A cry went up from the pack running after him when he fell. There was tension and hysteria in that concerted cry. And other thin
gs too, but he scarcely thought about it at all. Three women fell out of the race and clutched their sides and laughed; one of them fell on the sidewalk laughing like that, her belly puffing up huge with laughter, and subsiding again, letting it go.
5 He scrambled up to his feet, their cries in his ears, spurring him on; he must run, run until he dropped, going God knows where. He scrambled to his feet, his fingers clawing the asphalt, stumbled on, sounds filling his ears... shriek of a locomotive whistle...coming up, rising to a pitch, and going away...he turned the corner into the street that was at right angles to the one he had come down from the Slaughter House gates...he was running blind before, reacting to the compulsion of his fear...but now he saw his objective and it lent his effort purpose...a long line of freight cars was coming down from the railway yard along the lines that ran across the street, going towards No. 1 Pier.
The gates were lowered across the street stopping traffic; all he had to do was to get across the lines before that string of freight cars. They would cut off his pursuit for the time it would take that long train to cross the street. Trains always slowed down going into the dockyard; sometimes stopped, straddling the street. All he had to do was to get across.
The man operating the gate yelled at him. He paid no heed. He had balanced it in his mind to a nicety, figured he'd just have time to get across. He went under the gate. Voices shouted in his ears...the scream of the locomotive whistle rising to a crescendo...he paid no heed. The train was hurtling towards him, but he had time, he could make it.
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1.
The word "pack" in line 1 of the passage best suggests that:
(1 Point)
the man was being chased
his pursuers were like hounds
there were others racing with him
he was leading his competitors
2.
The vivid description of the women in lines 2 to 3 is significant primarily because
(1 Point)
it lends relief to the tension of the scene
it makes the writing more picturesque
it appeals to the reader's sense of humour
it shows the absurdity of the incident
3.
The phrase "concerted cry" (lines 1 to 2) most nearly means
(1 Point)
a rythmic sound
all shouting at the same time
an outburst at a stage performance
a cry of defeat
4.
The expression "God knows where" (lines 5 to 6) best indicates
(1 Point)
that the man had nowhere to go
there was confusion in the runner's mind
that he was fleeing from the law
that he needed God's guidance
5.
The repetition of the word "run" in line 5 of the passage best suggests
(1 Point)
the earnestness of the runner
an exaggerated picture
the urgency of the running
the futility of the running
6.
The words "scrambled" and "stumbled" (paragraph 2) show best that the victim was
(1 Point)
in a confused state of mind
tired and worn out
experiencing difficulty in running
clutching at straws for safety
7.
By the frequent use of the triple dots in paragraphs 2 and 4 of the passage, the writer intends to achieve
(1 Point)
better communication with his audience
a detailed description of the scene
gaps in rendering the experiencing
the mounting excitement and tension of the scene
8.
The paragraph in which the runner experiences the most tension is
(1 Point)
2
1
3
4
9.
The word ‘shriek’ used in paragraph 3 appeals to which of the following senses:
(1 Point)
sight
hearing
smell
touch
10.
What do you think is the runner's objective?
(1 Point)
Reaching the railway yard
Going to No 1 Pier
Getting into the train
Crossing the train line
11.
The expression "cut off his pursuit for the time" (line 13) means
(1 Point)
he would stop running for a while
they would stop chasing him temporarily
he would have time to escape
there would be no need to run
12.
The expression "balanced it in his mind to a nicety" (line 16) means most nearly
(1 Point)
considered it carefully
came to a favourable conclusion
kept pondering in a optimistic way
was in a state of uncertainty
13.
The words "straddling" and "hurtling" in the passage convey most nearly
(2 Points)
an unhurried and leisurely pace
accelerated movement
opposite speeds
the temper of the man running
14.
The style of writing in this extract can best be described as:
(1 Point)
descriptive
argumentative
expository
narrative
