The Horned Toad

Front

According to the narrator, where do the neighborhood kids often play in "The Horned Toad"? Options: at the ranch, in the oil patch, in the vacant lot, at the stores in town

Back

in the vacant lot

Front

In "The Horned Toad," why does Grandma move in with the narrator's family?

Back

She is moving from house to house within the family to find the place she likes best.

Front

What does the narrator argue about with his aunts and uncles at the end of "The Horned Toad"?

Back

whether Grandma should be buried at her old ranch or in the city

Front

If Valerie's town has an abundance of wildlife, how might the town be described?

Back

It has a great deal of wildlife.

Front

Which of the following best shows the meaning of verdancy? a peaceful home, a bustling office, a thriving garden, a thundering storm

Back

a thriving garden

Front

If a building is vacant, what is true about it?

Back

The building is empty.

Front

Which of the following best describes the way the relationship between Grandma and the narrator's father, Charlie, changes over the course of "The Horned Toad"? Grandma and Charlie have always been close, and they bond further as she grows older. Grandma and Charlie are close at first, but they grow apart after a misunderstanding. While Grandma and Charlie have a tense relationship at first, they become close over time. Grandma and Charlie tolerate each other, but they sometimes have loud disagreements.

Back

While Grandma and Charlie have a tense relationship at first, they become close over time.

Front

Which of the following lines from "The Horned Toad" most clearly support the answer to Part A? Options: It was difficult for [Daddy] to show affection and I guess the openness of Mom's family made him uneasy. Later, just before they left, I heard Uncle Manuel tell my dad, "Good luck, Charlie. That old lady's dynamite." I wasn't afraid of my great-grandmother any longer and, once I began spending time with her on the porch, I realized that my father had also begun directing increased attention to the old woman. That following week, when Daddy brought her home from the hospital, she seemed to have shrunken.

Back

I wasn't afraid of my great-grandmother any longer and, once I began spending time with her on the porch, I realized that my father had also begun directing increased attention to the old woman.

Front

Which of the following lines from "The Horned Toad" best shows one of the central themes of the story? Options: The tone of her voice told me that the discussion had ended, so I released the little reptile where I'd captured him. It was difficult for him to show affection and I guess the openness of Mom's family made him uneasy. In truth, we had more room, and my dad made more money in the oil patch than almost anyone else in the family. Daddy squeezed her, hesitated as if to clear his throat, then answered, "When you're family, you take care of your own."

Back

"When you're family, you take care of your own."

Front

What does the horned toad symbolize in "The Horned Toad"?

Back

Grandma's desire to be in a familiar place