Question
from Impressions of America
This question has two parts. Answer Part A, and then answer Part B.
The first thing that struck me on landing in America was that if the Americans are not the most well-dressed people in the world,
Part Al
they are the most comfortably dressed. Men are seen there with the Which inferred claim is most fully developed in the passage? dreadful chimney-pot hat, but there are very few hatless men; men wear the shocking swallow-tail coat, but few are to be seen with no coat at all. There is an air of comfort in the appearance of the
• 1. Americans dress as they wish to dress.
people. ...
• 2. Life in America is unsuitable for creating art.
The next thing particularly noticeable is that everybody seems in a hurry to catch a train. This is a state of things which is not
• 3. Americans have difficulty managing their time.
favourable to poetry or romance. Had Romeo or Juliet been in a constant state of anxiety about trains, or had their minds been agitated by the question of return-tickets, Shakespeare could not
• 4. Life in America prioritizes commerce over nature.
have given us those lovely balcony scenes which are so full of poetry and pathos.
America is the noisiest country that ever existed. One is waked
Part B
Which excerpt from the passage best supports the correct answer from Part A?
up in the morning, not by the singing of the nightingale, but by the steam whistle. It is surprising that the sound practical sense of the Americans does not reduce this intolerable noise. All Art depends upon exquisite and delicate sensibility, and such continual turmoil
• 1. "There is an air of comfort in the appearance of the people." (Paragraph 1)
must ultimately be destructive of the musical faculty.
(from "Impressions of America" by Oscar Wilde)
2. "particularly noticeable is that everybody seems in a hurry"
(Paragraph 2)
3. "One is waked up in the morning, not by the singing of thenightingale" (Paragraph 3)
4. "such continual turmoil must ultimately be destructive"
This question has two parts. Answer Part A, and then answer Part B.
The first thing that struck me on landing in America was that if the Americans are not the most well-dressed people in the world,
Part Al
they are the most comfortably dressed. Men are seen there with the Which inferred claim is most fully developed in the passage? dreadful chimney-pot hat, but there are very few hatless men; men wear the shocking swallow-tail coat, but few are to be seen with no coat at all. There is an air of comfort in the appearance of the
• 1. Americans dress as they wish to dress.
people. ...
• 2. Life in America is unsuitable for creating art.
The next thing particularly noticeable is that everybody seems in a hurry to catch a train. This is a state of things which is not
• 3. Americans have difficulty managing their time.
favourable to poetry or romance. Had Romeo or Juliet been in a constant state of anxiety about trains, or had their minds been agitated by the question of return-tickets, Shakespeare could not
• 4. Life in America prioritizes commerce over nature.
have given us those lovely balcony scenes which are so full of poetry and pathos.
America is the noisiest country that ever existed. One is waked
Part B
Which excerpt from the passage best supports the correct answer from Part A?
up in the morning, not by the singing of the nightingale, but by the steam whistle. It is surprising that the sound practical sense of the Americans does not reduce this intolerable noise. All Art depends upon exquisite and delicate sensibility, and such continual turmoil
• 1. "There is an air of comfort in the appearance of the people." (Paragraph 1)
must ultimately be destructive of the musical faculty.
(from "Impressions of America" by Oscar Wilde)
2. "particularly noticeable is that everybody seems in a hurry"
(Paragraph 2)
3. "One is waked up in the morning, not by the singing of thenightingale" (Paragraph 3)
4. "such continual turmoil must ultimately be destructive"
Answers
GPT-4o mini
**Part A**
The inferred claim that is most fully developed in the passage is:
**4. Life in America prioritizes commerce over nature.**
The passage discusses how the hurried lifestyle of Americans and the constant noise detract from artistic sensibility and romantic notions, implying that practicality and commerce take precedence over nature and artistic expression.
---
**Part B**
The excerpt from the passage that best supports the correct answer from Part A is:
**2. "particularly noticeable is that everybody seems in a hurry" (Paragraph 2)**
This line emphasizes the hurried nature of American life, which aligns with the idea that life in America prioritizes commerce and practical concerns over more artistic and natural pursuits.
The inferred claim that is most fully developed in the passage is:
**4. Life in America prioritizes commerce over nature.**
The passage discusses how the hurried lifestyle of Americans and the constant noise detract from artistic sensibility and romantic notions, implying that practicality and commerce take precedence over nature and artistic expression.
---
**Part B**
The excerpt from the passage that best supports the correct answer from Part A is:
**2. "particularly noticeable is that everybody seems in a hurry" (Paragraph 2)**
This line emphasizes the hurried nature of American life, which aligns with the idea that life in America prioritizes commerce and practical concerns over more artistic and natural pursuits.