Question Description
Directions:Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question.PassagePROSE FICTION:This passage is adapted from Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness © 1899.The Nellie, a cruising ship, swung to her anchorwithout a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The tidehad come in, the wind was nearly calm, and beingbound down the river, the only thing for the ship was(5)to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.The Director of Companies was our captain andour host. We four affectionately watched his back as heriver there was nothing that looked half so nautical.(10)He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustwor-thiness personified. It was difficult to realize his workwas not out there in the luminous estuary, but behindhim, within the brooding gloom.Between us there was, as I have already said(15)somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding ourhearts together through long periods of separation, ithad the effect of making us tolerant of each other’sstories—and even convictions. The Lawyer—the bestof old fellows—had, because of his many years and(20)many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and waslying on the only rug. The Accountant had broughtout already a box of dominoes, and was toying archi-tecturally with the pieces. Marlow sat cross-legged,leaning against the mast. He had sunken cheeks, a(25)yellow complexion, a straight back, and, with his armsdropped, the palms of his hands outwards, resembledan idol. The Director, satisfied the anchor had goodhold, made his way forward and sat down amongst us.We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there(30)was silence on board the yacht. For some reason oranother we did not begin that game of dominoes. Wefelt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has beenone of the dark places of the earth.” He was the only(35)man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worstthat could be said of him was that he did not repre-sent his class—always the same. In their unchangingsurroundings, the foreign shores, the foreign faces glidepast, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly(40)disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysteriouto a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is themistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny.For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll ora casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the(45)secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds thesecret not worth knowing. The stories of seamen havea direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lieswithin the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was nottypical, and to him the meaning of an episode was not(50)inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale,which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze,in the likeness of one of these misty halos that some-times are made visible by the spectral illumination ofmoonshine.(55)His remark did not seem at all surprising. It wasjust like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No onetook the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said,very slow—“I was thinking of very old times, whenthe Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years(60)ago.” And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall,the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed toa dull red without rays and without heat, as if about togo out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of thatgloom brooding over a crowd of men.(65)Marlow broke off. Flames glided in the river,small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing,overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separat-ing slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city wenton in the deepening night upon the sleepless river. We(70)looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else todo; but it was only after a long silence, when he said,in a hesitating voice, “I suppose you fellows remem-ber I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,” that weknew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to(75)hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.Q. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:a)they were simply too tired.b)they did not get along well enough to play a game together.c)the Director would not have approved of gameplaying.d)the sea was too rough.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? for ACT 2025 is part of ACT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the ACT exam syllabus. Information about Directions:Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question.PassagePROSE FICTION:This passage is adapted from Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness © 1899.The Nellie, a cruising ship, swung to her anchorwithout a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The tidehad come in, the wind was nearly calm, and beingbound down the river, the only thing for the ship was(5)to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.The Director of Companies was our captain andour host. We four affectionately watched his back as heriver there was nothing that looked half so nautical.(10)He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustwor-thiness personified. It was difficult to realize his workwas not out there in the luminous estuary, but behindhim, within the brooding gloom.Between us there was, as I have already said(15)somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding ourhearts together through long periods of separation, ithad the effect of making us tolerant of each other’sstories—and even convictions. The Lawyer—the bestof old fellows—had, because of his many years and(20)many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and waslying on the only rug. The Accountant had broughtout already a box of dominoes, and was toying archi-tecturally with the pieces. Marlow sat cross-legged,leaning against the mast. He had sunken cheeks, a(25)yellow complexion, a straight back, and, with his armsdropped, the palms of his hands outwards, resembledan idol. The Director, satisfied the anchor had goodhold, made his way forward and sat down amongst us.We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there(30)was silence on board the yacht. For some reason oranother we did not begin that game of dominoes. Wefelt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has beenone of the dark places of the earth.” He was the only(35)man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worstthat could be said of him was that he did not repre-sent his class—always the same. In their unchangingsurroundings, the foreign shores, the foreign faces glidepast, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly(40)disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysteriouto a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is themistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny.For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll ora casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the(45)secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds thesecret not worth knowing. The stories of seamen havea direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lieswithin the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was nottypical, and to him the meaning of an episode was not(50)inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale,which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze,in the likeness of one of these misty halos that some-times are made visible by the spectral illumination ofmoonshine.(55)His remark did not seem at all surprising. It wasjust like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No onetook the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said,very slow—“I was thinking of very old times, whenthe Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years(60)ago.” And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall,the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed toa dull red without rays and without heat, as if about togo out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of thatgloom brooding over a crowd of men.(65)Marlow broke off. Flames glided in the river,small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing,overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separat-ing slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city wenton in the deepening night upon the sleepless river. We(70)looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else todo; but it was only after a long silence, when he said,in a hesitating voice, “I suppose you fellows remem-ber I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,” that weknew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to(75)hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.Q. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:a)they were simply too tired.b)they did not get along well enough to play a game together.c)the Director would not have approved of gameplaying.d)the sea was too rough.