Directions:(1-10) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

It’s strange that most comic book collectors and dealers have never heard of Pop Hollinger. This 47-year-old retired teacher from Concordia, Kansas was the first dealer who bought and sold old novels, pulp magazines, magazines and comic books. Hollinger ran his shop from 1939 in Concordia, during the deep economic Depression, to 1971. Whether thousands of comic book dealers today have or never heard of Pop Hollinger, they follow in his footsteps: selling, buying and trading them.

Mr. Hollinger started his business selling periodicals in a basement underneath a grocery store. He sold almost anything he owned, including classic paperback novels published by Pocket Books for 25 cents each. Soon, he grew his business, selling used pulps, paperbacks, magazines, and comic books. He specialized in comics which were quickly becoming popular. After a few years, he ran a vibrant business, even expanding his business which included as many as 15 to 20 outlets around Concordia. Hollinger even popularized a mail order service for interested buyers across the country. Selling through mail ordering made Pop realize that there was a demand for back issues. For this purpose, he would store issues for future business. For 20 or 30 cents a week a person could receive five or ten comics, respectively. This was an unbeatable bargain when you could buy one at the local newspaper stand for 10 cents.

1939 was a special year for comic books, which featured, for the first time, superheroes. No doubt he would have owned the most famous, such as: Action Comics #1 (first appearance of Superman), Detective Comics #27 (first appearance of Batman), Superman #1, Batman #1, Wonder Woman #1, All-Star, All-Flash, Timely Comics (future Marvel Comics) and Fawcett Comics. These “Golden Age” comics became “super” sellers. But there were also many other others on the market.

Hollinger used radically unorthodox methods for preserving each of his books, because he knew kids could easily tear them up, and many mothers threw them out in the trash. Pop soon found out comics did not wear well under constant buying, selling, and trading. So, he bound the books with brown or green tape around the spine and on the inside to preserve them from being torn apart. He also knew that comics were made of pulp which attracted insects, so he treated them with special chemicals that repelled them. He even took out the original staples, replacing them with new ones. Finally, he pressed them flat using a press of his own design that exerted several hundred pounds of pressure. Today’s collector or dealer would never use this method of preservation because it would ruin the book’s value. Instead, dealers and collectors carefully put the books in Mylar bags and insert a cardboard backing, so they won’t bend or tear. Even so, Hollinger deserves credit for creating his own method of preserving them.

By 1942, there were roughly 50 comic book publishers. Each publisher produced at least 30 different ones, which totalled to several thousand different issues circulating per month! So, Pop felt the need to publish a comic book catalogue. Comics came in all kinds of genres: science fiction, detective, fantasy, spy, humour, romance and many others. He owned so many of the same issues. So, it’s no wonder he thought that selling comics could be profitable. According to the eBay website, his business ads stated: “Old or used comic books are worth money. We pay from 1c to $1.00 each for certain old comics… Be among the first in your community to collect old comics.” In this same ad, Pop claimed to “carry a large assortment of every comic book published.”

Between 1961 until he closed his business, ten years later, Hollinger began selling brand new superhero comic books created mainly by Marvel Comics. In November of 1961, Marvel published the first issue of the “Fantastic Four”- a group of new superheroes who became very popular. Fantastic Four #1 started the “Marvel Age” of comics. Other “Marvel Age” superheroes were soon introduced: Spiderman, Ironman, Thor, the Hulk, Antman, and Captain America (brought back from World War 2). All comic (not just Marvel) published from 1956 to 1969, became known as the “Silver Age” of comics. Today, many of the early issues published by Marvel are worth almost as much as those printed in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Pop Hollinger was a rare businessman who had foreseen the value of comic books. Who knew how he thought that comic books were of value to be read and collected, not read and thrown away? Nobody would have thought to start such a dealership, especially in the late 1930’s during the Great Depression. As a matter of fact, it would have been “comical” to have started a comic book dealership. Pop beat the odds by starting a business almost no one would have ever considered. If you ever come across an old comic with either brown or green tape along the spine, you probably would have a classic pulp gem owned by the legendary dealer himself.

