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TOPIK II · Reading · Questions 42–43 · Level 5–6

Literary passage

문학 작품 (심정·내용)

Read a literary excerpt (novel or personal essay) for Q42–43: choose the character's feeling in the underlined part and the statement that matches the passage.

Test tips

  1. Read the questions first to see whose feeling is asked ('나', the mother, the old man…), then find the underlined part and read the 2–3 sentences just before it – the event that has just happened determines the emotion.
  2. Feelings are usually shown indirectly through the body and actions: 얼굴이 화끈거리다 (shame), 콧등이 시큰하다 (being moved), 입술을 깨물다 (feeling wronged, holding back), 우두커니 서 있다 (helplessness), 가슴이 후련하다 (relief). 'Translate' the description into an emotion adjective.
  3. Common trap: an option that is a real feeling in the passage but at another moment (earlier, what the character expected to feel with -ㄹ 줄 알았는데, or another character's feeling). Choose only the feeling in the underlined part.
  4. Master the easily confused adjectives: 서운하다/섭섭하다 (let down) – 억울하다 (wronged) – 민망하다/부끄럽다 (embarrassed, ashamed) – 안쓰럽다 (pitying) – 허탈하다 (drained, hollow) – 홀가분하다 (unburdened) – 막막하다 (at a loss) – 초조하다 (anxious, restless).
  5. Content question: check each option against concrete details (who did what, when, how long). Wrong options usually swap the subject, change a time or number, or reverse the outcome.
  6. Suggested time: about 2 minutes 30 seconds for the pair; don't try to understand every literary word – follow the chain of events.

Signal words and patterns

When you see these in a question, they point to the answer or to a trap.

  • 얼굴이 화끈거리다
  • 콧등이 시큰하다
  • 가슴이 뭉클하다
  • 입술을 깨물다
  • 눈앞이 뿌옇다
  • 우두커니
  • 한숨
  • -ㄹ 줄 알았는데
  • 그제야
  • 나도 모르게

Worked examples

정우가 회사를 그만둔 지 석 달이 지났지만 아내는 아직 그 사실을 몰랐다. 그는 여전히 아침 일곱 시면 넥타이를 매고 집을 나섰다. 갈 곳이 마땅치 않은 그가 하루를 보내는 곳은 집에서 두 정거장 떨어진 구립 도서관이었다. 창가 구석 자리에 앉아 구인 광고를 오려 수첩에 붙이다 보면 점심때가 금세 돌아왔다. 그날도 신문을 펼쳐 들고 있는데 누군가 책상을 톡톡 두드렸다. 고개를 들자 교복 차림의 딸 은지가 서 있었다. “아빠? 여기서 뭐 해? 회사는?” 정우는 손에 든 신문을 접지도 펴지도 못한 채 입만 달싹거렸다. 은지는 잠시 아빠를 바라보더니 가방에서 캔 커피 하나를 꺼내 책상 위에 올려놓았다. “나 기말고사 때문에 요즘 여기 다녀. 엄마한테는 아직 말 안 할게. 아빠도 힘내.” 딸이 열람실 안으로 사라진 뒤에도 정우는 한참 동안 미지근한 캔을 손에 쥔 채 앉아 있었다.
Translation

Three months had passed since Jeong-u quit his company, but his wife still didn't know. He still put on a tie and left home at seven every morning. With nowhere in particular to go, he spent his days at the district library two bus stops from home. Sitting in a corner seat by the window, cutting out job ads and pasting them into a notebook, lunchtime soon came round. That day, too, he was holding an open newspaper when someone tapped on the desk. He looked up to see his daughter Eun-ji standing there in her school uniform. 'Dad? What are you doing here? What about work?' <u>Jeong-u could neither fold nor open the newspaper in his hands; his lips only twitched.</u> Eun-ji looked at him for a moment, then took a can of coffee from her bag and put it on the desk. 'I've been coming here lately for my finals. I won't tell Mum yet. Hang in there, Dad.' Even after she disappeared into the reading room, Jeong-u sat for a long time holding the lukewarm can.

밑줄 친 부분에 나타난 ‘정우’의 심정으로 가장 알맞은 것을 고르십시오.

Explanation

Step 1: read the underlined sentence, then the situation right before it. Jeong-u has been hiding his resignation and is suddenly found in the library by his daughter, who asks '회사는?'. Step 2: look at the body language – '신문을 접지도 펴지도 못한 채 입만 달싹거렸다' (he can neither fold nor open the paper, his lips just twitch) shows he is flustered and at a loss. So the answer is '당황스럽다' (embarrassed, flustered). '홀가분하다' (relieved) might come later, after his daughter's kindness, but not in the underlined part. Nothing suggests resentment (원망스럽다) or pride (자랑스럽다).

Words in this question · sign in to save words

  • 마땅하다
  • 구립
  • 구인 광고
  • 달싹거리다
  • 미지근하다
  • 열람실

위 글의 내용으로 알 수 있는 것을 고르십시오.

Explanation

For the content question, check each option against the text. The opening says '회사를 그만둔 지 석 달이 지났지만 아내는 아직 그 사실을 몰랐다', and he still leaves in a tie as if going to work – he is hiding his resignation from his family, so option 4 is correct. Option 1 is wrong because he has quit; he goes to the library to look for job ads. Option 2 is wrong: Eun-ji comes to study for her finals ('기말고사 때문에'), meeting him by chance. Option 3 is wrong because she says '엄마한테는 아직 말 안 할게'.

Words in this question · sign in to save words

  • 그만두다
  • 퇴직
  • 숨기다
  • 기말고사
  • 교복

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