GED Reading Exam Prep - Question List

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1. That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see'st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed, whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

What is the main idea of this sonnet?
  1. Love is like a burning fire that cannot be extinguished.
  2. The speaker believes his lover cares for him more because the speaker will soon die.
  3. The speaker believes he and his lover are nearing the end of their relationship and it will soon die out.
  4. The speaker believes his lover perceives that the relationship is ending when, in fact, it is not.
2.

That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see'st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed, whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

According to the sonnet, what follows the sunset fading in the west?

  1. Night and darkness
  2. The dawn of a new, young die.
  3. The burning of a bright fire to ward off the night.
  4. Sleep.
3. That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see'st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed, whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

As a result of the metaphorical setting of the sun, turning of the leaves, and burning down of the fire, what must happen to the speaker and the person he is addressing?
  1. They must both die.
  2. The person the speaker is addressing must make an effort to stay alive.
  3. The person the speaker is addressing must leave behind his love for the speaker.
  4. The speaker must find a new lover.
4. That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see'st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed, whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

According the metaphor of the fire in this sonnet, what does the fire of life eventually consume?
  1. Everything that is near it.
  2. Youth and all those who are young.
  3. The deathbed it lies upon.
  4. That which once kept it alive.
5. That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see'st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed, whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

What reasons does the speaker give the lover to leave him?
  1. The speaker has died.
  2. The speaker is growing older and is in the last stage of his life.
  3. The lover is growing older and is in the last stage of his life.
  4. The lover has found a new love who is younger and the sun is setting on their relationship.

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