Scholarships Source

Questions 30-39

Native Americans probably arrived from Asia in successive waves over several
millennia, crossing a plain hundreds of miles wide that now lies inundated by 160 feet of water released by melting glaciers. For several periods of time, the first beginning around 60,000 B.C. and the last ending around 7,000 B.C., this land bridge was open. The
(5 )first people traveled in the dusty trails of the animals they hunted. They brought with them not only their families, weapons, and tools but also a broad metaphysical understanding,sprung from dreams and visions and articulated in myth and song, which complementedtheir scientific and historical knowledge of the lives of animals and of people. All this theyshaped in a variety of languages, bringing into being oral literatures of power and beauty.
(10) Contemporary readers, forgetting the origins of western epic, lyric, and dramaticforms, are easily disposed to think of “literature” only as something written. But on reflection it becomes clear that the more critically useful as well as the more frequently employed sense of the term concerns the artfulness of the verbal creation, not its mode of presentation. Ultimately, literature is aesthetically valued, regardless of language, culture,
(15)or mode of presentation, because some significant verbal achievement results from the struggle in words between tradition and talent. Verbal art has the ability to shape out a compelling inner vision in some skillfully crafted public verbal form.

Of course, the differences between the written and oral modes of expression are not without consequences for an understanding of Native American literature. The essential
(20)difference is that a speech event is an evolving communication, an “emergent form,” the shape, functions, and aesthetic values of which become more clearly realized over thecourse of the performance. In performing verbal art , the performer assumes responsibility for the manner as well as the content of the performance, while the audience assumes the responsibility for evaluating the performer’s competence in both areas. It is this intense
(25)mutual engagement that elicits the display of skill and shapes the emerging performance.
Where written literature provides us with a tradition of texts, oral literature offers a tradition of performances.

30. According to the passage, why did the first people who came to North America leave their homeland?

(A) They were hoping to find a better climate.

(B) They were seeking freedom.

(C) They were following instructions given in a dream.

(D) They were looking for food.

31. The phrase “are easily disposed” in line 11 is closet in meaning to

(A) demonstrate reluctance

(B) readily encourage others

(C) have a tendency

(D) often fail

32.The word “Ultimately” in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) frequently

(B) normally

(C) whenever possible

(D) in the end

33.The word “compelling” in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) joyous

(B) intricate

(C) competing

(D) forceful

34. What is the main point of the second paragraph?

(A) Public performance is essential to verbal art.

(B) Oral narratives are a valid form of literature.

(C) Native Americans have a strong oral tradition in art.

(D) The production of literature provides employment for many artists.

35. What can be inferred about the nature of the Native American literature discussed in the passage?

(A) It reflects historical and contemporary life in Asia.

(B) Its main focus is on daily activities.

(C) It is based primarily on scientific knowledge.

(D) It is reshaped each time it is experienced.

36. According to the passage, what responsibility does the audience of a verbal art performance have ?

(A) They provide financial support for performances.

(B) They judge the quality of the content and presentation.

(C) They participate in the performance by chanting responses.

(D) They determine the length of the performance by requesting a continuation.

37. Which of the following is NOT true of the Native American literature discussed in the passage?

(A) It involves acting.

(B) It has ancient origins.

(C) It has a set form.

(D) It expresses an inner vision.

38. What can be inferred from the passage about the difference between written and oral literature?

(A) Written literature reflects social values better than oral literature does.

(B) Written literature involves less interaction between audience and creator during the creative progress than oral literature does.

(C) Written literature usually is not based on historical events, whereas oral literature is.

(D) Written literature is not as highly respected as oral literature is.

