The Flight of Icarus (Myth)

1. Daedalus made wings for himself and his son in order to . . .

• A teach his son to fly.

• B be more like the gods.

• C escape from the island of Crete.

• D show that he was an ingenious artist.

2. Why did Daedalus have “misgivings” while watching Icarus fly?

• A He thought that Icarus would be too afraid.

• B He thought that the wings would not be strong enough.

• C He thought that the winds would be too strong.

• D He thought that Icarus would be too bold and reckless.

3. RL3 Why did Icarus fly higher and higher into the sky? 

• A  He wanted to impress the shepherds and plowmen.    
• B  He did not know how to control his wings.
• C  He was bewitched by a sense of freedom.        
• D  He was obeying his father’s instructions. 

4. RL3 Daedalus first knew that his fears had come true when . . .     

• A  he saw feathers floating from the sky.
• B  he heard Icarus cry out to him.    
• C  he felt the heat of the sun.          
• D  he saw his son plunge into the sea. 

5. RL3 When Daedalus arrived safely in Sicily he . . . 

• A  buried his son.      
• B  built a temple.      
• C  made another pair of wings.
• D  rejoiced in his escape.

6. RL3 Daedalus could not follow Icarus into the sky because . . . 

• A  he was too heavy.
• B  he was too cautious.
• C  he was too slow.          
• D  he was too anxious.

7. RL3 How do you know The Flight of Icarus is a myth? 

• A. the king imprisoned them 
• B. it contains magic    
• C. the sun is represented as evil 
• D. it explains a historical event

8. RL3 Which sentence from the story is the climax? 

• A. “He flew higher and higher up into the blue sky until he reached the clouds”
• B. “Frantically he fluttered his arms, but no feathers remained to hold the air”               
• C. “He gathered the boy in his arms and flew to land”         
• D. “Daedalus arrived safely in Sicily where he built a temple to Apollo”

9. RL3 Daedalus was BEST known as:      

• A. a builder    
• B. a builder and an ingenious artist  
• C. defying the Gods    
• D. King Minos’s advisor 

10. RL2 All of the following would be acceptable theme statements EXCEPT. . .   

• A. You should honor the advice of adults
• B. Children should not push the limits and put themselves in harms way 
• C. It’s important for children to make their own mistakes       
• D. Mortals should not expect to have the same powers as Gods