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Love Fools – Romeo and JulietActive Reading Guide

Introduction

Romeo and Juliet is probably the greatest love story in all literature. Passions run high between two young lovers who would die for each other and between the feuding families that would keep them apart. Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet is a Capulet. As their families war in the streets of Verona, Italy, Juliet may be forced to marry someone she does not love and lose her Romeo forever. Will this pair of star-crossed lovers overcome the terrible obstacles that stand in the way of their happiness? Read on and see.

For Writing or Discussing

q Do you believe in the saying, "Love conquers all"? Why?

q What qualities must love possess to survive strong opposition?

The Play and You

Romeo and Juliet is a play for anyone who has ever been in love and anyone who wants to be. As you read the play, ask yourself, "What would I do if I was faced with Romeo and Juliet's predicament?" By deciding whether or not you agree with the play's message, you'll gain insight into the meaning of true love. You will also get valuable insights into yourself and the impact that love has on you and the people in your life.

Begin your personal journey through Romeo and Juliet by thinking about these questions:

q What does the phrase being in love mean to you?

q What qualities do you have that would allow you to commit to a successful, loving relationship?

q What do you want to learn about the power of love from reading Romeo and Juliet?


Thinking About True Love

How can you tell whether what you feel toward someone special is really true love or just an intense crush? Ask yourself the following questions. Then use the chart below to record your ideas about how true love differs from an intense crush.

q How important is my loved one's looks? Personality? Intelligence? Sense of humor?

q How do I feel when I'm with my loved one?

q How do I feel when I'm apart from him or her?

q How does my loved one make me feel about myself?

q What do we have in common? Similar interests and goals? Are our values the same?

q Do I seek perfection in my loved one? Or do I accept my loved one's faults?

q Do I need my loved one's undivided attention? Do I get jealous?

q Can I see myself sharing a future life—including bad times and disappointments—with my loved one? How lasting is our relationship?

q Are my loved one's needs as important to me as my own? How strong is our commitment to each other?

If It's True Love If It's an Intense Crush

For Writing or Discussing

What is the best love story you have ever read or seen in the movies? What did you learn from this book or movie about the meaning of true love?


Discover What You Know About Duty to Family

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare presents love as a force that enables individuals to come to discover and define themselves. He thus sets the stage for a major conflict between personal fulfillment and filial duty—the responsibilities of sons and daughters to honor their parents' wishes. Explore what filial duty means by answering the questions below.

q What are some of the ways in which the important adults in your life expect you to act?

q How do you feel inside when their wishes and yours are not the same? How do you resolve the conflict?

Discover What You Know About Arranged Marriages

In modern American society, people usually choose their own spouses. In the world of Romeo and Juliet, marriages arranged by parents were the norm. Families used arranged marriages to increase family wealth or power.

q What do arranged marriages tell you about the importance of romantic love in a particular society?

q If you were a woman living in such a society, what do you think might happen if you disregarded your family's choice of mate and secretly married someone else? Why?

Making a Personal Response

If your family disapproved of your love for someone, how would you react? What would you do to preserve your relationship with the person you love and with your family?


Previewing Romeo and JulietThe book cover described below may not match the edition that you are using. However, any edition of the novel can be used as your guide to the activities on these pages.

Examine the front and back covers.

Do any clues in the picture tell you what the story may be about?

Who wrote the book? What do you know about this author?

What other information does the cover give you?

Imagine that you can listen in on an active reader's thoughts.

ACTIVE READER: The illustration on the cover reminds me of old paintings I've seen. I guess the clothing is from the time period of the play. Romeo and Juliet look like they really belong together. I like the way they touch each other. I sense a real bond between them. Nothing on the back cover tells me anything about the story. Maybe there's some background about the plot somewhere else in the book.

Reading Actively What else do you notice about the cover of the book?

Next look inside the book.

The active reader then looked through the front and the back of the book for anything that could tell about the plot. At the back, the active reader found a "Key to Famous Lines and Phrases" and skimmed the list for clues.

At the front of the book, the active reader found an introduction that told


something about the plot. Here is the opening paragraph.

