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NB G7 PIF Reading study materials
NB G7 PIF Reading study resources

NB G7 PIF Reading practice questions

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Question 1Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a short story, a character named Lina returns a borrowed book to her friend and says, "I never opened it." What does this line most likely reveal about Lina?

  1. She disliked the friend who lent it.
  2. She lost the book and bought a new one.
  3. She did not read the book she borrowed. Correct answer.
  4. She read the book very quickly.

Explanation

A direct statement from a character should be taken at face value unless the text gives a reason to doubt it. Saying she never opened the book means she did not read it. The line gives no evidence about losing the book, disliking the friend, or reading quickly.

Question 2Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this sentence: "The wind pushed against the shutters all night, and Mara lay awake listening to them bang." What is the setting mainly like?

  1. A windy night in a house Correct answer.
  2. A sunny afternoon outdoors
  3. A crowded school hallway
  4. A quiet city apartment

Explanation

Details such as wind, shutters, and lying awake at night establish a stormy nighttime setting inside a house. The other choices contradict the sensory details in the sentence. Setting is built from concrete details like time, weather, and place.

Question 3Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story says: "Tomas grinned and ran to the door before his mother finished calling his name." What does this detail suggest about Tomas?

  1. He is angry with his mother.
  2. He is afraid of the door.
  3. He is too tired to move.
  4. He is eager to go somewhere. Correct answer.

Explanation

Grinning and rushing before being fully called show excitement and eagerness. Actions and gestures are clues writers use to reveal a character's feelings. Nothing in the sentence points to anger, fear, or fatigue.

Question 4Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which sentence is written from a first-person point of view?

  1. The town was silent that morning.
  2. They waited by the gate.
  3. I could hear the train coming. Correct answer.
  4. She packed her bag and left.

Explanation

First-person narration uses the pronoun "I" (or "we") and shows events through the narrator's own experience. The other sentences use third-person pronouns such as she, the town, and they. Point of view is identified by the pronouns the narrator uses.

Question 5Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a fable, a fox tries many tricks to reach grapes and finally walks away saying they are sour. What is the main lesson of the story?

  1. Walking away is always wise.
  2. People often criticize what they cannot have. Correct answer.
  3. Foxes enjoy eating fruit.
  4. Grapes are difficult to grow.

Explanation

A fable teaches a lesson through the character's behavior. The fox dismisses the grapes only after failing to reach them, which illustrates belittling what one cannot obtain. The other options are literal details rather than the story's message.

Question 6Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

What is the main purpose of dialogue in a story?

  1. To describe the weather in detail
  2. To reveal characters and move the plot forward Correct answer.
  3. To list the author's sources
  4. To explain the story's title

Explanation

Dialogue lets characters speak, which shows their personality, relationships, and reactions, and it often pushes events along. Descriptive passages handle weather and setting, while sources and titles are outside the story's action. Recognizing dialogue's purpose helps readers understand character and plot.

Question 7Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story says a boy "froze" when he saw the principal in the hallway. What does "froze" most likely mean here?

  1. He became very cold.
  2. He stopped moving suddenly. Correct answer.
  3. He ran away quickly.
  4. He built something from ice.

Explanation

Figurative language should be read in context. Seeing the principal would not literally make a boy cold, so "froze" means he stopped still, probably from surprise or nervousness. The surrounding situation guides the meaning of the word.

Question 8Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which detail is a fact stated directly in a story rather than an inference?

  1. The character wore a red coat. Correct answer.
  2. The character wanted friends.
  3. The character was kind.
  4. The character felt lonely.

Explanation

A stated fact appears explicitly in the text, such as the color of a coat. Loneliness, kindness, and wanting friends are conclusions a reader draws from clues. Distinguishing stated details from inferences is a core reading skill.

Question 9Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "Nadia checked the clock for the third time, then straightened the chairs that were already straight." What does this behavior most likely show?

  1. She is nervous about something. Correct answer.
  2. She is late for an appointment.
  3. She is angry at the chairs.
  4. She is bored of cleaning.

