Questions (Short Fiction I)

6 min readapril 18, 2023

Multiple Choice Practice for Short Fiction I

Welcome to the AP English Lit Multiple Choice Questions! Grab some paper and a pencil 📄 to record your answers as you go. You can see how you did on the Short Fiction I Practice Questions Answers and Review sheet once you're done. Don't worry, we have tons of resources available if you get stumped 😕 on a question. And if solo study is not your thing, join a group in Rooms!

Not ready to take a quiz yet? Take a look at our study content about Short Fiction (Unit 4 and Unit 7).

https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/09/05/18/32/old-books-436498_1280.jpg

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Facts about the test: The AP English Lit exam has 55 multiple-choice questions and you will be given 1 hour to complete the section. That means it should take you around 10 minutes to complete 9 questions.

The following questions were not written by College Board and although they cover information outlined in the AP English Literature and Composition Course and Exam Description the formatting in the exam may be different.


(1) What emphasis does this offer?

"Just you, without a name. Attaching a name attaches you to the world of fact, which is riskier, more hazardous: who knows what the chances are out there, of survival, yours? I will say you, you, like an old love song. You can mean more than one." (The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood)

(A) Emphasizes words like "risk" and "hazard"

(B) "One" is lonely

(C) "Song" represents something pleasant

(D) "You" is a really important word because it is repeated


(2) What importance does this offer?

"There is a difference between being put out and being put outdoors. If you are put out, you go somewhere else; if you are outdoors, there is no place to go." (The Bluest Eye, Morrison)

(A) "Out" is bad

(B) "Out" is celebratory

(C) "Outdoors" implies the narrator's loneliness

(D) "Outdoors" means engaging with nature


(3) What context do these details offer?

"The Carraways are something of a clan, and we have a tradition that we’re descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch, but the actual founder of my line was my grandfather’s brother, who came here in fifty-one, sent a substitute to the Civil War, and started the wholesale hardware business that my father carries on to-day." (The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald)

(A) Lumber is important to the story

(B) The narrator has a distant relationship with his father

(C) The narrator is a coward

(D) Wars have taken place and the family is privileged enough to avoid them


(4) Which thesis is most sophisticated?

(A) Gatsby represents the dangers of desire

(B) Montag is one hope for salvation in an ambiguously defined time period where books become taboo, but he is able to rebel by memorizing them and keeping their knowledge alive

(C) Okonkwo's stubbornness is an example of patriarchy's shortcomings

(D) Pecola's constant desire for more appealing features reflects not only her own struggles with dysphoria, but the ways in which the society around her introduces and fosters those standards of beauty


(5) What does this evoke?

"But the year had gone mad. Rain fell as it had never fallen before. For days and nights together it poured down in violent torrents, and washed away the yam heaps. Trees were uprooted and deep gorges appeared everywhere. Then the rain became less violent. But it went from day to day without a pause. The spell of sunshine which always came in the middle of the wet season did not appear. The yams put on luxuriant green leaves, but every farmer knew that without sunshine the tubers would not grow." (Things Fall Apart, Achebe)

(A) Abundance

(B) Dismal

(C) Melancholy

(D) Misfortune


(6) What emphasis does this offer?

"Polly knew that she was being watched, but still her mother’s persistent silence could not be misunderstood." (The Dubliners, Joyce)

(A) Her mother's dominance

(B) Polly's fear

(C) Polly is respectful

(D) There is a double negative


(7) "What importance does this offer?

Duncan: 'Welcome hither. / I have begun to plant thee and will labor / To make thee full of growing.—Noble Banquo, / That hast no less deserved nor must be known / No less to have done so, let me enfold thee / And hold thee to my heart.' /
Banquo: There, if I grow, / The harvest is your own. (Macbeth, Shakespeare)

(A) Banquo is indebted to Duncan

(B) Duncan admires Banquo

(C) Duncan and Banquo are equals

(D) Duncan begins a about planting and Banquo continues it


(8) What context do these details offer?