Stop and think.

ACTIVE READER: From what I've read so far about the play, I think I'm going to like the story. But I'm puzzled as to why Romeo and Juliet didn't just run away so that they could be together. Or better yet, why couldn't they just tell their families to stop the feud and then announce that they want to be married? I guess I'm applying a modern point of view to their situation.

I'm not clear how the lovers die. If Juliet was only faking death by taking that potion, how does she really die? And how does Romeo die—in the blood feud?

Reading Actively What predictions can you make about the story based on the quotations and the paragraph you just read? How do you think the lovers will die?


Strategies for Active ReadingYou too can be an active reader. As you begin Romeo and Juliet, use these six simple strategies.

1. Apply prior knowledge.

Keep trying to connect your background knowledge and personal experience with the writer's viewpoint and experience.

2. Identify with the major characters.

Imagine yourself in the play. Think about how the characters' experiences and attitudes are like and unlike yours.

3. Interact with the playwright.

Respond to what the playwright seems to be conveying—laugh, be surprised, agree or disagree, become confused, feel sad—as you read.

4. Make predictions.

Keep thinking about what is going to happen. Check your predictions against the play and make new ones if you need to.

5. Use problem-solving strategies.

Reread a confusing sentence or passage if you have lost track of what the author is saying. Use other words on the page as clues to help you guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word. If you're still puzzled by something, be patient. Sometimes the problem will be resolved later in the play.

6. Call a time-out to collect your thoughts.

Pause occasionally to summarize the story and your reactions to it. Make new predictions or revise predictions that weren't correct.

Reading Actively Listen in to understand how an active reader makes use of these strategies. Then, in the margins, add your own comments, questions, and reflections about the text.


ACTIVE READER: TIME-OUT! Let me collect my thoughts.

Romeo and Juliet have fallen in love instantly. Does love at first sight really happen? Their reaction to learning each other's identity seems so drastic to me. Both of them can really say, "My only love sprung from my only hate!" They both seem very impulsive and impetuous, and now


they've created a big problem for themselves. I don't think Capulet would have been so nice to Romeo when he was leaving the ball if he knew that Romeo had been kissing his daughter. And what's going to happen with Count Paris, the man Juliet's family wants her to marry? In five short minutes, their lives have gone from zero complications to more than they ever expected.

I'm looking forward to reading the play.


In a paragraph, write a personal response to the passage from Romeo and Juliet you have just read. What does the passage lead you to think about? Someone you love? Disagreements between families? The quality of human relationships? The nature of love? Hatred in all its ugly forms? The twists of fate? Something else?

In your paragraph, be specific about what in the book caused your response. Give as many details from the passage and from your own experience as you can. Do this so that another person can understand where you're coming from.

Reading Actively How will their families react when they discover that Romeo and Juliet are in love? Why?


Vocabulary Focus: A Legacy of Words

Below are words that you will encounter in Romeo and Juliet or could use to discuss the book. Pay attention to the definitions and the example sentences. Then complete the activities on page 13.

Group 1: Words About Personality

forthright frank; going straight to the point. Capulet is a forthright man who speaks candidly and decisively.

impetuous capable of sudden action, emotion, or violence; brash; impulsive. Tybalt's impetuous nature makes him seem brash and prone to violence.

valiant brave; courageous; bold. The valiant young lovers demonstrated courage by secretly marrying.

impartial fair; unprejudiced; not biased. A person must be impartial to judge a dispute fairly.

treacherous untrustworthy; disloyal; deceptive. He is a treacherous person who should not be trusted with secrets.

judicious possessing sound judgment; cautious; shrewd. If Romeo is judicious, he will proceed with caution.

malicious hateful; vicious; spiteful. Her malicious nature leads her to hate many people who have never harmed her.

