Hank Morgan, the hero of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, is a nineteenth-century master mechanic who mysteriously awakening in sixth-century Britain, launches what he hopes will be a peaceful revolution to transform Arthurian Britain into an industrialized modern democracy. The novel, written as a spoof of Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, a popular collection of fifteenth-century legends about sixth-century Britain, has been made into three upbeat movies and two musical comedies. None of these translations to screen and stage, however, dramatize the anarchy at the conclusion of A Connecticut Yankee, which ends with the violent overthrow of Morgan's three-year-old progressive order and his return to the nineteenth century, where he apparently commits suicide after being labeled a lunatic for his incoherent babblings about drawbridges and battlements. The American public, although enjoying Twain's humor, evidently rejected his cynicism about technological advancement and change through peaceful revolution as antithetical to the United States doctrine of progress
1. According to the passage, which of the following is atrue statement about the reception of A ConnecticutYankee in King Arthur's Court by the American public?
A The public had too strong a belief in the doctrine ofprogress to accept the cynicism demonstrated at the conclusion of Twain's novel.
B Twain's novel received little public recognition untilthe work was adapted for motion pictures and plays.
C Although the public enjoyed Twain's humor, his useof both sixth-century and nineteenth-century characters confused many people.
D The public has continued to enjoy Twain's story, butthe last part of the novel seems too violent to American minds.
E Because of the cynicism at the end of the book, thepublic rejected Twain's work in favor of the work of Thomas Malory.
2. The author uses the examples of "three upbeatmovies and two musical comedies" (lines 9-10)primarily in order to demonstrate that
A well-written novels like A Connecticut Yankee inKing Arthur's Court, regardless of their tone or theme, can be translated to the stage and screen.
B the American public has traditionally beenmore interested in watching plays and moviesthan in reading novels like A ConnecticutYankee in King Arthur's Court
C Twain's overall message in A ConnecticutYankee in King Arthur's Court is one thathad a profound impact on the American public.
D Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur'sCourt has been a more popular version of theArthurian legends than has Malory's Morte d'Arthur
E A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Courthas been accepted as an enjoyable and humorous talein versions that have omitted the anarchy at thenovel's conclusion
3. It can be inferred from the passage that Mark Twainwould most probably have believed in which of thefollowing statements about societal change?
A Technological advancements are limited in theirability to change society and will likely bringliabilities along with any potential benefits.
B The belief in the unmitigated benefits of societalchange is antithetical to the Americandoctrine of progress.
C Technological advances and peaceful revolutions,although sometimes accompanied by unintended violence and resistance to societalchange, eventually lead to a more progressive order.