"ROSE: 'They got a lot of colored baseball players now. Jackie Robinson was the first. Folks had to wait for Jackie Robinson.'" (Fences, Wilson)

(A) Jackie Robinson was expected

(B) People were excited to see Jackie Robinson

(C) Rose is ignorant of race relations

(D) There has been past movement on race relations


(9) What best describes this language?

"Then came the war, old sport. It was a great relief, and I tried very hard to die, but I seemed to bear an enchanted life." (The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald)

(A) and morose

(B) Disenchanted and formal

(C) Inviting and nostalgic

(D) Pensive and friendly


(10) What does this evoke?

"The water had turned a deep golden color, and then red, purple, and finally black. The sky had darkened and red lantern lights started to glow all over the lake. I could hear people talking and laughing, some voices from the front of our boat, some from other boats next to us. And then I heard the wooden kitchen door banging open and shut and the air filled with good rich smells. The voices from the pavilion cried in happy disbelief, "Ai! Look at this! And this!" I was hungry to be there." (The Joy Luck Club, Tan)

(A) Blessed, but waning

(B) Dark and frightened

(C) Foreboding and evil

(D) Tranquil and favored


(11) What emphasis does this offer?

"So, with lightsome hearts, and the happy consciousness of being usefully employed,—in their own behalf, at least, if not for our beloved country,—these good old gentlemen went through the various formalities of office." (The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne)

(A) A mundane workplace

(B) A sense of fraternity and patriotism

(C) Duty to a job

(D) Pleasure of spirit


(12) What importance does this offer?

"It's warm for the time of year. Houses like this heat up in the sun, there's not enough insulation. Around me the air is stagnant, despite the little current, the breath coming in past the curtains. I'd like to be able to open the window as wide as it could go. Soon we'll be allowed to change into the summer dresses." (The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood)

(A) A conceit of breathlessness

(B) Anticipation of freedom in the summer

(C) It suggests

(D) Uncomfortable warmth


(13) What context do these details offer?

"That is when I began to understand the stories Popo taught me, the lessons I had to learn for my mother. "When you lose your face, An-mei," Popo often said, "it is like dropping your necklace down a well. The only way you can get it back is to fall in after it." (The Joy Luck Club, Tan)

(A) It is a place full of fear

(B) It is a place of traditions

(C) It is a place where lessons come from folktales

(D) The narrator's relationship with her grandmother is fearful


(14) What best describes this language?

"For the first time in many years Okonkwo had a feeling that was akin to happiness. The times which had altered so unaccountably during his exile seemed to be coming round again. The clan which had turned false on him appeared to be making amends." (Things Fall Apart, Achebe)

(A) Casual

(B) Disregarded

(C) Esteemed

(D) Formal


(15) What does this evoke?

"Her dress was white and it whispered. He almost thought he heard the motion of her hands as she walked, and the infinitely small sound now, the white stir of her face turning when she discovered she was a moment away from a man who stood in the middle of the pavement waiting." (Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury)

(A) Ghostly

(B) Peaceful

(C) Warm

(D) Welcoming

-----


Key Terms to Review (8)

Claustrophobia

: Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an irrational fear of confined spaces. It can cause feelings of panic, shortness of breath, and a strong desire to escape.

Colloquial

: Colloquial refers to informal language used in everyday conversation rather than formal writing. It includes slang, regional expressions, and idioms specific to certain groups or communities.

Diction

: Diction refers to the choice of words and phrases used in a literary work. It encompasses the writer's vocabulary, word order, and overall style of expression.

Imagery

: Imagery refers to vivid and descriptive language that appeals to our senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) in order to create mental images and evoke emotions in the reader.

Metaphor

: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things by stating that one thing is another, without using the words "like" or "as". It creates a vivid image in the reader's mind.

Mood

: Mood refers to the emotional atmosphere created by a literary work. It influences how readers feel while reading and helps establish the tone of the story.

Narrative Structure

: Narrative structure refers to the organization and arrangement of events in a story. It includes elements such as plot, character development, and the order in which events are presented.

Syntax

: Syntax refers to the arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence or line of poetry. It determines the order and structure of language to convey meaning.


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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.