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for ACT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Directions:Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question.PassagePROSE FICTION:This passage is adapted from Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness © 1899.The Nellie, a cruising ship, swung to her anchorwithout a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The tidehad come in, the wind was nearly calm, and beingbound down the river, the only thing for the ship was(5)to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.The Director of Companies was our captain andour host. We four affectionately watched his back as heriver there was nothing that looked half so nautical.(10)He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustwor-thiness personified. It was difficult to realize his workwas not out there in the luminous estuary, but behindhim, within the brooding gloom.Between us there was, as I have already said(15)somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding ourhearts together through long periods of separation, ithad the effect of making us tolerant of each other’sstories—and even convictions. The Lawyer—the bestof old fellows—had, because of his many years and(20)many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and waslying on the only rug. The Accountant had broughtout already a box of dominoes, and was toying archi-tecturally with the pieces. Marlow sat cross-legged,leaning against the mast. He had sunken cheeks, a(25)yellow complexion, a straight back, and, with his armsdropped, the palms of his hands outwards, resembledan idol. The Director, satisfied the anchor had goodhold, made his way forward and sat down amongst us.We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there(30)was silence on board the yacht. For some reason oranother we did not begin that game of dominoes. Wefelt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has beenone of the dark places of the earth.” He was the only(35)man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worstthat could be said of him was that he did not repre-sent his class—always the same. In their unchangingsurroundings, the foreign shores, the foreign faces glidepast, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly(40)disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysteriouto a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is themistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny.For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll ora casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the(45)secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds thesecret not worth knowing. The stories of seamen havea direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lieswithin the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was nottypical, and to him the meaning of an episode was not(50)inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale,which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze,in the likeness of one of these misty halos that some-times are made visible by the spectral illumination ofmoonshine.(55)His remark did not seem at all surprising. It wasjust like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No onetook the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said,very slow—“I was thinking of very old times, whenthe Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years(60)ago.” And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall,the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed toa dull red without rays and without heat, as if about togo out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of thatgloom brooding over a crowd of men.(65)Marlow broke off. Flames glided in the river,small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing,overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separat-ing slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city wenton in the deepening night upon the sleepless river. We(70)looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else todo; but it was only after a long silence, when he said,in a hesitating voice, “I suppose you fellows remem-ber I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,” that weknew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to(75)hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.Q. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:a)they were simply too tired.b)they did not get along well enough to play a game together.c)the Director would not have approved of gameplaying.d)the sea was too rough.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?.

Solutions for Directions:Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question.PassagePROSE FICTION:This passage is adapted from Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness © 1899.The Nellie, a cruising ship, swung to her anchorwithout a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The tidehad come in, the wind was nearly calm, and beingbound down the river, the only thing for the ship was(5)to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.The Director of Companies was our captain andour host. We four affectionately watched his back as heriver there was nothing that looked half so nautical.(10)He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustwor-thiness personified. It was difficult to realize his workwas not out there in the luminous estuary, but behindhim, within the brooding gloom.Between us there was, as I have already said(15)somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding ourhearts together through long periods of separation, ithad the effect of making us tolerant of each other’sstories—and even convictions. The Lawyer—the bestof old fellows—had, because of his many years and(20)many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and waslying on the only rug. The Accountant had broughtout already a box of dominoes, and was toying archi-tecturally with the pieces. Marlow sat cross-legged,leaning against the mast. He had sunken cheeks, a(25)yellow complexion, a straight back, and, with his armsdropped, the palms of his hands outwards, resembledan idol. The Director, satisfied the anchor had goodhold, made his way forward and sat down amongst us.We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there(30)was silence on board the yacht. For some reason oranother we did not begin that game of dominoes. Wefelt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has beenone of the dark places of the earth.” He was the only(35)man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worstthat could be said of him was that he did not repre-sent his class—always the same. In their unchangingsurroundings, the foreign shores, the foreign faces glidepast, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly(40)disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysteriouto a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is themistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny.For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll ora casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the(45)secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds thesecret not worth knowing. The stories of seamen havea direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lieswithin the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was nottypical, and to him the meaning of an episode was not(50)inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale,which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze,in the likeness of one of these misty halos that some-times are made visible by the spectral illumination ofmoonshine.(55)His remark did not seem at all surprising. It wasjust like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No onetook the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said,very slow—“I was thinking of very old times, whenthe Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years(60)ago.” And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall,the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed toa dull red without rays and without heat, as if about togo out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of thatgloom brooding over a crowd of men.(65)Marlow broke off. Flames glided in the river,small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing,overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separat-ing slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city wenton in the deepening night upon the sleepless river. We(70)looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else todo; but it was only after a long silence, when he said,in a hesitating voice, “I suppose you fellows remem-ber I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,” that weknew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to(75)hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.Q. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:a)they were simply too tired.b)they did not get along well enough to play a game together.c)the Director would not have approved of gameplaying.d)the sea was too rough.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for ACT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for ACT Exam by signing up for free.

