Question

What are the trashy works referred to in the passage?

Answer 1

The trashy works referred to in the passage are the books borrowed by the author’s grandmother from a lending library. These were light, inexpensive books with shiny and flexible covers, which the author compares to New Year sweetmeats because of their appearance.
Step 1: Understanding the term “trashy works”.
The phrase “trashy works” is used by the author to describe the books his grandmother borrowed regularly. The term does not mean useless but refers to light reading material with attractive covers.
Step 2: Identifying clues from the passage.
The passage mentions that the books had shiny, flexible covers and were borrowed from a lending library. The author associates them with sweetmeats because of their bright and new appearance.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the trashy works are the lending-library books borrowed by the grandmother, which appeared glossy and attractive but were simple reading materials.

Answer 2

The grandmother would go out every Friday to return the books to the lending library.
Step 1: Locate the time reference in the passage.
The passage clearly states, “Each Friday, my grandmother would get dressed to go out.” This line gives a direct reference to the day on which she went out.
Step 2: Understand the purpose of going out.
She went out regularly to return the borrowed books to the lending library, which was part of her weekly routine.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Therefore, the grandmother went out every Friday.

Answer 3

On returning home, the grandmother would take off her black hat and veil and then take the books out of her muff.
Step 1: Identify actions after returning home.
The passage says that when the grandmother returned, she first removed her black hat and veil. This shows her settling back at home.
Step 2: Note the important detail about the books.
After removing her hat and veil, she would take the books out of her muff, which surprised the narrator and created a sense of mystery.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, on returning home, the grandmother removed her hat and veil and brought out the books from her muff.

Answer 4

Step 1: Understanding the words from Column A.
The words borrow, mystified, and petty are taken from the given passage and describe actions or feelings of the narrator and his grandmother.
Step 2: Matching words with correct meanings.
Borrow means to take something from someone with the intention of returning it later, so it matches with “to take on loan.”
Mystified refers to a state of confusion or wonder, so it matches with “puzzled.”
Petty means small or of little importance, so it matches with “small.”
Step 3: Conclusion.
By using the context of the passage, each word from Column A is correctly matched with its appropriate meaning from Column B.

Answer 5

Step 1: Refer to the passage carefully.
The answers to both blanks are taken directly from the given passage in the lesson “Dear to All the Muses”.
Step 2: Identify the exact words used in the passage.
The passage mentions that the book covers seemed to be cut out of glazed paper. Hence, the first blank is filled with “glazed.”
It also says that the books served as an excuse for petty mysteries. Therefore, the second blank is filled with “excuse.”
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the correct words to fill the blanks are glazed and excuse.

Answer 6

Step 1: Refer to the descriptive words in the passage.
The passage describes the books borrowed by the grandmother using specific adjectives related to their appearance and texture.
Step 2: Identify the word for each expression.
The expression “which can be easily bent without breaking” refers to something that is flexible. The passage mentions “shiny flexible covers,” clearly indicating this word.
The expression “bright and always new” matches the word shiny, which is used in the passage to describe the appearance of the book covers.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the correct one-word answers taken from the passage are flexible and shiny.