Question

1) Which of these BEST describes the way the first paragraph functions in the passage as a whole?
A) It provides an anecdote before introducing the topic of restoring a Victorian house.
B) It provides background on why the house Daniel and Kate purchased needs so many repairs.
C) It divides the passage into two parts, one focused on Daniel and Kate and the other focused on the house.
D) It sets up a contrast between how Daniel and Kate feel about the house now and how they used to feel about the house.

2) Why did the owner of the house sell it to Daniel for a low price?
A) She knew that restoring the house would cost a significant amount of money.
B) She wanted to once again be proud of the home that had been her childhood home.
C) She appreciated that Daniel wanted to restore the house so that it remained a single-family home.
D) She knew that Daniel had a family and therefore did not have a great deal of money to invest in the house.

3) When Daniel, Kate, and their friends were renovating the parlor, what did they do RIGHT AFTER they removed the walls, lathe, and carpeting?
A) added crown molding
B) hired a mason to replace the chimney
C) removed an old bookcase from the stairs
D) installed new wiring and added insulation

4) Which of these describes the difference between the way Daniel felt when he first purchased the Victorian and the way he feels now?
A) When he first purchased the house, Daniel was excited about restoring it, but now he is worried that he will not be able to restore it.
B) By the time he purchased the house, Daniel realized that it might be too much work, but he is now determined to complete each necessary task.
C) When he purchased the house, Daniel had a mental picture of how beautiful it would be when it was restored, but now he has lowered his expectations.
D) When he first purchased the house, Daniel was very worried that he might not have enough money to restore it, and now he is certain that he does not.

5) Which of these is NOT an accurate description of the passage?
A) A man realizes he may never be able to accomplish a dream he once had.
B) A family discovers a historical passageway underneath a staircase in their home.
C) A man holds steadfast in his determination to remodel his family’s Victorian home.
D) A woman feels frustrated because her husband is unable to do what he said he would do.

Answer 1

1. B
2. A
3. D
4. C
5. B

Answer 2

The House by the River
Jessica Whittaker




1Daniel worked the plunger up and down repeatedly over the drain in the kitchen sink, but each time he pulled it up, the drain remained clogged. When Kate saw him holding the plunger, his eyes squinted and lips pursed in frustration, she rolled her eyes unsympathetically.

Daniel knew that Kate had lost hope in this venture and was beginning to resent him. Purchasing the Victorian by the river had been his idea, his dream. The place was in shambles, but he had convinced Kate and the girls that with occasional help from a contractor, he could restore it in a year or two. The Victorian had once been glorious, a work of art, a place where generations of families had lived in luxury. The house had plenty of stained glass, five large bedrooms, an enormous front porch, two staircases, and three fireplaces—how could he go wrong?

Of course, Daniel realized that restoring the house would be expensive, but he was prepared for this. He was a chemistry teacher who frequently picked up odd jobs and saved the extra money. He had amassed quite bit of a savings over the years, and the woman selling the house—for sale by owner—had given him an incredible deal. She had sensed his enthusiasm and did not want her childhood home turned into apartments and destroyed by renters.

7Daniel decided to tackle the worst room first—the parlor, the place where a butler once seated guests until the house’s mistress and master were ready to receive them. The walls of the parlor were covered in dark paneling, which was probably hung as a quick fix after the house was damaged by flood waters back in the 1970s. When Daniel and Kate ripped down the paneling, they uncovered walls that were beyond repair. The plaster was cracked and large chunks were missing in places, exposing the lathe underneath. With the help of friends, they removed the walls, the lathe, and the soiled carpeting that covered the hardwood floors, filling the rented dumpster in the driveway. They installed new wiring and pumped foam insulation into the walls before re-plastering them.

When Daniel removed a broken bookcase from the bottom of the master staircase, he discovered that it had been added to cover a doorway that opened into a passageway leading from the parlor to the kitchen. Some quick research revealed that it was a passageway once used by servants to quickly access the parlor from the kitchen. Kate was so excited about the discovery that she called the local newspaper. A reporter wrote a feature story about the servants’ passageway in the house and published photos of it featuring Kate, Daniel, and the girls. Daniel cherished it as one of their happiest moments in the house.

8The renovated parlor was a beautiful sight—dark red-and-gold striped wallpaper covered the new walls, and the maple floors were restored to their original splendor. Crown molding and brass fixtures adorned the room, and antique corbels supported a large archway. Daniel had 9painstakingly removed layer after layer of paint from the plaster corbels. Except for some detail that had been etched away from so much paint, the corbels were in incredibly good condition. The marble fireplace was another masterpiece. Daniel restored the mantel and hired a mason to replace the cracked chimney. The fireplace, now working, was the luminous centerpiece of the room. Except for adding a door, Daniel left the servants’ passageway open—the girls loved it—and it would one day make for great conversation with guests when the family entertained.

The cost to restore the parlor, however, was well beyond Daniel’s original estimates and consumed nearly all of his savings. And the house needed so much more—the roof leaked, the pipes were crumbling, some rooms still had steel radiators, and the windows were so drafty it felt as if they were open in the winter. While the Victorian boasted three bathrooms, none had a shower. Daniel attached a makeshift, handheld shower to the claw-foot tub in one bathroom, but it was not like a real shower. The paint covering the outside of the house was peeling, but Daniel knew that this would have to wait for at least a few years. Recently, he had become preoccupied with selling the house, but in its condition he doubted he could make enough on the sale to cover what he had sunk into it.

Daniel filled up the second basin of the kitchen sink with water and pushed in the drain plug. He covered the base of the plunger with petroleum jelly and plunged the drain hard until, at last, the water went down. Exhausted, he sat on the floor and put his head in his hands.

Answer 3

@Elsa213

Answer 4

1. Im pretty sure is D
2. This one is C. THe passage blatantly states that she did now want the house taken over by investors
3. your correct
4: I think the correct answer is A
5. The answer is C

Answer 5

6) The passage indicates that Kate went along with Daniel’s decision to purchase the house because Daniel:
A) had saved enough money over the years to buy the house.
B) believed he could renovate the house in one or two years.
C) knew the house had a secret passageway under the stairs.
D) had convinced the owner to sell him the house at a low price.

7) The fourth paragraph establishes all of the following EXCEPT:
A) the house had once been flooded.
B) the parlor needed a great deal of work.
C) the walls in the parlor needed to be replaced.
D) the master staircase had a bookcase underneath it.

8) The main point of the sixth paragraph is that:
A) after some repairs, the fireplace is now working.
B) the renovated parlor exceeded Daniel’s expectations.
C) except for a door, the servants’ passageway was left open.
D) the corbels supporting the archway were in good condition.

9) As it is used in the passage, the term refers to the:
A) intense concentration Daniel had as he restored the corbels.
B) careful way in which Daniel removed each layer of paint from the corbels.
C) force that Daniel exerted in restoring the corbels to their original condition.
D) injury suffered by Daniel as he tried to remove the layers of paint from the corbels.

10) The passage establishes that the house has all of the following problems EXCEPT:
A) the windows let in cold air.
B) the bathrooms lack a shower.
C) the doors lack secure locks.
D) the paint on the outside is peeling.

Answer 6

6. C
7. B
8. C
9. A
10. D

Answer 7

its the same excerpt as before