1. Meaning of virtuoso in line 26: Skilled performer 11. Poet’s use of sensory language: Indicating change over time 12. Parentheses in line 19: Understanding the speaker’s feelings 13. Event con

Question: Shoe Store by Raymond Souster "A good thirty years since I stood in this store, shy boy of fifteen become forty-five. Nothing’s changed much, except the front is a shoe store complete with fancy mirrors, 5theatre folding seats, usual boxes piled rack after rack to the ceiling. The shoe repair’s well to the rear, separately walled off: in the old days it was all shoe-making—whirling belts, 10gleaming stitchers. One thing that hasn’t changed is the shoemaker, no more bald than he was then, stooped a little more in the shoulders perhaps as he bends 15over a buffer, working a pair of pumps back and forth with complete absorption, all the long years of skill centred at the ends of his fingers, while I stand here quietly (not wanting to break the spell I’ve somehow started) 20for minutes before he notices me and nods. Polish immigrant before the War, hardly able to mouth an English word, he felt alien and lost among us. All the strength in his body, all his cunning, put to the service of his child, 25beautiful girl I can scarcely remember, early a piano virtuoso Well, he’s prospered, no longer lives above the store. I wonder if his wife’s still alive, if all goes well 30with his daughter. But he wouldn’t remember me, so why bother? Why not leave it all mercifully unknown? I asked him simply, 35“Can you stitch this up for tomorrow?” and he answers, “Sure.” I don’t ask for a ticket and he doesn’t offer one. I walk out slowly between his mirrors, his shoe boxes, 40close the door on thirty years gone forever" Question: 1.What is the meaning of virtuoso in line 26? F. A young teacher G. A popular student H. A good person J. A skilled performer 11.How does the poet’s use of sensory language in lines 4 through 6 help develop the idea of change over time? A. By emphasizing that the shoe store cannot keep up with modern trends B. By indicating that the shoe store is no longer as simple as it once was C. By suggesting that the shoe store is visited by several customers D. By showing that the shoe store is too cluttered for business 12.12. What do the parentheses in line 19 help the reader understand? F. The speaker’s main conflict G. The speaker’s relationship to the shoemaker H. The speaker’s feelings about the shoemaker J. The speaker’s internal monologue 13. Which event in the poem most directly contributes to the theme that the past cannot be revisited? A. The changes to the shoe-repair section B. The closing of the door C. The shoemaker’s success D. The speaker’s memory of the shoemaker’s daughter 14. What do the indentations throughout the poem help to convey? F. The speaker’s current thoughts and interactions with the shoemaker G. The speaker’s opinion about the shoemaker’s additions to the store H. The speaker’s desire to know more about the shoemaker’s life J. The speaker’s reason for hesitating to interrupt the shoemaker 15. Which lines from the poem best show the effects of the shoemaker’s efforts over time? A. Well, he’s prospered,/no longer lives above the store. (lines 27–28) B. no more bald/than he was then, (lines 12–13) C. Nothing’s changed much, except the front/is a shoe store complete with fancy mirrors, (lines 3–4) D. working a pair of pumps/back and forth with complete absorption, (lines 15–16) 16. How does the poet’s word choice in lines 1 and 2 contribute to the mood of the poem? F. By creating a feeling of gloom G. By suggesting a sense of regret H. By highlighting an indifferent attitude J. By establishing a sense of reflection 17. How does the setting of the shoe store contribute to a main theme of the poem? A. By establishing a mood of confidence B. By showing that change is inevitable C. By emphasizing the insecurities of the speaker D. By causing the speaker to eventually leave 18. Read this excerpt from lines 37 and 38 from the poem. I don’t ask for a ticket and he doesn’t offer one. What can the reader infer about the speaker based on the excerpt from these lines? G. The speaker trusts the shoemaker to repair his shoe. H. The speaker thinks it would be insulting to ask for a ticket. J. The speaker understands that his shoe is not difficult to repair.