39. What is the author’s attitude toward Native American literature?

(A) Admiring of its form

(B) Critical of the cost of its production

(C) Amused by its content

(D) Skeptical about its origins

Questions 40-50

The cities in the United States have been the most visible sponsors and beneficiaries

of projects that place art in public places. They have shown exceptional imagination in

applying the diverse forms of contemporary art to a wide variety of purposes. The

activities observed in a number of “pioneer” cities sponsoring art in public places—a

(5 ) broadening exploration of public sites, an increasing awareness among both sponsors

and the public of the varieties of contemporary artistic practice, and a growing public enthusiasm—are increasingly characteristic of cities across the country. With many

cities now undergoing renewed development, opportunities are continuously emerging

for the inclusion or art in new or renewed public environments, including buildings,

(10)plazas, parks, and transportation facilities. The result of these activities is a group of

artworks that reflect the diversity of contemporary art and the varying character and

goals of the sponsoring communities.

In sculpture, the projects range from a cartoonlike Mermaid in Miami Beach by

Roy Lichtenstein to a small forest planted in New York City by Alan Sonfist. The use

(15) of murals followed quickly upon the use of sculpture and has brought to public sites the

work of artists as different as the realist Thomas Hart Benton and the Pop artist Robert Rauschenberg. The specialized requirements of particular urban situations have further expanded the use of art in public places: in Memphis, sculptor Richard Hunt has created

a monument to Martin Luther King, Jr., who was slain there; in New York, Dan Flavin

(20) and Bill Brand have contributed neon and animation works to the enhancement of mass

transit facilities. And in numerous cities, art is being raised as a symbol of the

commitment to revitalize urban areas.

By continuing to sponsor projects involving a growing body of art in public places,

cities will certainly enlarge the situations in which the public encounters and grows

(25)familiar with the various forms of contemporary art. Indeed, cities are providing artists

with an opportunity to communicate with a new and broader audience. Artists are

recognizing the distinction between public and private spaces, and taking that into account

when executing their public commissions. They are working in new, often more durable

media, and on an unaccustomed scale.

40. What is the passage mainly about?

(A) The influence of art on urban architecture in United States cities

(B) The growth of public art in United States cities.

(C) The increase in public appreciation of art in the United States

(D) The differences between public art in Europe and the United States.

41. The word “exceptional” in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) remarkable

(B) fearless

(C) expert

(D) visible

42. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 1 as results of the trend toward installing contemporary art in public places in the United States EXCEPT

(A) the transfer of artwork from private to public sites

(B) artworks that represent a city’s special character

(C) greater interest in art by the American public

(D) a broader understanding of the varieties of contemporary art

43. According to the passage, new settings for public art are appearing as a result of

(A) communities that are building more art museums

(B) artists who are moving to urban areas

(C) urban development and renewal

(D) an increase in the number of artists in the United States.

44.The author mentions Roy Lichtenstein and Alan Sonfist in line 14 in order to

(A) show that certain artist are famous mostly for their public art

(B) introduce the subject of unusual works of art

(C) demonstrate the diversity of artworks displayed in public

(D) contrast the cities of Miami Beach and New York

45.It can be inferred from the passage that the city of Memphis sponsored a work by Richard Hunt because the city authorities believed that

(A) the sculpture would symbolize the urban renewal of Memphis

(B) Memphis was an appropriate place for a memorial to Martin Luther Ling, Jr.

(C) the artwork would promote Memphis as a center for the arts

(D) the sculpture would provide a positive example to other artists.

46. The word “enhancement” in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) replacement

(B) design

(C) improvement

(D) decoration

47. The word “revitalize” in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) show the importance of

(B) promise to enlarge

(C) bring new life to

(D) provide artworks for

48. The word “that” in line 27 refers to

(A) contemporary art

(B) opportunity

(C) audience

(D) distinction

49. The word “executing” in line 28 is closest in meaning to

(A) judging

(B) selling

(C) explaining

(D) producing

50. According to paragraph 3, artists who work on public art projects are doing all of the following EXCEPT

(A) creating artworks that are unusual in size

(B) raising funds to sponsor various public projects

(C) exposing a large number of people to works of art

(D) using new materials that are long—lasting.

Key: D CDDBD BCBA