Ransom of Red Chief

Which sentence from the story is most likely meant to produce curiosity in the reader?

• “It looked like a good thing: but wait till I tell you.”

• “There was a town down there, as flat as a flannel-cake, and called Summit.”

• “We talked it over on the front steps of the hotel.”

• “We selected for our victim the only child of a prominent citizen named Ebenezer Dorset.”

What can the reader infer from the following passage?

• The kidnappers dislike journalism.

• The narrator and Bill think a rural setting is the best place to hatch their scheme.

• The narrator is having second thoughts about committing a crime.

• Summit is filled with criminals.

What does the following text reveal about Bill?

• He is fearful that Johnny’s father will punish him for kidnapping his son.

• He indulges his imagination when working on a kidnapping scheme.

• He is going to raise the ransom amount because he has been injured.

• Johnny recognizes Bill from a previous encounter.

What can the reader most likely infer about Johnny’s reaction to being kidnapped?

• He considers it an adventure.

• Johnny is desperate for his father to rescue him.

• He decides to plan his revenge.

• Johnny misses his mother terribly.

Which statement best describes Johnny’s relationship with his kidnappers?

• Johnny has injured the narrator’s shoulder.

• Johnny is planning his escape from Bill and the narrator.

• Johnny is terrified of Bill.

• The kidnappers are afraid of Johnny.

Which inference can be best made about Ebenezer Dorset?

• He hopes to take revenge on Bill.

• He is unwilling to pay the full ransom because he knows the captors are probably annoyed with Johnny.

• He is terribly distraught about his son’s disappearance.

• He wants his son to learn a lesson from the kidnapping.

Complete the sentence:

When the bear growled, it looked very ______.

• ferocious

• industriously

• philoprogenitiveness

• reconnoitre

Complete the sentence:

The couple worked _____ enough to be able to put down a payment on a house.

• ferocious

• industriously

• philoprogenitiveness

• reconnoitre

Complete the sentence:

_____ often runs deep in families with many children.

• ferocious

• industriously

• philoprogenitiveness

• reconnoitre

Complete the sentence:

The army sent a scout ahead to _____ the enemy camp.

• ferocious

• industriously

• philoprogenitiveness

• reconnoitre