Group 2: Words About Hatred and Discord

vendetta blood feud; a prolonged feud marked by hostility. The vendetta between the Capulets and the Montaglies led to violence on the streets of Verona.

enmity deep-seated hatred; antagonism. Tybalt's enmity for the Montagues makes him a dangerous antagonist.

strife bitter conflict; heated, often violent, dissension. If the bitter conflict between the two families could be resolved, the strife would end.

grudge a feeling of deep resentment or ill will. Shakespeare never mentions the cause of the grudge that has made the Capulets and the Montagues mortal enemies.

vengeance an act of punishing another in payment for a wrong or an injury; retaliation. To retaliate for his insult, Tybalt sought vengeance


against Romeo.

adversary an opponent; an enemy. Though their families are sworn enemies, Romeo could never be Juliet's adversary.

rancor bitterness; hostility. Tybalt's hostility toward Romeo reveals his deep rancor with respect to all Montagues.

Group 3: Fighting Words

provoke to incite to anger or resentment; to stir to action. Will Tybalt provoke Romeo's anger and cause him to react with violence?

assail to attack with violent blows; to assault verbally. Tybalt is equally willing to assail his foes with words or violent blows.

impute to place blame often falsely or unjustly; to charge a person with fault. Tybalt has no right to impute Romeo's integrity without cause.

thwart to prevent; to stop; to hinder, to frustrate. Romeo and Juliet's families will try to thwart their goal of becoming married.

Group 4: Words for Moods or States of Being

anguish extreme physical or emotional pain; mental torment. The pain of separation caused them anguish.

melancholy sadness or depression; gloom. When tragic events occur, it is natural to experience melancholy.

solace comfort in sorrow or distress; consolation. Loved ones offer solace during times of distress.

humiliation the state of being disgraced or shamed. Their humiliation was caused by shame over their families' feud.

Group 5: Words About Fate

premonition an anticipation of an event without prior knowledge. Many people have feelings of foreboding that they think of as premonitions.

auspicious accompanied by favorable circumstances. They hoped the wedding would be an auspicious occasion for both troubled families.

ominous threatening evil. The silence was ominous, as if some evil lurked nearby.

portent something that foreshadows a coming event; an omen. Would the full moon be a good omen, a portent that something momentous was


to occur?


Using Vocabulary1. Complete the following chart to analyze the connotations of the words in Group 1. Use a plus or a minus sign to indicate whether or not each word could be used to describe the personality type printed at the head of each column. Use a question mark if you are unsure.

bully romantic hero leader con artistforthrightimpetuousvaliantimpartialtreacherousjudiciousmalicious

2. Complete the following analogies by using words from Groups 2, 3, and 5.

a. CONFLICT : STRIFE :: resentment :____________

b. ENCOURAGE : THWART :: honor : _____________

c. PRAISE : ASSAIL :: appease :______________

d. FOREWARNING : PREMONITION :: omen :____________

e. JOY : EXHILARATION :: sadness : _____________

f. RESENTMENT : HOSTILITY :: bitterness :_____________

3. Arrange the words in Group 4 so that they go in sequence from mildest to most intense.

__________-> __________-> __________-> __________

4. Match the words on the left with the examples or situations on the right.

_______ auspicious a. This type of hatred runs very deep._______ adversary b. None of your relatives are safe in this kind of feud._______ enmity c. Things are looking good._______ vengeance d. This person is not on your side._______ vendetta e. "I'll get back at you for what you did."


5. Think about what you know about Romeo from reading pages 8-10 in this guide. Do you think Romeo is impetuous? Explain your answer.


Act 1Enriching Your Appreciation Act 1 is filled with much bawdy, or suggestive, wordplay from the mouths of the young men of Verona and Juliet's earthy Nurse. Contrast it with the religious language Romeo uses when he speaks to Juliet.

During Reading

Preview these questions before you read Act 1. Then, as you read, write your responses after each one.

1. What does Prince Escalus threaten will happen if the street brawls between the Montagues and the Capulets occur again?

2. In Scene 1, what reason does Romeo give for his unhappiness?

3. In Scene 2, after Romeo reads the invitation, what does Benvolio suggest to Romeo? Why?

4. How does Juliet react to her mother's idea of marriage? What does Juliet agree to do?

5. After reading Mercutio's Queen Mab speech in Scene 4, what impression do you have of him?

6. Later, in Scene 4, why does Romeo say it is not a good idea to go to Capulet's feast? 7.

7. Describe Romeo's reaction when he first sees Juliet.

Reading Actively What one idea became most clear to you as you read Act 1?

