Reading Comprehension
Apr. 11th, 2017 07:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sadoeuphemistPlease read the following text and then answer the questions below:
QUESTIONS: (Please pick the best answer)
1) What does the writer mean when they say "writing and being read is impossible"?
2) Why does the writer put the word "self" in quotation marks? 3) The writer says they are "not ready to share with anyone". What literary device is employed by you reading these words regardless?
4) What does the writer mean when they say that they "fear intimacy"?
5) Do you understand what the writer is saying?
8) Wouldn't the "best answer" always be some variation of E, as it's always possible to clarify and expand upon one of the other four answers?
9) What, exactly, is "the horrifying thing about writing"?
10) How would the writer most likely feel about you trying to interpret what this piece means?
I'm pretty sure writing is impossible.
I'm pretty sure writing and being read is impossible.
Writing involves the formation of a "self" that I'm not ready to share with anyone; that's how much I fear intimacy.
The horrifying thing about writing is that no one ever understands what you're saying.
They only ever understand how they feel about what you wrote.
I'm pretty sure writing and being read is impossible.
Writing involves the formation of a "self" that I'm not ready to share with anyone; that's how much I fear intimacy.
The horrifying thing about writing is that no one ever understands what you're saying.
They only ever understand how they feel about what you wrote.
QUESTIONS: (Please pick the best answer)
1) What does the writer mean when they say "writing and being read is impossible"?
A) The writer has psychological / emotional problems that make it difficult for them to share their thoughts and feelings with others.
B) The writer is frustrated at their inadequacy at writing, and cannot find the words to adequately express their thoughts and feelings.
C) Any written text is separate from the author and can only be understood as the reader interprets it, making true communication impossible.
D) Writing and being read is impossible.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
B) The writer is frustrated at their inadequacy at writing, and cannot find the words to adequately express their thoughts and feelings.
C) Any written text is separate from the author and can only be understood as the reader interprets it, making true communication impossible.
D) Writing and being read is impossible.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
2) Why does the writer put the word "self" in quotation marks?
A) The writer is talking about a fictional persona adopted for the purposes of writing.
B) The writer believes in an innermost self that is separate from the "self" presented to others.
C) The writer's existence is irrelevant; they might as well not exist outside of the text.
D) The writer is insecure, and finds it unnatural to express themselves through writing.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
B) The writer believes in an innermost self that is separate from the "self" presented to others.
C) The writer's existence is irrelevant; they might as well not exist outside of the text.
D) The writer is insecure, and finds it unnatural to express themselves through writing.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
A) Paradox.
B) Irony.
C) Satire.
D) Tragedy.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
B) Irony.
C) Satire.
D) Tragedy.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
4) What does the writer mean when they say that they "fear intimacy"?
A) The writer writes about intensely personal things that they are hesitant to share with an audience.
B) The writer is afraid of having their ideas closely scrutinized for fear they are insufficient.
C) The writer fears being eradicated from the text and overwritten by someone else's interpretation.
D) The writer has genuine psychological / emotional problems with interacting with other people.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
B) The writer is afraid of having their ideas closely scrutinized for fear they are insufficient.
C) The writer fears being eradicated from the text and overwritten by someone else's interpretation.
D) The writer has genuine psychological / emotional problems with interacting with other people.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
5) Do you understand what the writer is saying?
A) No, the actual meaning is only available inside of the writer's head.
B) Yes, our understanding of something is dependent on objective reality, not someone else's opinions. Since the text is grammatically coherent and communicates intelligible ideas, we can understand it.
C) Yes, although how well we understand it depends on how closely our interpretations sync up with the writer's.
D) No, we only ever understand how we feel about what they wrote.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
6) Is the writer genuinely attempting to be understood?B) Yes, our understanding of something is dependent on objective reality, not someone else's opinions. Since the text is grammatically coherent and communicates intelligible ideas, we can understand it.
C) Yes, although how well we understand it depends on how closely our interpretations sync up with the writer's.
D) No, we only ever understand how we feel about what they wrote.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
A) No, they consider genuine understanding to be impossible.
B) Yes, they are in pursuit of a seemingly futile goal.
C) No, they are being deliberately vague to conceal a lack of insight.
D) Yes, and the words chosen express exactly what they were trying to say.
B) Yes, they are in pursuit of a seemingly futile goal.
C) No, they are being deliberately vague to conceal a lack of insight.
D) Yes, and the words chosen express exactly what they were trying to say.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
7) According to the writer, is writing possible?
A) I'm pretty sure writing is impossible.
B) I'm pretty sure writing and being read is impossible.
C) Writing involves the formation of a "self" that I'm not ready to share with anyone; that's how much I fear intimacy.
D) The horrifying thing about writing is that no one ever understands what you're saying.
B) I'm pretty sure writing and being read is impossible.
C) Writing involves the formation of a "self" that I'm not ready to share with anyone; that's how much I fear intimacy.
D) The horrifying thing about writing is that no one ever understands what you're saying.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
8) Wouldn't the "best answer" always be some variation of E, as it's always possible to clarify and expand upon one of the other four answers?
A) Yes, any statement can always be clarified and improved upon.
B) Maybe, it depends whether we are capable of improving on the other answers or not.
C) No, because by that logic any answer in E could then be subsequently improved upon, ensuring that it will never be the best possible answer.
D) There are no best answers.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
B) Maybe, it depends whether we are capable of improving on the other answers or not.
C) No, because by that logic any answer in E could then be subsequently improved upon, ensuring that it will never be the best possible answer.
D) There are no best answers.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
9) What, exactly, is "the horrifying thing about writing"?
A) The realization that no one will ever fully understand you, and that you will never fully understand anyone else, because we all irreparably view things through our own sets of filters.
B) The realization that you will never be able to precisely express what you mean, not even to yourself.
C) Being exposed. Being seen. Being judged.
D) The realization that you have nothing meaningful to say, and that the only value your words have are in the insights of people who read their own ideas into them.
B) The realization that you will never be able to precisely express what you mean, not even to yourself.
C) Being exposed. Being seen. Being judged.
D) The realization that you have nothing meaningful to say, and that the only value your words have are in the insights of people who read their own ideas into them.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
10) How would the writer most likely feel about you trying to interpret what this piece means?
A) They would be relieved that someone was trying to understand them.
B) They would be horrified that they were being subject to someone else's interpretation.
C) They would be resigned to the inadequacy of writing as an expression of meaning.
D) It doesn't matter at all how they feel.
B) They would be horrified that they were being subject to someone else's interpretation.
C) They would be resigned to the inadequacy of writing as an expression of meaning.
D) It doesn't matter at all how they feel.
E) None of the above (Please fill in your own answer here)_______________________________________________________
Thus ends the test. Thank you for your time. You will not be graded.