Here you can find the meaning of Directions:Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question.PassagePROSE FICTION:This passage is adapted from Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness © 1899.The Nellie, a cruising ship, swung to her anchorwithout a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The tidehad come in, the wind was nearly calm, and beingbound down the river, the only thing for the ship was(5)to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.The Director of Companies was our captain andour host. We four affectionately watched his back as heriver there was nothing that looked half so nautical.(10)He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustwor-thiness personified. It was difficult to realize his workwas not out there in the luminous estuary, but behindhim, within the brooding gloom.Between us there was, as I have already said(15)somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding ourhearts together through long periods of separation, ithad the effect of making us tolerant of each other’sstories—and even convictions. The Lawyer—the bestof old fellows—had, because of his many years and(20)many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and waslying on the only rug. The Accountant had broughtout already a box of dominoes, and was toying archi-tecturally with the pieces. Marlow sat cross-legged,leaning against the mast. He had sunken cheeks, a(25)yellow complexion, a straight back, and, with his armsdropped, the palms of his hands outwards, resembledan idol. The Director, satisfied the anchor had goodhold, made his way forward and sat down amongst us.We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there(30)was silence on board the yacht. For some reason oranother we did not begin that game of dominoes. Wefelt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has beenone of the dark places of the earth.” He was the only(35)man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worstthat could be said of him was that he did not repre-sent his class—always the same. In their unchangingsurroundings, the foreign shores, the foreign faces glidepast, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly(40)disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysteriouto a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is themistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny.For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll ora casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the(45)secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds thesecret not worth knowing. The stories of seamen havea direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lieswithin the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was nottypical, and to him the meaning of an episode was not(50)inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale,which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze,in the likeness of one of these misty halos that some-times are made visible by the spectral illumination ofmoonshine.(55)His remark did not seem at all surprising. It wasjust like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No onetook the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said,very slow—“I was thinking of very old times, whenthe Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years(60)ago.” And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall,the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed toa dull red without rays and without heat, as if about togo out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of thatgloom brooding over a crowd of men.(65)Marlow broke off. Flames glided in the river,small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing,overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separat-ing slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city wenton in the deepening night upon the sleepless river. We(70)looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else todo; but it was only after a long silence, when he said,in a hesitating voice, “I suppose you fellows remem-ber I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,” that weknew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to(75)hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.Q. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:a)they were simply too tired.b)they did not get along well enough to play a game together.c)the Director would not have approved of gameplaying.d)the sea was too rough.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Directions:Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question.PassagePROSE FICTION:This passage is adapted from Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness © 1899.The Nellie, a cruising ship, swung to her anchorwithout a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The tidehad come in, the wind was nearly calm, and beingbound down the river, the only thing for the ship was(5)to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.The Director of Companies was our captain andour host. We four affectionately watched his back as heriver there was nothing that looked half so nautical.(10)He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustwor-thiness personified. It was difficult to realize his workwas not out there in the luminous estuary, but behindhim, within the brooding gloom.Between us there was, as I have already said(15)somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding ourhearts together through long periods of separation, ithad the effect of making us tolerant of each other’sstories—and even convictions. The Lawyer—the bestof old fellows—had, because of his many years and(20)many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and waslying on the only rug. The Accountant had broughtout already a box of dominoes, and was toying archi-tecturally with the pieces. Marlow sat cross-legged,leaning against the mast. He had sunken cheeks, a(25)yellow complexion, a straight back, and, with his armsdropped, the palms of his hands outwards, resembledan idol. The Director, satisfied the anchor had goodhold, made his way forward and sat down amongst us.We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there(30)was silence on board the yacht. For some reason oranother we did not begin that game of dominoes. Wefelt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has beenone of the dark places of the earth.” He was the only(35)man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worstthat could be said of him was that he did not repre-sent his class—always the same. In their unchangingsurroundings, the foreign shores, the foreign faces glidepast, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly(40)disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysteriouto a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is themistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny.For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll ora casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the(45)secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds thesecret not worth knowing. The stories of seamen havea direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lieswithin the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was nottypical, and to him the meaning of an episode was not(50)inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale,which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze,in the likeness of one of these misty halos that some-times are made visible by the spectral illumination ofmoonshine.