Using Words in Context

The sentences below are based on descriptions in Act 1. Choose the best Vocabulary Focus word to complete each sentence. Look for context clues to help you.

1. Because the fair Rosaline had decided not to marry and have children, her beauty would not be passed on to ________________ .

2. Romeo thought that Rosaline's

Vocabulary Focus

Love and fate cross paths in Romeo and Juliet. Here are some words that Shakespeare uses to describe the impact of love and fate on his characters,

inconstant fickle; changeablelanguish to become weak prodigious extraordinary in size or amountexquisite of rare excellence; flawlessposterity future generations


____________ beauty made her superior to other women.

3. Benvolio chided the lovesick Romeo who continued to __________ in his longing for Rosaline.

4. Juliet found it rather extraordinary to feel such ____________ love for Romeo, her "loathed enemy."

5. Mercutio told Romeo that people's dreams were ____________, as variable as the winds.

Literary Analysis

Figurative Language Figurative language is writing or speech that is not meant to be interpreted literally. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses figurative language to create vivid word pictures and to intensify the characters' emotions. List examples of the following types of figurative language that you noticed in Act 1.

Metaphor Personification Simile


What struck you most deeply about the scene in which Romeo and Juliet fell in love? Explain why it affected you this way.


Act 2Enriching Your Appreciation A soliloquy is an intensely dramatic speech that Shakespeare uses to expose a character's innermost thoughts. Romeo's soliloquy, "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?" in Scene 2 is a good example. He speaks of Juliet's perfection and his deepest hope that she will return his love.

During Reading


1. In her "O Romeo, Romeo" soliloquy, why does Juliet say, "O, be some other name!"

2. Why is Juliet embarrassed when Romeo appears and speaks to her?

3. How will Juliet know that Romeo's love is honorable? Why does Friar Lawrence agree to help?

4. Mercutio says that Tybalt is "More than prince of cats." Why is Tybalt so dangerous?

5. In Scene 5, how do the actions of the Nurse add to the suspense?

6. In Scene 6, both Romeo and Friar Lawrence hint of future sorrows. Quote their statements.

7. Which lines best express Juliet's mood at the end of Scene 6?




1. When searching for Romeo, Mercutio made a(n)_____________ in Rosaline's name for Romeo to appear.

2. Juliet spoke of her devotion to Romeo

Vocabulary Focus

The bond between Romeo and Juliet continues to grow. Here are some words from Shakespeare's language of love.

exposition explanation intercession a plea on another'sbehalf; a mediation absolution forgiveness or pardon for sinsidolatry worship; devotion to something or someoneinvocation a conjuring or calling up of a spirit


and told him that he was the god of her __________ .

3. When Romeo sought the Friar's help, he explained that if his ____________ succeeded, it would benefit Juliet as well.

4. Friar Lawrence asked Romeo to speak plainly because he could not give __________ for a sin he did not understand.

5. The Nurse, Juliet's go-between with Romeo, humorously lost the thread of her_____________________________ .

Literary Analysis

Characterization Shakespeare develops characters indirectly. He provides clues by telling what a character says, thinks, or does and how other characters respond and react to that character. It is then up to you to infer each character's traits from the clues Shakespeare gives you.

Choose three characters and use the chart below to analyze them.

Character Clues Character Traits


At the end of Scene 3, Friar Lawrence tells Romeo, "Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast." Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement.


Act 3Enriching Your Appreciation A pun is a play on words that have double meanings. In Scene 1, notice the pun on grave in fun-loving Mercutio's words after Tybalt stabs him: "Ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man." Romeo and Juliet is full of puns, many of which are humorous or bawdy. Read pages xxii—xxiii of the introduction to Romeo and Juliet for an explanation of the serious puns in Act 3, Scene 5.

