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How did one village bring disaster on itself?
On a morning in early spring, 1873, the people of Oberfest left their houses and took refuge in the
town hall. No one knows why precisely. A number of rumors had raced through the town during recent
weeks, were passed on and converted to news; predictions became certainties. On this particular morning,
fear turned into terror, and people rushed through the narrow streets, carrying their most precious
possessions, pulling their children and dashing into the great hall. The doors were nailed shut, and men
took their turns watching out the window. Two days passed. When no disaster came, the fear grew worse,
because the people began to suspect that the danger was already in the hall, locked inside. No one spoke
to anybody else; people watched each other, looking for signs. It was the children who rang the great bell
in the first bell tower—a small band of bored children found the bell rope and swung on it—set the bell
clanging. This was the traditional signal of alarm, and in a moment the elders were dashing in panic to all
the other bell towers and ringing the bells. For nearly an hour, the valley reverberated with the wild
clangor—and then, a thousand feet above, the snow began to crack, and the avalanche began; a massive
cataract of ice and snow thundered down and buried the town, silencing the bells. There is no trace of
Oberfest today, not even a spire, because the snow is so deep; and, in the shadow of the mountains, it is
very cold
37. Which element is especially significant in this passage?
A. Dialogue
B. Setting
C. Illustrations
D. Levels of usage E. Rhythm
38. Which is the most valid conclusion regarding the theme of the passage?
A. It is a minor feature of the passage.
B. It is not related to the plot.
C. It is related to the topic sentence.
D. It is stated, rather than implied.
E. It is implied, but not stated.
39. The alarm, traditionally sounded to avert danger, became the apparent cause of the avalanche
is an example of
A. Irony
B. Simile
C. Satire
D. Personification
E. Exaggeration
40. The effect of the last phrase of the passage, “it is very cold,” depends mainly on
A. Rhythm
B. Rhyme
C. Comparison
D. Connotation
E. Sound
41. Which word best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A. Faith
B. Suspicion
C. Nostalgia
D. Disaster
E. Rumors
3 answers
39.b
37.B
38.c
39.b
40.e
41.a
38.c
39.b
40.e
41.a
3 answers