.~

Passage 4, Questions 23-30. Read the following passage, "Advice to Youth," written in 1882 by Samuel L.Clemens (Mark Twain) carefully before you choose your answers.

Being told I would be expected to talk here, still, while I cannot go quite so far as that, I doI inquired what sort of a talk I ought to make. They maintain, and I believe I am right, that the youngsaid it should be something suitable to youth-- ought to be temperate in the use of this great artsomething didactic, instructive, or something in the until practice and experience shall give them that

5 nature of good advice. Very well. I have a few 55 confidence, elegance, and precision which alone canthings in my mind which I have often longed to say make the accomplishment graceful and profitable.for the instruction of the young; for it is in one's Patience, diligence, painstaking attention to detail--tender early years that such things will best take these are the requirements; these, in time, will makeroot and be most enduring and most valuable. the student perfect; upon these, and upon these

10 First, then, I will say to you, my young friends-- 60 only, may he rely as the sure foundation for futureand I say it beseechingly, urgingly-- eminence. Think what tedious years of study,

Always obey your parents, when they are thought, practice, experience, went to the equipmentpresent. This is the best policy in the long run, of that peerless old master who was able to imposebecause if you don't they will make you. Most upon the whole world the lofty and sounding

15 parents think they know better than you do, and you 65 maxim that "truth is mighty and will prevail"--thecan generally make more by humoring that most majestic compound fracture of fact which anysuperstition than you can by acting on your own of woman born has yet achieved. For the history ofbetter judgment. our race, and each indi vidual's experience, are sown

Be respectful to your superiors, if you have thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill20 any, also to strangers, and sometimes to others. If 70 and that a lie told well is immortal. There is in

a person offend you, and you are in doubt as to Boston a monument of the man who discoveredwhether it was intentional or not, do not resort to anaesthesia; many people are aware, in these latterextreme measures; simply watch your chance and days, that that man didn't discover it at all, but stolehit him with a brick. That will be sufficient. If the discovery from another man. Is this truth

25 you shall find that he had not intended any offense, 75 mighty, and will it prevail? Ah no, my hearers, thecome out frankly and confess yourself in the wrong monument is made of hardy material, but the lie itwhen you struck him; acknowledge it like a man tells will outlast it a million years. An awkward,and say you didn't mean to. Yes, always avoid feeble, leaky lie is a thing which you ought toviolence; in this age of charity and kindliness, the make it your unceasing study to avoid; such a lie as

30 time has gone by for such things. Leave dynamite 80 that has no more real permanence than an averageto the low and unrefined. truth. Why, you might as well tell the truth at

Go to bed early, get up early--this is wise. once and be done with it. A feeble, stupid,Some authorities say get up with the sun; some preposterous lie will not live two years=except it beothers say get up with one thing, some with a slander upon somebody. It is indestructible, then,

35 another. But a lark is really the best thing to get up 85 of course, but that is no merit of yours. A finalwith. It gives you a splendid reputation with word: begin your practice of this gracious andeverybody to know that you get up with the lark; beautiful art early--begin now. If I had begunand if you get the right kind of a lark, and work at earlier, I could have learned how.him right, you can easily train him to get up at half Never handle firearms carelessly. The

40 past nine, every time--it is no trick at all. 90 sorrow and suffering that have been caused throughNow as to the matter of lying. You want the innocent but heedless handling of firearms by

to be very careful about lying; otherwise you are the young! Only four days ago, right in-the nextnearl y sure to get caught. Once caught, you can farmhouse to the one where I am spending thenever again be. in the eyes of the good and the pure, summer, a grandmother, old and gray and sweet, one

45 fhat you were before. Many a young person has 95 of the loveliest spirits in the land, was sitting at herinjured himself permanently through a single work, when her young grandson crept in and gotclumsy and illfinished lie, the result of carelessness down an old, battered, rusty gun which had not beenborn of incomplete training. Some authorities hold touched for many years and was supposed not to bethat the young ought not to lie at all. That, of loaded, and pointed it at her, laughing and

50 course, is putting it rather stronger than necessary; 100 threatening to shoot. In her fright she ran

© 1998by Applied Practice, Austin, TX. All rights reserved.10

screaming and pleading toward the door on the otherside of the room; but as she passed him he placedthe gun almost against her very breast and pulledthe triggerl He had supposed it was not loaded.

