Read the following and do the succeeding exercises and questions.

Tony’s Place is crammed into a tiny building next to the Fine Arts Theater. The owners offer a menu of
Italian food. They’ve got the checkered table clothes, dim lights, and crusty bread. They also know how
to make a hearty red sauce. Too bad they use it to drown delicate fish. They also seem to lace everything
with truckloads of garlic.

The service needs some work, too. Our waiter didn’t know what the specials were. Nor did he think to
refill our water glasses before we asked. With a combination of fake-friendly chatter and outright
nagging, he made us order, finish up, and clear out. He seemed to see us only as automatic tip machines.
The food and low prices bring the customers in the door. The service should not push them out.

1. The tone of the passage is

a. sad. b. boastful
c. plain and factual. d. critical, or finds fault.
2. The writer says, “He seemed to see us only as automatic tip machines.” The tone of this sentence is
a. very serious. b. threatening.
c. sympathetic. d. sarcastic.
3. The writer’s main purpose is to
a. inform the reader. b. caution and entertain the reader.
c. flatter the reader. d. sell something to the reader.
4. In which sentence does the author use exaggeration to make a point about the food?
a. The owners offer a menu of Italian food.
b. They also know how to make a hearty red sauce.
c. They also seem to lace everything with truckloads of garlic.
d. The food and low prices bring the customers in the door.

Choose the tone word from the box that best describes each item.

a. sympathetic b. straightforward e. irritated

c. sad d. sarcastic f. threatening

___5. “Please note in your checkbook how much money you spent using your ATM card today.”
___6. “Hey, lay off, you don’t have to nag me. I was going to do it anyway!”
___7. “When are you going to take the garbage out? Sometime this year, maybe?”
___8. “I know it’s been hard. And I appreciate all you are going through right now. If you will just put
the receipts on the counter, I will take care of the paperwork for you.”

Identify the author’s purpose for the following items.

I = to inform P = to persuade E = to entertain

9. ___Cloning human beings should be banned.

10. ___The best way to survive babysitting a set of triplets is to come armed with plenty of energy, lots
of patience, and a first-aid kit.

11. What does the author most likely want to convey through the use of the phrase “ready consent to
terms and a couple of coins flung upon the table"?
 A. The stranger's lack of manners and thoughtfulness.
B. The stranger's desire to quickly get to his room.
C. The stranger's greediness in bartering.
D. The stranger's discomfort.
12. What tone is the author most likely trying to convey with the sentence, "It is a truth universally
acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."
                A. satiric               B. scornful
                C. reproachful D. weary

Circle the letter of the word that most clearly expresses the tone in each passage. If you are unfamiliar
with any of the words, look them up before you select the correct answer.

13. Often you feel you’ve done nothing when you’ve actually done a lot. That’s
because what you did do seemed beneath notice—it was so small that it
didn’t “count.” But it did—just as each stitch counts toward a finished dress,
each brick or nail toward a house you can live in, each mistake toward
knowing how to do things right.
a. hesitant b. encouraging c. amused
14. A vaccine is a preparation of killed or weakened germs that is injected under
the skin and causes the blood to produce antibodies against the disease.
Effective vaccines, for instance, have been developed for small pox, rabies,
and polio.
a. objective b. arrogant c. regretful
15. We have come together this afternoon to mourn the deaths of sixteen
miners—our friends and neighbors—who were trapped by fire yesterday,
deep below the earth. They lived bravely and they died too soon, leaving
behind grieving wives and bewildered children. We bid them a final farewell.
a. forgiving b. sorrowful c. angry
16. Why do these things always happen to me?, Brad wondered. First I forget an
important meeting, and nobody reminds me until it’s over. Then my boss
dumps a big project on my desk and wants it done by yesterday. And to top
everything off, I leave my wallet on the bus.
a. comic b. self-pitying c. optimistic
17. Each year in the middle of February, when slush is underfoot and the sky is a
depressing gray, I begin dreaming of warm beaches, tropical fruits and
sunsets. If only I could save enough for a winter vacation! Maybe next year
I’ll win the lottery. Meanwhile, I’ll read travel brochures and sigh.
a. unsure b. joyous c. longing
18. We are seriously failing our nation’s teenagers when it comes to education
concerning AIDS. Somehow we must convince them, without delay, that this
terrible illness can happen to them, not just too isolated groups in big cities.
Let’s give them the information they need to protect themselves—before it’s
too late.
a. impassioned b. mocking c. ironic
19. What’s the matter with those idiots in the city council? First they pass new
parking regulations saying we can’t park our cars in front of our own houses
without a special permit. Now they’ve gone and slapped another tax on gas
purchase—just to widen a road that’s already wide enough. Anyway, nobody
enjoys the traffic delays resulting from road construction. The sooner we
vote those incompetents out, the better off we’ll all be.
a. objective b. angry c. surprised
20. Yet another public figure has come forward to announce he has signed into
an addiction-treatment center to deal with his alcohol problems. Reports say
he has shown courage and honesty. Perhaps so, but what it really takes to
enter a treatment center is money. What about the poor man, like my father,
who may also have a drinking problem—and courage—but who doesn’t
happen to have $500.00 a day for a fancy rest home?
a. bitter b. revengeful c. sentimental

Match each definition with the correct term.

______1. malicious A. expressing unbelief.
______2. abstruse B. showing lack of respect or reverence.
______3. arrogant C. angry because of something unfair or unjust.
______4. indignant D. intending revenge.
______5. earnest E. having sympathy for the problems of others.
______6. impassioned F. polite or obedient from fear or the hope of gain.
______7. incredulous G. showing hatred, spite or ill will.
______8. evasive H. having a serious state of mind.
______9. reticent I. expressing one thing and meaning the opposite.
______10. apathetic J. having or showing little emotion or interest.
______11. ambivalent K. overbearing or having a feeling of superiority.
______12. irreverent L. showing great warmth or intensity of feelings
______13. condescending M. sentimental wish to return to a past time or condition.
______14. compassionate N. having a tendency to avoid or escape from an issue or
situation.
______15. nostalgic O. having a simultaneous attraction to and repulsion from an
idea.
______16. absurd P. dropping to a less formal or dignified level, or assuming an air
or superiority.
______17. vindictive Q. difficult to understand.
______18. obsequious R. having a gloomy view or life.
______19. ironic S. inclined to be silent or secretive.
______20. pessimistic T. ridiculous and unreasonable.

1. D 2. D 3. B 4. C 5. B 6. E 7. D. 8. A 9. P 10. E 11. B 12. A