Question

Passage:

The town prided itself on tradition. Every year, without fail, the festival lanterns were lit at dusk, glowing in orderly rows down Main Street. This year, however, a single lantern flickered and went dark. People noticed — but no one moved to relight it. They simply adjusted their gaze and continued celebrating. By morning, more lanterns had quietly dimmed. The festival committee later praised the evening as “a glowing success.”

1. Which statement best captures the passage’s deeper commentary?
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2 points
A. Communities value celebration over responsibility.
B. Small problems often resolve themselves over time.
C. Ignored flaws can gradually undermine collective traditions.
D. Public events depend entirely on leadership.
2. The extinguished lantern most strongly symbolizes:
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2 points
A. Random misfortune
B. The fragility of infrastructure
C. The consequences of passive complicity
D. A shift in weather conditions
3. The phrase “adjusted their gaze” suggests that the townspeople:
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2 points
A. Were physically unable to see clearly
B. Chose willful avoidance over intervention
C. Trusted others to solve the issue
D. Misunderstood the significance of the lantern
4. The committee describing the evening as “a glowing success” primarily creates:
*
2 points
A. Dramatic irony
B. Situational irony
C. Verbal irony
D. No irony; the event was successful4
5. Which thematic statement is best supported by the passage?
*
2 points
A. Leadership determines communal outcomes.
B. Denial allows preventable decline to spread.
C. Traditions inevitably evolve over time.
D. Minor inconveniences are exaggerated by observers.

Answer 1

1. C. Ignored flaws can gradually undermine collective traditions.
2. C. The consequences of passive complicity.
3. B. Chose willful avoidance over intervention.
4. C. Verbal irony.
5. B. Denial allows preventable decline to spread.