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ACT Reading Prose Fiction Drill 1, Problem 1. Which of the following best describes the overall purpose of this passage?
Prose Fiction Drill 1.10. Which of the following best describes the narrator's attitude toward his father?
ACT Reading Prose Fiction Drill 1, Problem 2. Which of the following statements about the circumstances of the narrator's birth is not true?
ACT Reading 1.1 Humanities Passage 548 Views
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ACT Reading: Humanities Passage Drill 1, Problem 1. Which of the following best describes the main purpose of this passage?
Transcript
- 00:03
Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by Hamlet. A great name for Danish Princes,
- 00:08
as well as miniature pigs.
- 00:19
Which of the following best describes the main purpose of this passage?
- 00:27
Okay, so to figure out the main point of these things, we sometimes have to take a glance
- 00:30
at the possible answer choices first...
Full Transcript
- 00:32
...then go back and reread the passage again.
- 00:34
Trust us, there's no shame in doing a little rereading.
- 00:37
How's answer A look? Well, Hamlet is mentioned, but it isn't the main focus of the passage.
- 00:42
Professor Bradley has bigger fish to fry than the emo Prince of Denmark.
- 00:46
The passage does compare Shakespeare's romantic comedies to his tragedies, but again, it's
- 00:50
only one point among many. So B's a "no." The passage doesn't argue that Macbeth is
- 00:55
more complex than Julius Caesar, just that it's different...
- 00:58
...which is kind of a no-brainer considering one is set in Scotland and includes witches
- 01:02
and the other is a historical drama about the birth of the Roman Empire.
- 01:06
Out, damned answer choice...
- 01:09
Choice B? Ah...here we are. Professor Bradley's main purpose is to show off just how much
- 01:14
he knows about the evolution of Shakespeare's tragedies.
- 01:16
A subject with which he may be unhealthily obsessed.
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