GED Practice Quiz

Directions:

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Questions 1 through 5 refer to the following excerpt from a play.

SHOULD THE PUBLIC BATHS BE CLOSED?
MAYOR.
Was it necessary to make all these investigations behind my back?

DR. STOCKMANN.
Yes, because until I was absolutely certain about it—

MAYOR.
Then you mean that you are absolutely certain now?

DR. STOCKMANN.
Surely you are convinced of that.

MAYOR.
Is it your intention to bring this document before the Baths Committee as a sort of official communication?

DR. STOCKMANN.
Certainly. Something must be done in the matter—and that quickly.

MAYOR.
As usual, you employ violent expressions in your report. You say, among other things, that what we offer visitors in our Baths is a permanent supply of poison.

DR. STOCKMANN.
Well, can you describe it any other way, Peter? Just think—water that is poisonous whether you drink it or bathe in it! And this we offer to the poor sick folk who come to us trustfully and pay us at an exorbitant rate to be made well again!

MAYOR.
And your reasoning leads you to this conclusion, that we must build a sewer to draw off the alleged impurities from Molledal and must relay the water conduits.

DR. STOCKMANN.
Yes. Do you see any other way out of it? I don't.

MAYOR.
I made a pretext this morning to go and see the town engineer, and, as if only half seriously, broached the subject of these proposals as a thing we might perhaps have to take under consideration some time later on.

DR. STOCKMANN.
Some time later on!

MAYOR.
He smiled at what he considered to be my extravagance, naturally. Have you taken the trouble to consider what your proposed alterations would cost? According to the information I obtained, the expenses would probably mount up to fifteen or twenty thousand pounds.

DR. STOCKMANN.
Would it cost so much?

MAYOR.
Yes, and the worst part of it would be that the work would take at least two years.

DR. STOCKMANN.
Two years? Two whole years?

MAYOR.
At least. And what are we to do with the Baths in the meantime? Close them? Indeed we should be obliged to. And do you suppose anyone would come near the place after it had got out that the water was dangerous?

DR. STOCKMANN.
Yes, but, Peter, that is what it is.

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People, 1882. Translated by Robert Farquharson Sharp.

1		What is the mayor’s highest priority for the Baths? They should
			A)	contain pure water
			B)	be inspected by the town engineer
			C)	be improved in the future
			D)	remain open to draw visitors
			E)	have the poison removed
2		Why are the Baths of such great importance to the mayor? The mayor
			A)	is responsible for the economy of Molledal
			B)	has several thousand pounds invested in them
			C)	is committed to improving Molledal’s health care system
			D)	uses them himself for his own good health
			E)	believes they are a good place to conduce scientific investigations
3		Which of the following statements best summarizes the mayor’s attitude toward the problem of the Baths?
			A)	Honesty is the best policy.
			B)	The love of money is the root of all evil.
			C)	Cleanliness is next to godliness.
			D)	All that glitters is not gold.
			E)	Money makes the world go round.
4		How would an actor playing Dr. Stockmann probably say, "Some time later on!" (his sixth line)?
			A)	sarcastically
			B)	hopefully
			C)	with resignation
			D)	timidly
			E)	with astonishment
5		In having to decide whether to close the Baths, the mayor is most like which of the following people?
			A)	an auto company executive who must decide whether to recall thousands of cars with bad brakes
			B)	the president of a drug company who must decide whether to spend $1 million on research for a new product
			C)	a real estate developer who must decide whether to invest in commercial or in residential properties
			D)	an employer who must decide whether to grant salary increases to her employees
			E)	a political candidate who must decide whether to reveal an embarrassing fact about her past to the voters

Questions 6 through 10 refer to the following excerpt from a play.

WHAT WILL ROBERT DECIDE TO DO?
ROBERT.
Are you so sure you want to marry me?

HESTER.
How can I be—now?

ROBERT.
Marriage is such a serious thing. You don’t realize how serious.

HESTER.
Don’t I?

ROBERT.
No. . . . I hope you won’t think harshly of me. . . . And, mind you, I haven’t said I wanted to break things off. . . . I only want . . .

HESTER.
Please, Rob!

ROBERT.
No. You’ve got to hear me out.

HESTER.
I’ve heard enough, thank you!

ROBERT.
I’m only trying to look at this thing . . .

HESTER.
Seriously . . . I know . . .

ROBERT.
Because, after all, the happiness of three people is affected by it.

HESTER.
Three?

ROBERT.
As Mother said, before dinner.

HESTER.
So you talked this over with your mother?

ROBERT.
Isn’t that natural?

HESTER.
Is your mother the third?

ROBERT.
Wouldn’t she be?

HESTER.
Yes, I suppose she would. . . . I think you might tell me what else she had to say.

ROBERT.
It was all wise and kind. You may be as hard as you like on me, but you mustn’t be hard on poor splendid lonely Mother.

HESTER.
(savage—under her breath) So she’s lonely, too!

Sidney Howard, The Silver Cord, 1926

6		What is the main topic of the excerpt?
			A)	what an ideal marriage is like
			B)	when Robert and Hester should be married
			C)	whether Robert and Hester should be married
			D)	the state of Robert and Hester’s marriage
			E)	what makes people happy
7		How can Robert’s feelings about his mother best be described?
			A)	scornful
			B)	devoted
			C)	pitying
			D)	angry
			E)	fearful
8		Which of the following is probably true of Robert’s mother?
			A)	She hates Hester.
			B)	She is trying to discourage her son from marring Hester.
			C)	She wants to be included in the wedding plans.
			D)	She is eager for Robert to marry.
			E)	She is opposed to marriage.
9		What is the main effect of Hester’s last line and stage direction?
			A)	It gives important information about Robert’s mother.
			B)	It reveals the reason for Robert’s concern about his mother.
			C)	It reveals Hester’s attitude toward Robert’s mother.
			D)	It suggests the engagement will be broken off.
			E)	It shows Hester’s insecurity.
10		If Robert had a problem, what would he most likely do?
			A)	get professional counseling
			B)	ask Hester what he should do
			C)	refuse to talk to anyone about it
			D)	laugh at it
			E)	go to his mother for advice