Information and IdeasHardQuotation supporting a reading of a poem
Information and Ideas practice question
A student argues that the speaker of a poem regards the sea as indifferent to human affairs.
Which quotation from the poem would best support the student's claim?
- A. 'It neither mourned the boat nor marked the men, / but turned its face to the same grey sky.'Correct
- B. 'The waves rose up in anger at the storm / and hurled themselves against the pier.'
- C. 'We loved the sea in every kind of weather, / and never once did it betray our trust.'
- D. 'The harbour lights came on, one by one, / as the last boats slipped inside the wall.'
Answer: A. 'It neither mourned the boat nor marked the men, / but turned its face to the same grey sky.'
Indifference means neither caring nor noticing. The sea that 'neither mourned the boat nor marked the men' and simply turns away is indifferent by definition.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. 'The waves rose up in anger at the storm / and hurled themselves against the pier.'
- Anger is an emotion; a sea that rages is the opposite of indifferent.
- C. 'We loved the sea in every kind of weather, / and never once did it betray our trust.'
- This presents the sea as trustworthy and loved — engaged with people, not indifferent to them.
- D. 'The harbour lights came on, one by one, / as the last boats slipped inside the wall.'
- These lines describe the harbour, not the sea's attitude to anything.
More Information and Ideas questions
- Hard
Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the researcher's hypothesis? - Hard
Which choice most logically completes the text with a conclusion the evidence supports? - Hard
Which quotation from the passage would best support the student's claim? - Hard
Which choice best describes data that would support the conclusion that more daily reading is associated with … - Hard
Which choice most logically completes the text with a conclusion the evidence supports? - Hard
Which statement about the data would best support the claim that the bus lane made the route faster?
Not affiliated with the College Board. SAT is a trademark of the College Board.