Explanation

Repeatedly checking the time and fussing over already tidy chairs suggest anxious waiting. Writers show emotions through small actions instead of naming them. The details do not support anger, boredom, or lateness.

Question 10Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story is told by a narrator who knows what every character thinks and feels, including events in different places. What point of view is this?

  1. First person
  2. Third-person limited
  3. Third-person omniscient Correct answer.
  4. Second person

Explanation

A third-person narrator who can enter any character's mind and report events across locations is omniscient. Limited narration stays with one character's perspective, and first and second person use "I" or "you." The scope of knowledge is the key signal.

Question 11Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a story, a girl hides a note in a library book and later sees a stranger reading that same book. What literary technique is this most clearly an example of?

  1. Flashback
  2. Foreshadowing Correct answer.
  3. Hyperbole
  4. Onomatopoeia

Explanation

The hidden note and the stranger's arrival hint at future consequences, which is foreshadowing. A flashback would jump to an earlier time, onomatopoeia uses sound words, and hyperbole is exaggeration. The connecting detail signals events to come.

Question 12Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read these lines: "The old house groaned in the wind, its windows like empty eyes." Which technique is used in "windows like empty eyes"?

  1. Simile Correct answer.
  2. Alliteration
  3. Metaphor
  4. Personification

Explanation

A simile compares two things using "like" or "as," as in windows compared to empty eyes. A metaphor would state the comparison without those words, personification gives human qualities to objects, and alliteration repeats initial sounds. The word "like" is the decisive clue.

Question 13Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story opens with a character failing an important test, and later she studies hard and passes a harder one. What theme is most supported by this structure?

  1. Tests are unfair to students.
  2. Success comes only from luck.
  3. Studying is a waste of time.
  4. Failure can lead to growth. Correct answer.

Explanation

The sequence from failure to later success through effort illustrates growth after setbacks. Theme emerges from the overall movement of events, not from one moment. The other options contradict the story's arc or are not supported by it.

Question 14Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a story, two brothers argue over a bicycle, and the older boy finally hands over the keys without a word. What does the silence most likely suggest?

  1. He has forgotten the argument.
  2. He is making a reluctant sacrifice. Correct answer.
  3. He wants to sell the bicycle.
  4. He has lost the keys.

Explanation

Giving in without speaking often signals inner conflict, such as choosing to yield despite wanting to win. The gesture resolves the conflict but suggests reluctance. The other options ignore the emotional weight of the silent action.

Question 15Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which sentence most clearly uses personification?

  1. The street was empty at dawn.
  2. The rain fell in heavy sheets.
  3. The moon hid behind a cloud. Correct answer.
  4. The river was wide and deep.

Explanation

Personification gives human abilities to nonhuman things. Saying the moon "hid" gives it a human action of concealing itself. The other sentences describe weather, geography, and a setting without human qualities.

Question 16Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story's narrator says: "I knew my brother was lying, but I said nothing." What does this reveal about the narrator?

  1. The narrator believes the brother completely.
  2. The narrator is unaware of the lie.
  3. The narrator chooses to stay silent about the truth. Correct answer.
  4. The narrator is the brother himself.

Explanation

The narrator states knowledge of the lie and a decision to remain quiet, which shows a deliberate choice. First-person narration gives direct access to this inner decision. The other options contradict the explicit words.

Question 17Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

What is the best description of the climax of a story?

  1. The opening scene that introduces the setting
  2. The moment of greatest tension when the main conflict is decided Correct answer.
  3. A background story told by a minor character
  4. The final sentence that wraps up loose ends

Explanation

The climax is the turning point where the central conflict reaches its peak and its outcome is determined. Introductions, resolutions, and side stories serve different roles in the plot. Plot structure moves from rising action to climax to resolution.

Question 18Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "Every morning the man walked past the bakery and paused, but he never went in. On the last day of the story, he opens the door." What does opening the door most likely represent?

  1. A memory from the character's childhood
  2. A sign the bakery is closing
  3. A change in the character's long-held habit Correct answer.
  4. A mistake the character will regret

Explanation

The repeated pause without entering establishes a pattern, and breaking that pattern signals change or growth. Readers track repeated details to notice turning points. The passage gives no hint of regret, closing, or memory.