During Reading


1. What injuries does Tybalt mean when he asks Romeo to draw his sword? Quote Romeo's response.

2. What happens as a result of Romeo's refusal to accept Tybalt's challenge?

3. What is Juliet's reaction when the Nurse tells her what happened?

4. Why, in Scene 5, does Juliet not want night to end? How does Romeo convince Juliet that he should leave?

5. Describe Capulet's feelings when, in Scene 5, Juliet refuses to marry Paris.

6. Why is Juliet going to see the Friar? What else may she be planning?




1. Juliet loved the sound of Romeo's name and thought that anyone who said his name spoke with heavenly _______________ .

2. Friar Lawrence told Romeo that he

Vocabulary Focus

The lovers' woes increase after Tybalt's death. Here are some words that Shakespeare uses to express their joy and grief.

quibble a petty objectionperjury a violation of an oath or a promiseeloquence the ability to use words skillfullydiscourse communication; discussionlamentation mourning


would break his marriage vow and commit _________ if he ended his life.

3. The Friar advised that his ____________________ on leaving Verona would pale in comparison with his joy when he returned.

4. Romeo told Juliet that the sorrows of their present conversations would only make their future _______________________ sweeter.

5. Capulet dismissed Juliet's objections to marrying Count Paris as a ______________ with no basis in logic.

Literary Analysis

Conflict Conflict helps build the dramatic intensity of a play. Work with a partner and discuss the different conflicts in Romeo and Juliet. Use a chart like the one below to organize your thoughts. Include references to specific scenes. Then agree on which conflict you think is most important.

Between the main characters and other

characters

Between the main characters and an

outside force

Inner conflicts


Do you think Romeo's and Juliet's youth and innocence work in their favor? Explain your answer.


Act 4Enriching Your Appreciation Comic relief gives the audience a release from dramatic tension as it underscores the seriousness of the main action. The musicians' scene at the end of Act 4 is both humorous and macabre. They jest about playing for the mourners rather than for the wedding guests as Juliet lies on her bed apparently dead.

During Reading


1. How does Juliet convince Friar Lawrence that she is serious about not wanting to marry Paris?

2. Briefly state the Friar's plan and explain why he is willing to become involved.

3. Quote a line from Juliet's soliloquy in Scene 3 that foreshadows her death.

4. Name three of Juliet's fears as she considers taking the potion.

5. How does Scene 3 end?

6. Explain the humor and the irony in the scene in which the Nurse discovers Juliet's body.

7. What solace does the Friar offer the Capulets as Scene 5 ends?




1. Count Paris told Friar Lawrence that Juliet's tears resulted from a(n) __________ of grief at her cousin Tybalt's death.

2. Juliet sought _____________ from the

Vocabulary Focus

In Act 4, the characters' thoughts, feelings, and actions propel the plot to its climax. Here are some words that Shakespeare uses to create mood and suspense.

behest a request or a biddingdistraught crazed; madresolve firmness of purpose; determinationinundation overflowing; floodingcounsel advice or guidance from a knowledgeable person


Friar, hoping that he could help her find a "remedy" to prevent her marriage to Paris.

3. Friar Lawrence gave Juliet the potion and told her to be firm in purpose and not let her _________ fail her.

4. When she returned from Friar Lawrence's cell, Juliet told her father that, at his _________, she would marry Paris.

5. Juliet feared becoming ______________ and losing her sanity if she should awaken all alone in the tomb.

Literary Analysis

Humor Most people think of tragedies as dark and somber plays. In contrast, Romeo and Juliet contains many humorous situations that Shakespeare uses to set a mood, to develop the plot, or to flesh out characters. In the chart below, cite an example of a humorous situation in each of the first four acts and explain how it contributes to Shakespeare's dramatic purpose.

Act 1 Act 3

Act 2 Act 4


Do you think that Juliet did the right thing by taking the potion? What would you have done in her place? Why?


Act 5Enriching Your Appreciation The pestilence—perhaps the highly infectious bubonic plague—that prevents Friar John from delivering Friar Lawrence's letter to Romeo causes one of a number of accidents in timing that occur in Act 5. Decide if these accidentsmake Romeo and Juliet victims of fate rather than tragic figures who meet theirsad end because of excessive impulsiveness or some other serious character flaw.

