A diary is the cheapest form of therapy and the most patient of teachers. When a person writes down the events of a day, the mind is forced to slow down and arrange scattered impressions into sentences. In doing so, it often discovers what it really thinks. Many who begin the habit are surprised to find that a worry which seemed enormous at noon appears small when set down on paper at night. A diary also trains the memory in an unexpected way. Because the writer must recall the day in order, details are noticed during the day itself, in the hope of being recorded later. Over the years the pages gather into a private history, and reading an old entry is like meeting an earlier self, with its mistakes and its hopes. Some people fear that a diary demands elegant prose or daily discipline. It demands neither. A few honest lines, even if skipped for a week, serve better than a polished page written to impress an imagined reader. The only essential rule is honesty, for a diary that flatters its writer teaches him nothing.
Question 1
Single correct option
According to the passage, a worry may seem smaller at night because
- A. the writer has forgotten it
- B. the day has ended
- C. writing it down gives it perspective
- D. a friend has advised the writer
Show answer and solution
Answer: (C) writing it down gives it perspective
The passage says a worry that seemed enormous at noon looks small once it is set down on paper at night. The act of writing slows the mind and gives distance. Forgetfulness, the end of the day and advice from friends are not mentioned, so they are distractors.
Question 2
Single correct option
'Meeting an earlier self' means
- A. finding an old friend
- B. seeing how one has changed over time
- C. forgetting the past
- D. imagining a future
Show answer and solution
Answer: (B) seeing how one has changed over time
Reading an old entry shows one's earlier mistakes and hopes, so the phrase is a figure of speech for noticing how one has grown. It does not refer to a literal meeting, and nothing about forgetting or imagining the future is stated in the text.
Question 3
Single correct option
The author's view on the style of a diary is that
- A. good prose is not necessary
- B. it must be elegant
- C. it should impress readers
- D. it should be written daily
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Answer: (A) good prose is not necessary
The author says a diary demands neither elegant prose nor daily discipline, and that a few honest lines serve better than a polished page written to impress. So style is unimportant. Daily writing and elegance are the fears the author sets aside, and thus the trap options.
Question 4
Single correct option
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a benefit of keeping a diary?
- A. Clearer thinking
- B. A better trained memory
- C. A private record of one's life
- D. Improved handwriting
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Answer: (D) Improved handwriting
The passage speaks of clearer thinking, memory training and a private history built over the years. It never mentions handwriting. In 'NOT mentioned' questions, check each option against the text, as the three benefits listed are all stated directly in the passage.
Question 5
Single correct option
The tone of the passage is best described as
- A. critical and angry
- B. encouraging and reassuring
- C. humorous and mocking
- D. gloomy and doubtful
Show answer and solution
Answer: (B) encouraging and reassuring
The author praises the diary, removes the fears about prose and discipline, and ends with one simple rule. This is an encouraging and reassuring tone. There is no anger, mockery or gloom in the text, and the author does not doubt the value of the habit.
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