Question 19Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which sentence contains a metaphor?

  1. The bell rang loudly.
  2. The leaves fell like snow.
  3. The classroom was a zoo. Correct answer.
  4. The dog ran quickly.

Explanation

A metaphor states that one thing is another to create a comparison, as in calling a classroom a zoo. A simile uses "like" or "as," while literal sentences simply report actions. Identifying the absence of "like" or "as" helps distinguish metaphor from simile.

Question 20Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story describes a town where everyone speaks in whispers and no one looks at the sky. What mood does this description most strongly create?

  1. Cheerful and festive
  2. Warm and welcoming
  3. Silly and playful
  4. Mysterious and tense Correct answer.

Explanation

Whispering and avoiding the sky suggest secrecy and unease, which build a tense, mysterious mood. Mood is created through the details a writer chooses about behavior and setting. The details do not support joy, warmth, or humor.

Question 21Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a story, a character's old watch stops working the night before she leaves home. What is the most likely symbolic meaning of the stopped watch?

  1. Her love of mechanical objects
  2. Her need to buy new clothes
  3. Her fear of loud noises
  4. The end of a period in her life Correct answer.

Explanation

A broken watch often symbolizes halted time or the close of a chapter, which fits a departure from home. Symbols gain meaning from their placement in the story. The other options are unrelated to the event of leaving.

Question 22Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The letter sat on the table for three days. Each morning Ana moved it to a drawer; each evening she put it back." What does Ana's behavior most strongly suggest?

  1. She is organizing her furniture.
  2. She has forgotten the letter exists.
  3. She cannot decide how to respond to it. Correct answer.
  4. She wants to throw the letter away.

Explanation

Moving the letter back and forth shows repeated indecision about what to do with it, likely because its contents are difficult to face. Actions that repeat without resolution reveal inner conflict. Forgetting, discarding, or rearranging furniture do not fit the pattern.

Question 23Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story alternates between a soldier in the present and his childhood memories. What is the main effect of this structure on the reader?

  1. It removes the need for a conflict.
  2. It proves the memories are false.
  3. It shows how past and present shape each other. Correct answer.
  4. It makes the setting unimportant.

Explanation

Alternating between present events and memories lets readers see connections between who a character was and who he is now. Structural choices guide what readers notice and feel. The pattern deepens understanding rather than denying the memories or removing conflict.

Question 24Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

An author writes: "The city was a sleeping giant, breathing slowly through its subway vents." Which two techniques are combined in this sentence?

  1. Onomatopoeia and simile
  2. Metaphor and personification Correct answer.
  3. Simile and alliteration
  4. Hyperbole and rhyme

Explanation

The city is called a giant without using "like" or "as," which is metaphor, and it breathes, which is personification. Recognizing combined techniques requires checking for comparison words and human qualities. The sentence has no "like," no rhyming, and no sound-imitation words.

Question 25Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A narrator says: "I told everyone the trip was a success, though I knew the truth." How does this unreliable statement affect the reader's understanding?

  1. It shows the narrator may be hiding something important. Correct answer.
  2. It proves the trip really was a success.
  3. It shows the narrator is telling the whole truth.
  4. It means the narrator never went on the trip.

Explanation

When a narrator admits saying something untrue while knowing "the truth," readers sense concealment and must read between the lines. Unreliable narration makes readers question what they are told. The statement does not confirm success or deny the trip happened.

Question 26Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "Mara counted the coins twice, then slid them back into the jar without a word." Which sentence best describes what the passage suggests about Mara?

  1. She is angry at the person who gave her the coins.
  2. She has forgotten how much money the jar holds.
  3. She is careful with money and seems hesitant to spend it. Correct answer.
  4. She has decided to buy something expensive.

Explanation

The passage shows a character repeating a careful action and then choosing not to act. Counting twice signals caution, and putting the coins back without speaking suggests reluctance rather than decision or anger. Readers infer character from small actions rather than from stated feelings.

Question 27Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which statement best defines the setting of a story?

  1. The person who tells the story to the reader.
  2. The lesson about life that the story teaches.
  3. The series of events that make up the story's plot.
  4. The time and place in which the story's events occur. Correct answer.