During Reading


1. Why does Romeo visit an apothecary?

2. What important information does Romeo lack because he has not received Friar Lawrence's letter? What new plan does Friar Lawrence devise?

3. What happens as Romeo tries to enter Juliet's tomb?

4. In his farewell speech to Juliet in Scene 3, what clue that Juliet is not actually dead does Romeo miss?

5. What purpose does Romeo's letter to his father serve?

6. What legacy do Romeo and Juliet leave to their families?




1. Romeo saw the apothecary's __________ and hinted that he could make some money by selling Romeo poison.

2. Friar John's traveling companion

Vocabulary Focus

Two moving death scenes bring the final act of Romeo and Juliet to a close. Shakespeare uses these words to relate the culminating events.

ambiguity doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaningobsequies funeral ceremoniesinexorable unstoppablepestilence a deadly epidemic diseasepenury extreme poverty


might have been exposed to the ______________ when he was visiting the sick.

3. In his grief, Paris promised to keep nightly _______________ by scattering flowers and weeping on Juliet's grave.

4. When Juliet saw that Romeo was dead, a(n) ___________ urge to join him in death over-came her.

5. The events leading up to the deaths were cloaked in uncertainty until Romeo's letter laid to rest all _____________________

Literary Analysis

Resolution At the resolution of a literary work, the central conflict is ended, and the story draws to a close. Write a paragraph about how the central conflict in Romeo and Juliet is resolved. Explain whether or not you feel satisfied with the ending of the play.


What words of solace would you offer the families of Romeo and Juliet? What advice would you give the Capulets and the Montagues about maintaining their newfound peace and understanding?


Bringing It All TogetherReflecting on What You Read

Before going farther, spend a few minutes thinking about the following questions. Write your responses below.

q What advice about love do you think William Shakespeare would give a young person today? Would you accept or reject his advice? Why?

q How have others in your class caused you to change the way you think about the play or the issues it raises?

q What ideas has reading Romeo and Juliet made you feel more strongly about?

Analyzing What You Read

Reread your answers to the Making a Personal Response questions about Romeo and Juliet. Then use these responses and your knowledge of the plot, characters, and theme to answer the following question:

In his portrayal of thwarted young love, what is William Shakespeare telling us in Romeo and Juliet about the power of love to transform individuals and about the potential of hate to destroy lives?

Answer the question in detail on a separate sheet of paper. Include quotations. Make references to specific scenes in the novel to prove your point. Use the frame below to begin gathering information.

Important quotations Scenes that prove my point

Working with a Group

Here are some projects that you and your classmates can undertake.

Conduct a seminar about William Shakespeare's life and work.

q Read one of Shakespeare's narrative poems, such as Venus and Adonis, or several of his love sonnets. Write a report and share it with the class.


q Read and report on biographical information about William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon. Two excellent biographies are F. E. Halliday's The Life of Shakespeare and Marchette Chute's Shakespeare of London.

q Do research and write a report on Shakespearean theater and the publication of the playwright's dramatic works.

Conduct a symposium about literary works that relate to the theme of love and the impact that it has on our lives.

q Read and report on West Side Story, the musical play set in New York City, which is a modernization of the Romeo and Juliet story. The movie version is available on videotape.

q View a videotape of director Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 movie Romeo and Juliet, which stars two teenagers in the lead roles. Compare his interpretation of the play with yours.

q Do a dramatic reading of love poems by William Butler Yeats and other modern poets.

q Read and critique one of the many popular self-help books on love. Focus on what you think Shakespeare would have said about the advice offered in the book.

q In many cultures, parents arrange marriages for their sons and daughters. Research this topic and report your findings to the class.


Literature Double-Passage Questions


1. What does Maria mean when she says (line 33), "But it's not us! It's everything around us!"?

(A) Fate threatens their love.

(B) Their love threatens others.


(C) The whole society is the cause of these problems.

(D) No one is on their side.

(E) Love cannot thrive if they stay.

