Question

summer rayn hyatt
february 9, 2026
hp seminar
another one of his famous novels, thousand cranes, uses the ritual of a tea ceremony to highlight themes about humanity and society. in snow country, the wealthy protagonist shimamura brings readers into a remote and mountainous hot spring town, the surreal setting where he meets the local geishas who become his main companions traditional japanese female performers in the arts.

throughout snow country, kawabata creates a landscape that not only reflects but also intensifies the internal struggles of his characters through the masterful use of visual imagery. much of kawabatas visual imagery
is through using metaphors and personification,
scenery to come to life. furthermore, contrast and opposition play a key role in the crafting of the setting. for instance, the brilliance of the snow is the stark opposite of the dark mountain villages and komako, the vibrant female protagonist, is in conflict with the different world around it. her passionate nature

practice questions
3.
the writer is considering deleting the highlighted sentence. should the sentence be kept or deleted?
a. kept, because it elucidates kawabatas collection of iconic works.
b. kept, because it provides another example of kawabatas expert use of visual imagery.
c. deleted, because it detracts from the paragraphs focus on the imagery of one specific book.
d. deleted, because it describes a book from a period that is irrelevant to the paragraphs theme.

4.
the best placement for the highlighted text would be:
a. where it is now.
b. after the word shimamura.
c. after the word town.
d. after the word geishas.

5.
which choice most clearly sets up the information provided later in the paragraph?
a. no change
b. through the masterful use of alliteration and consonance.
c. with allusions to personal experiences.
d. despite the simple prose.

6.
which choice makes the sentence most grammatical acceptable?
a. no change
b. personification, allowing
c. personification to
d. personification, thus

7.
which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
a. no change
b. them
c. her
d. us

Explanation:

1. The highlighted sentence introduces Thousand Cranes, but the rest of the paragraph focuses on Snow Country and its imagery. This detracts from the paragraph's narrow focus on the single book's imagery, so it should be deleted.
2. The highlighted text defines "geishas," which is the noun it directly follows, so placing it after "geishas" makes the definition immediately follow the term it explains.
3. The rest of the paragraph discusses visual imagery techniques like metaphors, personification, and contrast. The original sentence sets up this focus on visual imagery, so no change is needed.
4. The phrase "allowing the scenery to come to life" logically connects the literary device (personification) to its effect, making the sentence grammatically and contextually coherent. The option "personification, allowing" creates this correct connection.
5. The antecedent is "Komako, the vibrant female protagonist," so the singular feminine possessive pronoun "her" correctly refers to her, fixing the pronoun agreement error.

Answer:

1. C. Deleted, because it detracts from the paragraph's focus on the imagery of one specific book.
2. D. after the word geishas.
3. A. No Change
4. B. personification, allowing
5. C. her