Explanation

Setting refers to where and when a story takes place, including details such as season, era, or location. Plot, theme, and narrator are separate elements of fiction with their own terms. Keeping these terms distinct helps readers describe a story accurately.

Question 28Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this sentence from a story: "The wind rattled the shutters all night, and the stairs creaked under every step." What mood does the sentence create?

  1. A silly, comic mood.
  2. A calm, peaceful mood.
  3. A tense, uneasy mood. Correct answer.
  4. A cheerful, festive mood.

Explanation

Sensory details such as rattling shutters and creaking stairs suggest disturbance and unseen movement. Writers build mood through sound and setting details rather than by naming the feeling. These details point to tension and unease.

Question 29Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a story, a character says one thing to a friend but the narrator reveals the character believes something different. What is this contrast called?

  1. Foreshadowing
  2. Rhyme
  3. Flashback
  4. Irony Correct answer.

Explanation

Irony occurs when there is a gap between what is said or expected and what is actually true or known. The narrator's revelation exposes that gap for the reader. Rhyme, flashback, and foreshadowing describe sound, time order, and hints, not this kind of contrast.

Question 30Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The team lost every game that season. On the final day, the coach handed each player a small trophy and said, 'You learned how to lose well.'" What theme does the passage suggest?

  1. Trophies should only be given to champions.
  2. Effort and attitude can matter more than winning. Correct answer.
  3. Losing a game is always a sign of poor coaching.
  4. Sports are less valuable than other activities.

Explanation

A theme is an idea about life that a story develops, usually through events and character choices. Here the coach honors the players for how they handled defeat, which points to the value of effort and attitude. The trophy is symbolic of that lesson rather than of victory.

Question 31Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

What is a flashback in a story?

  1. A scene in which the narrator speaks directly to the reader.
  2. A scene that interrupts the present action to show an earlier event. Correct answer.
  3. A scene that hints at something that will happen later.
  4. A scene that repeats the opening of the story word for word.

Explanation

A flashback moves backward in time to give background or explain a character's present behavior. It is a structural device that interrupts the main timeline. Hints about the future are foreshadowing, which is a different technique.

Question 32Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read these lines: "Her laugh was a bell that rang across the yard." Which technique is used in the comparison?

  1. Onomatopoeia
  2. Hyperbole
  3. Metaphor Correct answer.
  4. Simile

Explanation

A metaphor states that one thing is another without using "like" or "as." Here the laugh is called a bell, creating a direct comparison. A simile would require the words "like" or "as" to make the comparison.

Question 33Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "Dev had practiced the speech for weeks. When his name was called, he walked to the podium, gripped its edges, and looked out at the crowd." What do the details suggest about Dev?

  1. He is eager to leave the stage immediately.
  2. He has never prepared for anything before.
  3. He is amused by the audience in front of him.
  4. He feels nervous despite being prepared. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage pairs long preparation with physical details such as gripping the podium. That grip suggests tension even though he is ready. Readers combine preparation with body language to infer an inner state.

Question 34Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a story, a character nervously twists a ring whenever she must tell a lie. Later, she twists the ring while praising a coworker. What does the gesture most likely suggest?

  1. She does not mean the praise she is giving. Correct answer.
  2. She has lost the ring and is searching for it.
  3. She is bored by the conversation with the coworker.
  4. She wants to give the ring to the coworker.

Explanation

A repeated gesture linked to one meaning earlier in a story becomes a signal when it appears again. Because the ring-twisting was tied to lying, its return suggests the praise is insincere. Authors rely on readers to track such patterns across a text.

Question 35Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The bakery's sign had faded to a pale pink, and the shelves inside held only dust. Still, every morning old Mr. Ruiz unlocked the door and swept the floor." What does the passage most strongly suggest about Mr. Ruiz?

  1. He expects many customers to arrive soon.
  2. He has forgotten that the bakery is empty.
  3. He clings to a routine that gives his life meaning. Correct answer.
  4. He is planning to sell the bakery quickly.