(55)His remark did not seem at all surprising. It wasjust like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No onetook the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said,very slow—“I was thinking of very old times, whenthe Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years(60)ago.” And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall,the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed toa dull red without rays and without heat, as if about togo out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of thatgloom brooding over a crowd of men.(65)Marlow broke off. Flames glided in the river,small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing,overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separat-ing slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city wenton in the deepening night upon the sleepless river. We(70)looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else todo; but it was only after a long silence, when he said,in a hesitating voice, “I suppose you fellows remem-ber I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,” that weknew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to(75)hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.Q. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:a)they were simply too tired.b)they did not get along well enough to play a game together.c)the Director would not have approved of gameplaying.d)the sea was too rough.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Directions:Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question.PassagePROSE FICTION:This passage is adapted from Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness © 1899.The Nellie, a cruising ship, swung to her anchorwithout a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The tidehad come in, the wind was nearly calm, and beingbound down the river, the only thing for the ship was(5)to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.The Director of Companies was our captain andour host. We four affectionately watched his back as heriver there was nothing that looked half so nautical.(10)He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustwor-thiness personified. It was difficult to realize his workwas not out there in the luminous estuary, but behindhim, within the brooding gloom.Between us there was, as I have already said(15)somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding ourhearts together through long periods of separation, ithad the effect of making us tolerant of each other’sstories—and even convictions. The Lawyer—the bestof old fellows—had, because of his many years and(20)many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and waslying on the only rug. The Accountant had broughtout already a box of dominoes, and was toying archi-tecturally with the pieces. Marlow sat cross-legged,leaning against the mast. He had sunken cheeks, a(25)yellow complexion, a straight back, and, with his armsdropped, the palms of his hands outwards, resembledan idol. The Director, satisfied the anchor had goodhold, made his way forward and sat down amongst us.We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there(30)was silence on board the yacht. For some reason oranother we did not begin that game of dominoes. Wefelt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has beenone of the dark places of the earth.” He was the only(35)man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worstthat could be said of him was that he did not repre-sent his class—always the same. In their unchangingsurroundings, the foreign shores, the foreign faces glidepast, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly(40)disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysteriouto a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is themistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny.For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll ora casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the(45)secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds thesecret not worth knowing. The stories of seamen havea direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lieswithin the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was nottypical, and to him the meaning of an episode was not(50)inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale,which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze,in the likeness of one of these misty halos that some-times are made visible by the spectral illumination ofmoonshine.(55)His remark did not seem at all surprising. It wasjust like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No onetook the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said,very slow—“I was thinking of very old times, whenthe Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years(60)ago.” And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall,the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed toa dull red without rays and without heat, as if about togo out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of thatgloom brooding over a crowd of men.(65)Marlow broke off. Flames glided in the river,small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing,overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separat-ing slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city wenton in the deepening night upon the sleepless river. We(70)looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else todo; but it was only after a long silence, when he said,in a hesitating voice, “I suppose you fellows remem-ber I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,” that weknew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to(75)hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.Q. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:a)they were simply too tired.b)they did not get along well enough to play a game together.c)the Director would not have approved of gameplaying.d)the sea was too rough.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Directions:Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question.PassagePROSE FICTION:This passage is adapted from Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness © 1899.The Nellie, a cruising ship, swung to her anchorwithout a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The tidehad come in, the wind was nearly calm, and beingbound down the river, the only thing for the ship was(5)to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.The Director of Companies was our captain andour host. We four affectionately watched his back as heriver there was nothing that looked half so nautical.