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SECTION 2 40 Questions Read each passage carefully and then answer the questions about it. For each question, decide on the basis of the passage which one of the choices best answers the question. When I was a boy, there was one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi River. That was, to be a steamboat-man. We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient. When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we loved and were good., God would permit us to be pirates. These ambitions faded out, each in its turn; but the ambition to be a steamboat-man always remained. From Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain The author’s intent in this passage is to A explain how he chose his adult profession B describe the life of a steamboat-man C convey some of his childhood aspirations D compare the merits of several different occupations E present a social history of the Mississippi According to the passage, the author considered all of the following as possible careers EXCETP A steamboat-man B clown C minstrel D writer E pirate As it is used in line 3,the word “transient” means A appealing B relative C short-lived D disastrous E equal The author most likely uses the phrase “ all burning to become clowns” in order to A provide an example of the boys’ fleeting ambitions B illustrate the lack of cultural life in Mississippi. C encourage his readers to follow similar career paths D clarify why the boys all wanted to be steamboat-men E show the kind of people that traveled on steamboats Which of the following best describes the effect of the phrase “if we loved and were good, God would permit us to be pirates”? A Pathos B Humor C Exaggeration D Mockery E Rhyme The attitude of the author toward the subject is A nostalgic B regretful C optimistic D