Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage:
An exemplum is a story used to illustrate a broader moral or thematic point. It was often employed within religious sermons. Popular during the Middle Ages, this device featured prominently in collections of tales. These tales—both historical and legendary—were compiled for preachers to use in their teachings. In The Pardoner's Tale by Chaucer, the author uses an exemplum to convey the message "Greed is the root of all evil." He tells the story of three drunken revelers who set out to find and confront Death. Instead, they discover a treasure. In their greed, they kill one another to gain sole possession of the gold. By doing so, they meet Death in the end.
The term "exemplum," once tied to religious discourse, now applies more broadly to stories used in formal, nonreligious exhortations. For instance, in The Nun's Priest's Tale, Chaucer's Chanticleer employs this approach and presents at least ten exempla. He uses them to try to convince his skeptical wife, Dame Pertelote, that bad dreams can signal disaster. His efforts ultimately fail. Still, the use of exempla remains a compelling means of argumentation and moral instruction.
Which option best describes how exemplum is used in modern, everyday contexts?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
Correct Answer
It is widely applied to stories used in formal, nonreligious arguments
Explanation
The passage traces the evolution of the term "exemplum" from its historical origins to its modern application. The text explicitly states at the beginning of the second paragraph that the term, "once tied to religious discourse, now applies more broadly to stories used in formal, nonreligious exhortations." The word "exhortations" directly translates to communications or arguments intended to advise, persuade, or encourage, which perfectly matches option 4.
The alternative options are directly contradicted by the text. Option 1 incorrectly claims the device is still limited only to religious sermons. Option 2 introduces an absolute constraint regarding "only fictitious narratives" that is completely unsupported by the passage, which notes that the tales can be "both historical and legendary." Option 3 equates exemplum directly with allegory, an comparison not made anywhere in the text.
Key Point
Reading comprehension questions focusing on the evolution of a definition require locating the specific transition point in the text. By finding the line that describes the shift away from purely religious settings, you can confidently identify that its modern usage extends to formal, nonreligious contexts.