105 And he was right--it wasn't. So there wasn't anyharm done. It is the only case of that kind Ieverheard of. Therefore, just the same, don't youmeddle with old unloaded firearms; they are themost deadly and unerring things that have ever been

110 created by man. You don't have to take any painsat all with them; you don't have to have a rest, youdon't have to have any sights on the gun; you don'thave to take aim, even. No, you just pick out arelative and bang away, and you are sure to get him.

115 A youth who can't hit a cathedral at thirty yardswith a Gatling gun in three-quarters of an hour, cantake up an old empty musket and bag hisgrandmother every time, at a hundred. Think whatWaterloo would have been if one of the armies had

120 been boys armed with old muskets supposed not to .be loaded, and the other army had been composed oftheir female relations. The very thought of itmakes one shudder.

There are many sorts of books; but good125 ones are the sort for the young to read. Remember

that. They are a great, an inestimable, anunspeakable means of improvement. Therefore becareful in your selection, my young friends; be verycareful; confine yourselves exclusively to

130 Robertson's Sermons, Baxter's Saint's Rest, TheInnocents Abroad, and works of that kind.

But I have said enough. I hope you willtreasure up the instructions which I have ziven voub » r r»and make them a guide to your feet and a light to

135 your understanding. Build your characterthoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts,and by and by, when you have got it built, you willbe surprised and gratified to see how nicely andsharply it resembles everybody else's.

23. The first paragraph leads the reader to believethat the speaker

I. understands what the parameters ofhis speech should be

II. will offer good advice to youngpeople

III. is a sensitive, concerned adult

24. All of the following are true of the secondparagraph EXCEPT

(A) it shows the speaker believes childrenshould obey their parents

(B) it contrasts with the tone of the firstparagraph

(C) it shows the speaker believes youth shouldfollow their own judgment

(D) it shows the speaker is mocking theprecepts of society

(E) it serves to establish rapport with theaudience

25. "Such things" in line 30 refers to

(A) "confess yourself in the wrong" (line 26)(B) "say you didn't mean to" (line 28)(C) "violence" (line 29)(D) "charity and kindliness" (line 29)(E) "dynamite" (line 30)

26. In the second, third, and fourth paragraphs, it isevident that the speaker believes all of thefollowing EXCEPT

(A) there is too much violence in the world(B) people react too quickly to percei ved

offenses(C) society has many overrated homilies(D) starting the day very early is wise and

respectable(E) simply apologizing for a wrong does not

excuse bad behavior

27. From lines 41-89, the reader can infer that thespeaker believes all of the following EXCEPT

(A) due to their lies, many people have gainedwealth and fame

the truth is very powerful and alwaystriumphs in the end

slander is a terrible type of lie thin hasdestructive power

the greater the lie, the less likely that itsfalsehood will be discovered

many people are very hypocritical andjudgmental

(B)

(C)

(D)

(A) I onl y (E)(B) II only(C) I and II only(D) II and III only(E) I, II, and III

©1998 by Applied Practice, Austin, TX. All rights reserved.11

28. In the paragraph about guns, the speaker

1. uses an anecdote that seems tocontradict his point

II. satirizes society's emphasis on thedanger of unloaded guns

III. is critical of children playing withunloaded guns

(A) I only(B) II only(C) III only(D) I and II only(E) I, n, and III

29. From the last paragraph and the passage as awhole, the reader can infer that the speaker

(A) hopes his audience will follow society'sprecepts

(B) would be applauded by all the parents inthe audience

(C) will be widely sought out by schoolofficials to speak at graduationceremonies

(D) desires his audience to make their ownvalue judgments rather than simplyaccepting society's

(E) is proud of his support of the moral valuesof society and hopes the audience willapplaudbim

30. The speech is

I. well-organized with manyrhetorical devices

II. humorous and satiricalIll. a parody of speeches made to

graduating classesIV. devoid of figurative language

(A) I and II only(B) I and III onl y(C) II and IV only(D) 1, n. and IIIonly(E) 1. II, III, and IV

© 1998 by A ppJied Practice, Austin, TX. All rights reserved.12