A Day Away by Maya AngelouMost people today know Maya Angelou as one of Americas most important poets. One of her stories, Georgia, Georgia, was the frst story y an African!American woman to e made into a tele"ision mo"ie. Angelou also wrote the screenplay for the mo"ie All Day Long and e"en directed it. #he "ariety, $uality, and passion of herwork continue to inspire people today%e often think that our a&airs, great or small, must e tended continuously and in detail, or our world will disintegrate, and we will lose our places in the uni"erse. #hat is not true, or if it is true, then our situations were so temporary that they would ha"e collapsed anyway. Once a year or so ' gi"e myself a day away. On the e"e of my day of asence, ' egin to unwrap the onds which hold me in harness. ' inform housemates, my family and close friends that ' will not e reachale for twenty!four hours( then ' disengage the telephone. ' turn the radio dial to an all!music station, preferaly one which plays the soothing golden oldies. ' sit for at least an hour in a "ery hot tu( then ' lay out my clothes in preparation for my morning escape, and knowing that nothing will distur me, ' sleep the sleep of the )ust. On the morning ' wake naturally, for ' will ha"e set no clock, nor informed my ody timepiece when it should alarm. ' dress in comfortale shoes and casual clothes andlea"e my house going no place. 'f ' am li"ing in a city, ' wander streets, window!shop, or ga*e at uildings. ' enter and lea"e pulic parks, liraries, the loies of skyscrapers, and mo"ie houses. ' stay in no place for "ery long. On the getaway day ' try for amnesia. ' do not want to know my name, where ' li"e, or how many dire responsiilities rest on my shoulders. ' detest encountering e"en the closest friend, for then ' am reminded of who ' am, and the circumstances of mylife, which ' want to forget for a while. +"ery person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separatesthe past from the future. ,os, family, employers, and friends can e-ist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could e-ist eternally in our asence. +ach person deser"es a day away in which no prolems are confronted, no solutionssearched for. +ach of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us. %e need hours of aimless wandering or spaces of time sitting on park enches, oser"ing the mysterious world of ants and the canopy of treetops. 'f we step away for a time, we are not, as many may think and some will accuse, eing irresponsile, ut rather we are preparing oursel"es to more aly perform our duties and discharge our oligations. %hen ' return home, ' am always surprised to f nd some $uestions ' sought to e"ade had een answered and some entanglements ' had hoped to .ee had ecome unra"eled in my asence. A day away acts as a spring tonic. 't can dispel rancor, transform indecision, and renew the spirit.1. What is the narrators main purpose in this passage? A to entertain readers with a story of an unusual day B to inform readers how to organi*e a dayaway from home C to persuade readers to take some time for themseles D to descrie to readers what it is like to redisco"er a city !. Whi"h senten"e below is an e#ample of a simile? A ' will ha"e set no clock . . . B ' do not want to know my name . . .C %e need hours of aimless wandering . . .D A day away a"ts as a spring toni"$. %he words casual& wander& and gaze in paragraph $ suggest a feeling of' A determination.B solitude.C ewilderment.D rela#ation.(. %he narrator M)*% likely laid out her "lothesthe night before her day away so that she' A wouldnt forget what she wanted to wear. B wouldnt hae to make a de"ision in the morning. C would e ale to sleep late in the morning. D would e as stylishlydressed as possile. +. Whi"h B,*% des"ribes the narrators tone in the se"ond half of the passage?A persuasi"e B humorous C sarcastic D frustrated -. Whi"h senten"e from the passage is an e#ample of .guratie language? A Once a year or so ' gi"e myself a day away. B )n the ee of my day of absen"e& / begin to unwrap the bonds whi"h hold me in harness. C ' enter and lea"e pulic parks, liraries, the loies of skyscrapers, and mo"ie houses. D 't can dispel rancor, transform indecision, and renew the spirit. 0. /n whi"h senten"e from the passage does the narrator a"knowledge those who disagree with her main argument? A ' inform housemates, my family and close friends that ' will not e reachale for twenty!four hours( then ' disengage the telephone. B ' detest encountering e"en the closest friend, for then ' am reminded of who ' am, and the circumstances of my life, which ' want to forget for a while. C 'f we step away for a time, we are not, as many may think and some will accuse, eingirresponsile, ut rather we are preparing oursel"es to more aly perform our duties and discharge our oligations. D When / return home& / am always surprised to .nd some 1uestions / sought to eade had been answered and some entanglements / had hoped to 2ee had be"ome unraeled in my absen"e. 3. Whi"h statement from the passage B,*% des"ribes the narrators motiation for 4a day away5? A . . . we will lose our places in the uni"erse. B . . . ' sleep the sleep of the )ust. C . . . ' want to forget for a while. D . . . friends "an e#ist one day without any one of us. 6. Whi"h of the following is the main theme of the passage ?A *elf7energi8ing oneself is ne"essary. B #ime is of the essence. C /rolems will sol"e themsel"es. D A single decision has many conse$uences.