(10)He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustwor-thiness personified. It was difficult to realize his workwas not out there in the luminous estuary, but behindhim, within the brooding gloom.Between us there was, as I have already said(15)somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding ourhearts together through long periods of separation, ithad the effect of making us tolerant of each other’sstories—and even convictions. The Lawyer—the bestof old fellows—had, because of his many years and(20)many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and waslying on the only rug. The Accountant had broughtout already a box of dominoes, and was toying archi-tecturally with the pieces. Marlow sat cross-legged,leaning against the mast. He had sunken cheeks, a(25)yellow complexion, a straight back, and, with his armsdropped, the palms of his hands outwards, resembledan idol. The Director, satisfied the anchor had goodhold, made his way forward and sat down amongst us.We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there(30)was silence on board the yacht. For some reason oranother we did not begin that game of dominoes. Wefelt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has beenone of the dark places of the earth.” He was the only(35)man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worstthat could be said of him was that he did not repre-sent his class—always the same. In their unchangingsurroundings, the foreign shores, the foreign faces glidepast, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly(40)disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysteriouto a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is themistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny.For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll ora casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the(45)secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds thesecret not worth knowing. The stories of seamen havea direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lieswithin the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was nottypical, and to him the meaning of an episode was not(50)inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale,which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze,in the likeness of one of these misty halos that some-times are made visible by the spectral illumination ofmoonshine.(55)His remark did not seem at all surprising. It wasjust like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No onetook the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said,very slow—“I was thinking of very old times, whenthe Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years(60)ago.” And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall,the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed toa dull red without rays and without heat, as if about togo out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of thatgloom brooding over a crowd of men.(65)Marlow broke off. Flames glided in the river,small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing,overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separat-ing slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city wenton in the deepening night upon the sleepless river. We(70)looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else todo; but it was only after a long silence, when he said,in a hesitating voice, “I suppose you fellows remem-ber I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,” that weknew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to(75)hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.Q. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:a)they were simply too tired.b)they did not get along well enough to play a game together.c)the Director would not have approved of gameplaying.d)the sea was too rough.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Directions:Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question.PassagePROSE FICTION:This passage is adapted from Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness © 1899.The Nellie, a cruising ship, swung to her anchorwithout a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The tidehad come in, the wind was nearly calm, and beingbound down the river, the only thing for the ship was(5)to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.The Director of Companies was our captain andour host. We four affectionately watched his back as heriver there was nothing that looked half so nautical.(10)He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustwor-thiness personified. It was difficult to realize his workwas not out there in the luminous estuary, but behindhim, within the brooding gloom.Between us there was, as I have already said(15)somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding ourhearts together through long periods of separation, ithad the effect of making us tolerant of each other’sstories—and even convictions. The Lawyer—the bestof old fellows—had, because of his many years and(20)many virtues, the only cushion on deck, and waslying on the only rug. The Accountant had broughtout already a box of dominoes, and was toying archi-tecturally with the pieces. Marlow sat cross-legged,leaning against the mast. He had sunken cheeks, a(25)yellow complexion, a straight back, and, with his armsdropped, the palms of his hands outwards, resembledan idol. The Director, satisfied the anchor had goodhold, made his way forward and sat down amongst us.We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there(30)was silence on board the yacht. For some reason oranother we did not begin that game of dominoes. Wefelt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring.“And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has beenone of the dark places of the earth.” He was the only(35)man of us who still “followed the sea.” The worstthat could be said of him was that he did not repre-sent his class—always the same. In their unchangingsurroundings, the foreign shores, the foreign faces glidepast, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly(40)disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysteriouto a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is themistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny.For the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll ora casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the(45)secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds thesecret not worth knowing. The stories of seamen havea direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lieswithin the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was nottypical, and to him the meaning of an episode was not(50)inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale,which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze,in the likeness of one of these misty halos that some-times are made visible by the spectral illumination ofmoonshine.(55)His remark did not seem at all surprising. It wasjust like Marlow. It was accepted in silence. No onetook the trouble to grunt even; and presently he said,very slow—“I was thinking of very old times, whenthe Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years(60)ago.” And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall,the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed toa dull red without rays and without heat, as if about togo out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of thatgloom brooding over a crowd of men.(65)Marlow broke off. Flames glided in the river,small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing,overtaking, joining, crossing each other—then separat-ing slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city wenton in the deepening night upon the sleepless river. We(70)looked on, waiting patiently—there was nothing else todo; but it was only after a long silence, when he said,in a hesitating voice, “I suppose you fellows remem-ber I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,” that weknew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to(75)hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.Q. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:a)they were simply too tired.b)they did not get along well enough to play a game together.c)the Director would not have approved of gameplaying.d)the sea was too rough.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice ACT tests.