The Boy in the Black Suit: Chapter 1 - Everything is Backward

The setting is important to the plot because it is where Matt -

• learns how others are treating him now.

• allows him to return to his normal life.

• attempts to talk to his friends.

• feels like he is in control of his life.

“Everybody was zipping by, bumping me, as I sort of floated through the halls like a zombie.” What does the simile in paragraph 1 suggest about Matt?

• He felt like he did not belong in school.

• He was at school, but he did not feel like he did before his mother’s death.

• Matt did not feel human.

• Matt was being walked over by others.

In paragraph 3, the word sympathetic means -

• somebody who shares the same interest as you.

• being able to understand somebody else’s sorrow or feelings.

• an arrangement that is the same on both parts.

• listening to other people speak.

What is the significance of the principal, Ms. Harris, walking Matt to his locker?

• Shows how others are treating him differently.

• Helps the reader understand how principals should behave.

• Expresses how much people care about Matt.

• Shows how Matt does not want anybody to comfort him.

The details in paragraph 7 help the reader infer that –

• Matt feels isolated by other people.

• Matt does not like to show his feelings.

• Matt thought the funeral was poorly coordinated.

• Matt is infuriated that his friend Chris could not make it to the funeral.

The author wrote this selection most likely to –

• persuade the reader to by sympathetic toward their friends.

• inform the readers on how people die.

• describe Matt’s first day of school.

• express how some people react to a tragedy

Which of these is an important idea expressed in the excerpt?

• Cherish your loved ones while they are alive.

• Your friends will not be there when you need them.

• Tragedies can change how others interact with you.

• School is important to attend no matter what is occurring in your life.