Explanation

The empty shelves and faded sign show that the bakery no longer works as a business. Mr. Ruiz's daily sweeping suggests he keeps the routine for personal reasons rather than profit. Contrast between setting details and behavior creates this inference.

Question 36Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story begins in the middle of a chase, then explains how the characters reached that moment before returning to the chase. What is the main effect of this structure?

  1. It shows that the chase is not important to the story.
  2. It removes all tension by explaining events in strict order.
  3. It proves that the narrator cannot be trusted.
  4. It creates suspense first and then supplies context for the action. Correct answer.

Explanation

Starting in the middle of action hooks readers with unanswered questions. Returning to earlier events then provides the background needed to understand the chase. This arrangement builds suspense and controls when information is revealed.

Question 37Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this sentence: "The hallway was a river of students, and Tomas let the current carry him to the cafeteria." What is the effect of the extended comparison?

  1. It indicates that the cafeteria is closed.
  2. It shows that Tomas cannot swim.
  3. It suggests the hallway is flooded with water.
  4. It makes the crowded movement feel powerful and impersonal. Correct answer.

Explanation

The sentence compares a crowd to a river and movement to a current, extending one image across the line. This makes the crowd feel like a force that carries individuals along. The comparison is figurative, not a literal flood.

Question 38Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a story, a narrator says: "By the time the fire trucks arrived, everything was already fine." The reader has just seen a character trapped inside a burning room. What does this discrepancy most likely indicate?

  1. The fire trucks arrived before the fire began.
  2. The narrator may be unreliable or unaware of what really happened. Correct answer.
  3. The burning room was only imagined by the narrator.
  4. The trapped character escaped without any help.

Explanation

An unreliable narrator reports events in ways that conflict with what the text has shown. When a claim contradicts earlier details, readers should question the narrator's accuracy or knowledge. This gap invites careful reading rather than acceptance of the statement.

Question 39Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which sentence most clearly uses foreshadowing?

  1. The hikers walked for hours and then ate lunch beside a stream.
  2. The canyon was formed by a river over millions of years.
  3. The hikers took photographs of the canyon walls.
  4. The cracked rope hung above the canyon, and the hikers chose that path anyway. Correct answer.

Explanation

Foreshadowing plants a detail that hints at trouble to come. A cracked rope above a canyon warns readers that danger is likely. The other sentences give neutral information that does not point toward later events.

Question 40Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "My sister borrowed my jacket without asking. I told her it was fine. I did not speak to her for two days." What does the contrast between words and actions reveal?

  1. The narrator wants to give the jacket to the sister.
  2. The narrator truly does not mind the borrowed jacket.
  3. The narrator is upset but unwilling to say so directly. Correct answer.
  4. The sister has moved away from home.

Explanation

When a character's words and actions disagree, the actions often reveal the true feeling. Saying "it was fine" while giving a sister the silent treatment signals hidden anger. Readers must weigh both the dialogue and the behavior.

Question 41Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

What is the function of a story's rising action?

  1. It builds complications that lead toward the story's turning point. Correct answer.
  2. It introduces the setting for the first time.
  3. It explains the story's theme in a single sentence.
  4. It resolves the central conflict and settles the characters' fates.

Explanation

Rising action develops the conflict through a series of complications and choices. These events increase tension until the story reaches its turning point, or climax. Resolution comes afterward, not during the rising action.

Question 42Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read these lines from a poem: "The train sighed / and shrugged off the station / like a coat too tight." What is the main effect of the figurative language?

  1. It makes the departing train seem tired and eager to be free. Correct answer.
  2. It shows that the station is physically too small for trains.
  3. It suggests that the train has broken down and cannot move.
  4. It compares the train to a passenger waiting on the platform.

Explanation

Giving the train a sigh and a shrug treats it as a weary being, while the coat image suggests shedding something confining. Together these figures create an impression of relief at leaving. The comparison is imaginative rather than literal.

Question 43Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a story, a young girl keeps a smooth stone in her pocket and touches it whenever she must speak in class. Years later, as an adult, she finds the stone in a drawer and smiles. What is the stone most likely symbolizing?

