Question

the opinions speciously supported in some modern publications on the female character and education remain new to be examined. i shall 51 begin with rousseau and give a sketch of the character of women in his own words.
women have or ought to have but little liberty; rousseau writes, \they are apt to indulge themselves excessively in what is allowed them. addicted in every thing to extremes, they are even more transported at their diversions than boys.\
furthermore, rousseau follows the 52 pernicious tendency of many books, in which the writers insidiously degrade the sex while they are praetrate before that sex’s personal charms. 53 let us all not take it! if wisdom is desirable on its own account, if virtue, to deserve the name, must be founded on knowledge, let us endeavor to strengthen our minds by reflection, till our bonds become a balance for 54 their hearts. let us not confine all our thoughts to the petty occurrences of the day, but let the practice of every duty be subordinate to the grand one of 55 listening better and preparing our affections for a exalted state!
beware then, my friends, of suffering the heart to be moved by every trivial 56 incident, the tied is shaken by a breeze and annually dies, but the oak stands firm and for ages braves the storm.

1. begin

a) no change
b) begun
c) begin
d) begins

1. pernicious

a) no change
b) pernate
c) perfunctory
d) pernicious

1. which of the following choices best matches the tone of the passage?

let us all not take it!
a) no change
b) let us, my esteemed readers, decide as one to nobly ignore such slurs and get on with our lives.
c) let us, my dear contemporaries, rise above such pettiness!
d) let us cast off this cloak of silly opinions, my friends!

1. their

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze [51] verb tense

The sentence uses the present modal "shall", so the base form of the verb is required.

Step2: Analyze [52] vocabulary fit

"Peripatetic" means traveling; "perfunctory" means careless; "pernicious" means harmful. The context criticizes Rousseau's harmful tendency, so "pernicious" is correct.

Step3: Analyze [53] tone match

The passage has an urgent, persuasive, and direct tone addressing readers to reject degrading views. Option D matches this tone.

Step4: Analyze [54] pronoun agreement

The antecedent is "our heads", a plural noun, so the plural possessive "their" is correct.

Answer:

1. C) begin
2. D) pernicious
3. D) Let us cast off this yoke of silly opinions, my friends!
4. their