Adapted from A Child’s History of England by Charles Darwin (1905)On Christmas Day, William was crowned in Westminster Abbey under the title of William the First, but he is best known as William the Conqueror. It was a strange coronation. One of the bishops who performed the ceremony asked the Normans, in French, if they would have William the Conqueror for their king. They answered "Yes." Another of the bishops put the same question to the Saxons, in English. They too answered "Yes," with a loud shout. The noise was heard by a guard of Norman horse-soldiers outside, and was mistaken for resistance on the part of the English. The guard instantly set fire to the neighboring houses, and chaos ensued, in the midst of which the king, being left alone in the abbey with a few priests (and they all being in a terrible fright together) was hurriedly crowned. When the crown was placed upon his head, he swore to govern the English as well as the best of their own monarchs. I dare say you think, as I do, that if we except the great Alfred, he might pretty easily have done that.When the author says William was “best known” as William the Conqueror, which of the following does he most nearly mean?
Answer(s): C
When the author says that William was “best known” as William the Conqueror, he means “most commonly known.” There is no contextual evidence to support the notion that the author thought William was “humorously” or “sarcastically” known as William the Conqueror, nor does it seem as if the author would be expressing that “Conqueror” conveys a sense of “accuracy.” It is possible the author could mean “deservedly,” but from the manner in which he goes on to use William’s title as “William the Conqueror” the next time he mentions him, we may infer that he is trying to say that William was “most commonly known” as “William the Conqueror."
Adapted from Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854)It is remarkable how many creatures live wild and free, though secret, in the woods, and still sustain themselves in the neighborhood of towns, suspected by hunters only. How retired the otter manages to live here! He grows to be four feet long, as big as a small boy, perhaps without any human being getting a glimpse of him.The underlined word “retired” most nearly means __________.
Answer(s): D
In context, the author is talking about the ability of creatures in the woods to live outside of the detection of man. The word “retired” has two meanings; the more common meaning is having left work and stopped working due to old age, so this might make it seem like “former,” “ancient,” “old,” or “wizened” might be the best answer. However, this is unrelated to the context. The word “retired” has a second meaning that is quiet, hidden and secluded. This is the correct answer. To provide further help, “wizened” means showing the physical impact of old age, and “secluded” means hidden away.
Adapted from A Catechism of Familiar Things: Their History and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery by the Benziger Brothers (1881)Potatoes grew wild in Peru, a country of South America, from where they were transplanted to other parts of the American continent, and afterwards to Europe. The honor of introducing this useful vegetable into England is divided between Sir Francis Drake, in 1580, and Sir Walter Raleigh, in 1586, some crediting it to the former, and others to the latter. It is certain they were obtained from Virginia in the time of Raleigh; they were grown only in the gardens of the nobility, and were considered a great delicacy. They now constitute a crucial article of food in most of the countries of Europe and America; in Ireland, they have long furnished nearly four-fifths of the entire food of the people.The underlined word “transplanted” most nearly means __________.
Answer(s): E
The word “transplanted” may be a word you have never encountered before. To help you out, it means moved or transferred to a new place. However, when you come across a word you have never seen before, you can often determine its meaning by considering the context in which it is used. In this instance, the author is talking about how potatoes are native to Peru, where they grew in the wild, but were soon “transplanted” to other parts of America and Europe. As we also know that they were soon grown in Virginia (in America) and Ireland (in Europe), so it is reasonable to conclude that potatoes were “moved” “to other parts of the American continent, and afterwards to Europe.”
"Conservatism" by Matthew Minerd (2013)In American politics, there is perhaps no word that is more over-simplified than “conservative.” Many people use this term as though it has a single meaning and expresses a single historical-political outlook. Nothing could be further from the truth. The development of American conservatism must be understood as a combination of a number of strands of ideology that often coexist with great tension and difficulty. Although there are many groups that are combined in this larger assortment, two examples will suffice to show the great diversity present in this seemingly simple group. For instance, there are the “traditionalist conservatives,” who generally are concerned with preserving Western culture and tradition against the developments of modern thought and culture. In many ways, this type of conservatism is the most “conserving”; that is, traditionalists are primarily concerned with maintaining the “old order” of Western civilization and learning. Because of these concerns, the traditionalist conservatives are very wary of any kind of major governmental program that promises to bring a “new order” into existence. While not disagreeing with the idea of progress, these conservatives believe that any such changes should occur organically, in a natural manner over a period of years. On the other hand, there are also the “libertarians," who are often classed as “conservatives” as well. They are surprisingly different from the traditionalist conservatives. The libertarians are primarily concerned with maximizing freedom and limiting the role of government in individual lives. In many ways, they represent the kind of modern individualism disagreed with by the traditionalists. These two opposed groups are able to come together in the general notion of “conservatism” because of their shared attitudes toward the government, particularly the federal government. The traditionalists wish to limit the role of the federal government out of a fear that it will ruin traditional culture through radically new plans and agendas. The libertarians seek to limit it out of a desire to give individual citizens maximum freedom of choice and action. While these two branches of “conservatism” are in many ways opposed to each other, they somehow manage to coexist along with many other positions that are all called “conservative” in spite of similarly striking differences.What does the underlined expression “strands of ideology” mean in its context?
The word "strands" is taken from the literal usage meaning "fiber" or "string." The metaphorical sense of the word is "a particular, independent group within a larger group." The strands of a rope are brought together to make one rope out of many fibers. An "ideology" is a system of ideas. Sometimes the word is used negatively to indicate that the "ideology" is detached from reality or closed-minded. However, it can have the general sense of being a system of ideas. Thus, among the options provided, the best is, "distinct groups with different beliefs."
"The Founding Fathers' Beliefs" by Matthew Minerd (2013)Frequently, people make egregiously mistaken remarks about the religious convictions of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Such errors could be said to “cut in both directions.” On the one hand, there is a school of thought that wishes to make this important founding generation into nothing more than group of Christian legislators who founded a Christian nation. This image is far too simple. It clearly distorts the religious convictions of these men, whose idea of Christianity was often far worldlier than some Christians would be comfortable with. In addition, it distorts the meaning of the American Constitution, which is not a document of Christian legislation but a very modern, secular political document. On the other hand, it is important to note that those who believe that the Founders were agnostics or even hidden atheists also overstate their opinion. The culture of these eighteenth-century men was still one that deeply imbued with Christian sensitivities, and while their religious convictions were much more varied than some imagine, they were far from being without any religious beliefs whatsoever. These beliefs certainly had an influence on their political lives, though this influence was often subtle and indirect.What does the underlined expression “cut in two directions” mean?
The main idea of the selection gives some context to this metaphorical expression. What it intends to communicate is that the errors in question often happen in two very different ways. On the one hand, some overestimate the role of Christianity among the American Founders. On the other hand, others under estimate this role. The idea is that the two positions "cut into" the truth in two different ways.
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