BARRON’S PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR THE TOEFL (READING) EXERCISE 59: Narration/Sequence – Arts/Architecture

BARRON’S PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR THE TOEFL (READING)

EXERCISE 59: Narration/Sequence – Arts/Architecture

In some questions in the Reading Section on the Paper-Based TOEFL or the Computer-Based TOEFL, you will be asked to recall and relate information and content from narration or sequence passages in various fields of study. Choose the best answer for multiple-choice questions.

Eugene O'Neill

Universally acclaimed as America's greatest playwright, Eugene O'Neill was born in 1888 in the heart of the theater district in New York City. As the son of an actor he had early exposure to the world Line of the theater. He attended Princeton University briefly in 1906, but returned to New York to work in a variety of jobs before joining the crew of a freighter as a seaman. Upon returning from voyages to South Africa and South America, he was hospitalized for six months to recuperate from tuberculosis. While he was recovering, he determined to write a play about his adventures on the sea. He went to Harvard, where he wrote the one-act Bound East for Cardiff It was produced in 1916 on Cape Cod by the Provincetown Players, an experimental theater group that was later to settle in the famous Greenwich Village theater district in New York City. The Players produced several more of his one-acts in the years between 1916-1920. With the full-length play Beyond the Horizon, produced on Broadway in 1920, O'Neill's success was assured. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for the best play of the year. O'Neill was to be awarded the prize again in 1922, 1928, and 1957 for Anna Christie, Strange Interlude, and Long Day's Journey Into Night. Although he did not receive the Pulitzer Prize for it, Mourning Becomes Electra, produced in 1931, is arguably his most lasting contribution to the American theater. In 1936, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. O'Neill's plays, forty-five in all, cover a wide range of dramatic subjects, but several themes emerge, including the ambivalence of family relationships, the struggle between the sexes, the conflict between spiritual and material desires, and the vision of modem man as a victim of uncontrollable circumstances. Most of O'Neill's characters are seeking meaning in their lives. According to his biographers, most of the characters were portraits of himself and his family. In a sense, his work chronicled his life.

1	This passage is a summary of O' Neill's A.      work B.       life C.      work and life D.      family	6	Where in the passage does the author indicate the reason for O' Neill's hospitalization? A.      Lines 3—4 B.       Lines 6-8 C.      Lines 10-13 D.      Lines 16-19
2	How many times was O' Neill awarded the Pulitzer Prize? A.      One B.       Three C.       Four D.      Five	7	What does the author mean by the statement in lines 29-3 1: "According to his biographers, most of the characters were portraits of himself and his family"? A.      He used his family and his own experiences in his plays. B.       His biography contained stories about him and his family. C.       He had paintings of himself and members of his family. D.      His biographers took pictures of him with his family.
3	The word "briefly" in line 4 is closest in meaning to A.      seriously B.       for a short time C.       on scholarship D.      without enthusiasm	8	According to the passage, which of O' Neill's plays was most important to the American theater? A.       Anna Christie B.       Beyond the Horizon C.       Long Day's Journey Into Night D.      Mourning Becomes Electra
4	The word "struggle" in line 26 is closest in meaning to A.      influence B.       conflict C.       appreciation D.      denial	9	The author mentions all of the following as themes for O'Neill's plays EXCEPT A.      life in college B.       adventures at sea C.       family life D.      relationships between men and women
5	The word "it" in line 20 refers to A.      Harvard B.       one-act play C.       theater group D.      theater district	10	We can infer from information in the passage that O' Neill's plays were no A.      controversial B.       autobiographical C.       optimistic D.      popular

ANSWER KEY

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
C	C	B	B	B	B	A	D	A	C

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