2. In line 12, Tony acknowledges

(A) that Bernardo was to blame

(B) why he killed Bernardo

(C) that he reacted in self-defense

(D) that Bernardo's death was planned

(E) why Bernardo killed Riff

3. The word together in line 3 means

(A) intact

(B) united

(C) compact

(D) emotionally stable

(E) well organized

4. Which statement best explains why Tony wants to take Maria "far far away" (line 38)?

(A) He will be arrested for murder.

(B) He is afraid he will be killed.

(C) He fears he will lose Maria.

(D) He has always wanted to travel.

(E) He wants them to be free to love.

5. It can be inferred from the content and tone of Passage A that

(A) an act of violence may kill their chance to be together

(B) their love was ill-fated from the start


(C) Tony and Maria can never be free to love

(D) "somewhere" exists only as a dream

(E) all of the above

6. Which statement best explains why Juliet calls herself "a beast . . . to chide at him!" (line 75)?

(A) She feels guilty because she knows how good and honorable he is.

(B) She feels that he has betrayed their love.

(C) She feels that she must defend him in front of the Nurse.

(D) She loves him even though he is a villain.

(E) She is ashamed of her love for Romeo.

7. In Passage B, the word "dissemblers" (line 65) means

(A) look-alikes

(B) deceivers

(C) destroyers

(D) villains

(E) flatterers

8. The words "Was ever book containing such vile matter/So fairly bound?" (lines 60-61) express

(A) Juliet's mistake in falling in love with Romeo's physical charms

(B) Juliet's anger over being scorned

(C) Juliet's admission that she is not the person Romeo thought she was

(D) Juliet's momentary belief that she had misread Romeo's true nature

(E) Juliet's doubts about Romeo's love for her

9. Which statement is best supported by a comparison of the two passages?

(A) Women fall in love with villains.


(B) Men cannot be trusted to act with restraint.

(C) Love cannot thrive in a climate of hatred and violence.

(D) Outside factors have no influence over the course of love.

(E) Love is subject to the whims of chance.


Sentence Completions

Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five lettered words or pairs of words. Choose the word or set of words that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Example:

In her business dealings, she is always - - - -, never evasive, and has earned a reputation as a leader of character.

(A) eloquent

(B) forthright

(C) ominous

(D) treacherous

(E) impetuous

[Correct Answer (B)]

1. After the bitter conflict had ended, the citizens were thankful that the - - - - was finally over.

(A) quibble

(B) portent

(C) strife

(D) discourse

(E) exposition

2. When the harsh theater critic dislikes a play, not only does he - - - - the producers, he also writes - - - - comments about the director and the actors.

(A) thwart .. distraught

(B) languish .. humiliating

(C) provoke .. vengeful

(D) impute .. ambiguous


(E) assail .. malicious

3. If you need legal advice, you should seek the - - - - of a reputable attorney; for consolation, seek - - - - from friends and family.

(A) behest .. posterity

(B) absolution .. lamentation

(C) vengeance . . rancor

(D) counsel .. solace

(E) invocation .. ambiguity

4. The family is destitute and homeless and must receive public assistance to find relief from - - - -.

(A) penury

(B) pestilence

(C) asperity

(D) perjury

(E) enmity


Analogies

Each question below consists of a related pair of words or phrases, followed by five lettered pairs of words or phrases. Select the lettered pair that best expresses a relationship similar to that expressed in the original pair.

Example:

MELODY : SONG ::

(A) architect : building

(B) legend : map

(C) humor : joke

(D) poem : rhyme

(E) tongue : speak

[Correct Answer (C)]

1. RESOLVE : DETERMINATION ::

(A) enmity : antagonism

(B) challenge : weakness

(C) heredity : posterity

(D) absolution : sin

(E) discourse : quibble

2. JUDICIOUS : CAUTION ::

(A) spite : malicious

(B) foreboding : premonition

(C) shameful : humiliation

(D) impartial : bias

(E) distraught : agitation

3. AMBIGUITY : CERTAINTY ::


(A) exposition : discourse

(B) lamentation : grief

(C) perjury : truth

(D) eloquence : speech

(E) pestilence : disease

4. OMINOUS : AUSPICIOUS ::

(A) impulsive : impetuous

(B) valiant : bold

(C) exquisite : flawless

(D) inexorable : yielding

(E) prodigious : extraordinary


The Revision-in-Context Questions

Questions 1-5 are based on a passage that is one student's early draft of an essay. Because the passage is an early draft, some sentences need to be rewritten to make the ideas clearer and more precise.

