Question

close read: analyze the text
identify the choice that best answers the question.
the following question has two parts. answer part a first, and then part b.
part a
which option is the best statement of one of the main ideas in \house taken over\?
a each time people avoid confronting their fears, they lose a little more of themselves, until finally they have lost everything.
b people who live in large homes lose track of how much space they have, the space becomes meaningless and soon they no longer need it at all
c some people have many belongings and do not seem to care, but when they lose everything, they realize how important those belongings were to them
d people who do not build relationships with outsiders will regret this decision, because eventually they will need the support of others, but it will be too late
part b
which excerpt from the story best supports the answer to part a?
a we liked the house because it kept the memories of great - grandparents, our paternal grandfather, our parents and the whole of childhood
b irene and i got used to staying in the house by ourselves, which was crazy, eight people could have lived in that place and not have gotten in each others way
c irene never bothered anyone. once the morning housework was finished, she spent the rest of the day on the sofa in her bedroom, knitting.
d i had to shut the door to the passage. theyve taken over the back part. - in that case, she said, picking up her needles again. well have to live on this side.

Explanation:

For Part A:

• Option A: The story "House Taken Over" has a sense of gradual loss and being overwhelmed by an unknown (the "taken - over" part), which aligns with the idea of losing more and more of oneself (or one's space/control) when avoiding confrontation (the unknown presence).
• Option B: The story is not about the meaninglessness of space in large homes in a general sense.
• Option C: The story is not about the value of belongings.
• Option D: The story is not about relationships with outsiders.

For Part B:

• Option D shows that they are losing more and more of their house (first the back part, then they have to live on one side), which supports the idea in Option A of losing more and more until almost everything is lost.

Answer:

Part A: A. Each time people avoid confronting their fears, they lose a little more of themselves, until finally they have lost everything.
Part B: D. "I had to shut the door to the passage. They've taken over the back part..." "In that case," she said, picking up her needles again, "we'll have to live on this side."