Question

Read the excerpt from “Death by Black Hole.”

If you stumbled upon a black hole and found yourself falling feet-first toward its center, then as you got closer, the black hole’s force of gravity would grow astronomically.

Read the stanza from “Man Listening to Disc.”

This is not bad—
ambling along 44th Street
with Sonny Rollins for company,
his music flowing through the soft calipers
of these earphones,

Which statement best summarizes the two excerpts?
In both pieces the narrators are in grave danger.
In both pieces the narrators are carefree and in no apparent hurry.
In both pieces the narrators are unable to connect with others.
In both pieces the narrators are unaware of their surroundings.

Answer 1

In both pieces the narrators are unaware of their surroundings.

Explanation: The poem’s speaker is absorbed in music (earphones) and likely oblivious to the street around him; the black hole excerpt describes someone who has stumbled into a dangerous situation and is being carried inward, implying a lack of awareness of the danger.