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow it. Some of the questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to make decisions about sentence structure, diction, and usage. Some of the questions refer to the entire essay or parts of the essay and ask you to make decisions about organization, development, appropriateness of language, audience, and logic. In each case, choose the answer that most effectively makes the intended meaning clear and follows the requirements of standard written English. After you have cho-sen your answer, fill in the corresponding space on your answer sheet.

(1) The healing capacity of love is as underestimated as the destructive power of hate. (2) Studies show that love has healing powers because it affirms life, just as hate has destructive powers because it negates life. (3) The experience of loving and being loved gives individuals a reason to embrace all that life has to offer.

(4) At all stages of life, human beings require love, and plants and animals also require love. (5) The reasons are varied and include the following. (6) Love nurtures and sustains all living things. (7) It helps us shape our identity. (8) If we are hurt, it reinforces our will to live. (9) Conversely, interest in living diminishes when love is absent. (10) The primary reason is because without somebody to love or be loved by, people retreat into an unhealthy state of withdrawal.

(11) The literature of the social and medical sciences abounds with case studies of love's profound powers of healing. (12) People with cancer are more likely to be long-term survivors if they are supported by loving families and friends. (13) Individuals who suffer from psychological disorders can weather crises knowing that they are loved and understood. (14) In addition, love combined with patience can heal the deep scars of child abuse and emotional neglect, allowing the victims to love and trust again. (15) Love is truly the gift of life.

(Sentence Structure)

1. Which of the following is the best revision of sentence 4?

(A) At all stages of life, human beings require love, and animals and plants also do.

(B) At all stages of life, human beings (and also animals and plants) require love.


(C) At all stages of life, human beings and animals and plants also do, require love.

(D) At all stages of life, human beings, plants, and animals require love.

(E) At all stages of life, human beings and animals and plants also do require love.

(Sentence Combining)

2. Which of the following is the best way to combine sentences 6, 7, and 8?

(A) Love helps us shape our identity, and if we are hurt, it reinforces and nurtures and sustains all living things' will to live.

(B) Love nurtures and sustains all living things; it helps us shape our identity; if we are hurt, it reinforces our will to live.

(C) Love nurtures and sustains and shapes the identity of all living things and reinforces our will to live hurt.

(D) Love nurtures and sustains all living things, and it helps us shape our identity if we are hurt, and it reinforces our will to live.

(E) Love nurtures and sustains all living things, helps us shape our identity, and reinforces our will to live if we are hurt.

(Usage)

3. Which of the following is the best revision of sentence 10?

(A) Due to the fact that they are without somebody to love or be loved by, people retreat into an unhealthy state of withdrawal.

(B) Without somebody to love or be loved by is the primary reason why people retreat into an unhealthy state of withdrawal.

(C) The primary reason is that people without somebody to love or be loved by retreat into an unhealthy state of withdrawal.

(D) The primary reason is people who retreat into an unhealthy state of withdrawal are without somebody to love or be loved by.

(E) The primary reason is that people are without somebody to love or be loved by and retreat into an unhealthy state of withdrawal.

(Passage Organization)


4. In relation to the passage as a whole, which of the following best describes the writer's intention in the third paragraph?

(A) To discuss love's healing powers

(B) To reinforce the idea that love heals

(C) To summarize the essay's intent

(D) To set forth the need for love

(E) To equate life with love

(Paragraph Coherence)

5. Which of the following is the best transition word or phrase to add to sentence 12?

(A) For example,

(B) Therefore,

(C) Also,

(D) Notwithstanding,

(E) Furthermore,

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