excerpt from "My Antonia" by Willa Cather Keystone

Read the sentence from the passage.

"Once when he sat down to chat, he told us that in the immigrant car ahead there was a family from 'across the water' whose destination was the same as ours."

Which emotion is conveyed through the use of the word chat?

• friendliness

• contemplation

• indifference

• embarrassment

Why does Jimmy not go and talk to the girl with the "brown eyes"?

• He is embarassed by the conductor.

• He wants to read his book.

• He wants to talk with the conductor.

• He is waiting to take a nap.

Read the sentence from the passage.

"The woman wore a fringed shawl tied over her head, and she carried a little tin trunk in her arms, hugging it as if it were a baby."

What idea does the author's use of simile help to communicate?

• The woman's possessions are too heavy for her.

• The woman is indifferent toward her possessions.

• The woman's possessions are precious to her.

• The woman knows how to care for her possessions.

What is the effect of the point of view in the passage?

• It creates a personal connection to all of the characters.

• It compares the thoughts and feelings of all the characters.

• It provides the subjective thoughts and feelings of the main character.

• It describes the objective thoughts and feelings of only minor characters.

Which word best describes the conductor?

• talkative

• humble

• arrogant

• diligent

How does the author's use of fiction as a literary form influence the passage?

• The use of fiction allows the conflict to be resolved in an improbable fashion.

• The use of fiction allows the setting to be conveyed as overly harsh and unforgiving.

• The use of fiction allows for the development of tension between more than one character.

• The use of fiction allows for the creation of characters who are both sympathetic and slightly exaggerated.

My Antonia was first published in 1918. Which literary trend from the early 1900s is best reflected in the passage?

• a focus on the complexities of life

• a concern about working conditions

• a concern about how prejudice affects people

• a focus on people who move to start a new life