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ACT Reading 2.9 Prose Fiction 183 Views


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Description:

ACT Reading 2.9 Prose Fiction. Based on its context in the passage, which of the following words would be the best replacement for "immolation"?

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:03

Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by ritual sacrifice. It's good when... certain

00:08

things do go out of style.

00:24

Based on its context in the passage, which of the following words would be the best replacement

00:29

for "immolation" in line 16?

00:39

We know by now that the narrator means Fortunato nothing but harm.

00:44

So the first thing we can do is get rid of any choices that have a positive context.

00:49

This makes "happiness" easy to eliminate.

00:51

There's no way the narrator wants Fortunato to experience even the least bit of joy.

00:57

"Creation" sounds too positive as well, and it doesn't really make any sense in

01:01

the sentence.

01:02

How would the narrator be hiding "creation" behind his smile? Choice (D) is off the list.

01:08

The narrator's therapist might tell him that getting revenge on Fortunato is a way

01:11

of exerting power over him.

01:13

However, the context of the sentence tells us that the narrator is imagining Forunato's

01:15

immolation, not his own.

01:15

We can't imagine any situation where the narrator would want to give his enemy power,

01:20

so we can nix choice (B).

01:21

The word "immolation" actually means to kill someone as a sacrifice, especially by burning

01:30

them to death.

01:30

However, the narrator is using this term metaphorically. He doesn't necessarily want to set fire to

01:36

Fortunato; he wants revenge.

01:42

Answer (A) is the correct choice.

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