  1. A gift from a teacher she disliked
  2. A reminder of a trip she never took
  3. A valuable object she hopes to sell
  4. A source of courage carried from childhood Correct answer.

Explanation

A symbol is an object that stands for a larger idea through its role in the story. The stone is linked repeatedly to moments when the girl needs reassurance. Her adult smile suggests it still represents the courage it once gave her.

Question 44Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The town council voted to close the library. Mrs. Okafor, who had run the reading program for thirty years, stood and asked to speak. The room went quiet." What does the silence most likely suggest?

  1. The audience is angry that she is speaking.
  2. The audience expects her words to carry weight. Correct answer.
  3. The audience does not know who she is.
  4. The audience has already left the meeting.

Explanation

Silence in a scene often signals emotional importance or anticipation. Because Mrs. Okafor has long service behind her, the quiet suggests people are ready to listen seriously. Readers infer group feeling from the reaction described.

Question 45Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which sentence uses personification?

  1. The moon watched the travelers cross the valley. Correct answer.
  2. The valley was wider than the travelers expected.
  3. The travelers crossed the valley under a full moon.
  4. The travelers rested beside a cold stream.

Explanation

Personification gives a nonhuman thing human abilities or qualities. A moon that "watches" is credited with a human action. The other sentences describe events and conditions without attributing human traits to objects.

Question 46Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story's narrator knows only what one character sees and hears, and refers to that character as "he." What point of view is this?

  1. Third-person omniscient
  2. Third-person limited Correct answer.
  3. First-person
  4. Second-person

Explanation

Third-person limited narration uses third-person pronouns and stays inside one character's experience. The narrator reports only what that character can perceive. Omniscient narration, by contrast, would enter many characters' minds.

Question 47Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The general praised the young soldier's bravery in front of the whole camp. That night, the soldier wrote in his journal: 'If they knew I hid behind the supply cart, they would not cheer.'" How does the passage create irony?

  1. The public praise contradicts what the soldier privately knows about himself. Correct answer.
  2. The general secretly dislikes the young soldier.
  3. The soldier's journal entry repeats the general's exact words.
  4. The soldier is unaware of the praise he received.

Explanation

Irony arises from a gap between appearance and reality, or between what one group knows and what another knows. The camp celebrates courage while the soldier knows he acted fearfully. The private journal entry reveals the truth that the public scene conceals.

Question 48Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

An author writes a story in which the same afternoon is told twice: once by a wealthy woman and once by her maid. What is the most likely purpose of this structure?

  1. To reveal that the two characters are actually the same person
  2. To prove that one of the two accounts is entirely false
  3. To show how social position shapes what each character notices and understands Correct answer.
  4. To slow the story down with repeated identical details

Explanation

Telling one event from two viewpoints invites comparison of what each narrator sees and values. Differences in attention and interpretation often reflect differences in power and social position. The structure asks readers to build meaning from the contrast rather than from either account alone.

Question 49Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The letter sat unopened on the desk for a week. On Friday, Ana picked it up, held it to the light, and set it down again." What does the detail about holding the letter to the light most strongly suggest?

  1. She has already read the letter and is returning it.
  2. She plans to mail the letter to someone else.
  3. She is checking whether the envelope is made of strong paper.
  4. She wants to learn its contents without fully committing to opening it. Correct answer.

Explanation

Holding a letter to the light is a way of glimpsing what is inside without breaking the seal. Combined with a week of delay, the gesture shows curiosity wrestling with reluctance. Small physical actions often carry the story's emotional weight.

Question 50Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a novel, a character repeats the phrase "the door was always open" at three key moments: when she leaves home, when she refuses help, and when she finally returns. What is the most likely effect of this repetition?

  1. It proves that the character never actually left home.
  2. It turns an ordinary phrase into a symbol of the choice she keeps facing. Correct answer.
  3. It indicates that the story takes place entirely indoors.
  4. It shows that the character has a poor memory for words.

Explanation

Motifs are repeated images or phrases that accumulate meaning across a text. By returning at moments of decision, the phrase comes to stand for an offer the character must accept or refuse. Repetition invites readers to track how meaning changes with context.