1.  What is the author’s main purpose behind writing the passage?

Ans:4
A and C can be straightforwardly eliminated as the passage is not about the history of pre-owned comic book shops nor it is about the origins of pawn shops i.e. shops which loan money/credit to people who bring in valuable items which they leave with the shop owners.
The passage is all about Pop Hollinger who was the first dealer who bought and sold old novels. But, the author isn’t eulogizing the legendary dealer. Eulogizing means to praise, usually a deceased person, formally. The author tries to walk us through his life as a pre-owned comic books dealer. So, B can also be eliminated.
E is also incorrect. From the first line of the passage i.e. “It’s strange that most comic book collectors and dealers have never heard of Pop Hollinger”, it is evident that Pop isn’t very famous.
D resonates with the ideas mentioned in the passage perfectly. Thus, it is the correct answer.

2. Which of the following is/are TRUE as per the passage?

Ans:1
Only A is true as per the passage.
B is incorrect as it is mentioned in the passage that he also dealt in novels and other books. Comics were his speciality.
C is also incorrect. Towards the end of the fourth passage the author mentions that it is the modern way of preserving the comic books.
D is also false as it is mentioned that he started his business in the basement of a grocery store.
Thus, A is the correct answer.

3. What is the author’s take on Pop’s method of preserving comic books?

Ans:2
Refer to the following lines from the fourth para-
“he pressed them flat using a press of his own design that exerted several hundred pounds of pressure. Today’s collector or dealer would never use this method of preservation because it would ruin the book’s value. Instead, dealers and collectors carefully put the books in Mylar bags and insert a cardboard backing, so they won’t bend or tear. Even so, Hollinger deserves credit for creating his own method of preserving them.”
So, the author wouldn’t agree that his methods were best in his times. B correctly reflects the author’s take on his preserving techniques.
Thus, B is the correct answer.

4. According to the passage, what was the ‘Silver Age of Comics’?

Ans:5
In the sixth para, the author says that ‘All comic (not just Marvel) published from 1956 to 1969, became known as the “Silver Age” of comics.’
So, E is the correct answer.

5. Choose an appropriate title for the passage.

Ans:3
We have seen that the passage is all about the first comic book dealer- Pop Hollinger.
So, A and D are not the right fit.
B is incorrect as Pop didn’t revolutionize comic books. He was the first one to realize the value of old comic books.
E is also incorrect. A dabbler is a person who has a shallow interest in some activity. But, we can see that Pop wasn’t a dabbler. He had a full-fledged comic book’s business.
C perfectly sums up the essence of the passage. Thus, C is the correct answer.

6. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the word ‘vibrant’ as used in the passage?

Ans:4
WordWeb defines ‘Vibrant’ as vigorous and animated or something that is bright and striking.
Among the options only ‘lively’ expresses a similar meaning.

7. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the word ‘exert’ as used in the passage?

Ans:1
WordWeb defines ‘exert’ as put to use or apply something.
For example: He exerts his power and influence.
Among the options, only ‘apply’ expresses a similar meaning.

8. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the word ‘assortment’ as used in the passage?

Ans:5
‘Assortment’ means a collection of things of different kind and variety.
Among the options, only E ‘mixture’ expresses a similar meaning.

9. Which of the following is most opposite in meaning to the word ‘unorthodox’ as used in the passage?

Ans:1
Unorthodox is something that is unusual, different, unconventional, etc.
Thus, A is an apt antonym for this word.

10. Which of the following is most opposite in meaning to the word ‘repel’ as used in the passage?

Ans:3
WordWeb defines ‘Repel’ as force or drive back. Thus, its antonym must be similar in meaning to ‘attract’.
Among the options only ‘entice’ is one such word. Thus, C is the correct answer.

 

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