End of Generation Quiz

What is the "invisible thread" mentioned in "A Simple Act"?

• an important family tie

• the course of a person's life

• an adult's responsibility to a child

• the connection between two people

Which of the following is the best definition for connects?

• meets at a pre-selected time and place

• speaks to an unknown person

• establishes a relationship

• removes a covering

Part A

According to "A Simple Act," in what way has Laura gained the most from her relationship with Maurice?

• She feels that her existence has mattered.

• She has become welcoming to strangers.

• She has found someone who trusts her.

• She has become an admired celebrity.

Which statement best describes Laura's relationship with the grown Maurice and his family, according to "A Simple Act"?

• They have drifted apart and rarely speak.

• They have started a business partnership.

• She has become like one of his relatives.

• She still serves as an inspirational example.

Read this excerpt from "A Simple Act."

The boy lived in a single room in a welfare hotel with his mother and numerous other relatives. It was only two blocks away from Laura's home, but it might as well have been a different planet. As they talked over their lunch, Laura learned about the boy's life. She herself had not had an easy childhood, but what she heard shocked her.…

What commentary does Jackson make about the boy’s situation?

• He finds the boy's living conditions extremely bad.

• He considers the boy's relatives unsupportive.

• He thinks living in the boy's hotel would be exciting.

• He considers the boy's situation ordinary.

Read this excerpt from "A Simple Act."

The two continued sharing dinner every Monday, and a close bond formed between them.

. . . Maurice became almost like the child Laura had always wanted. One day, she offered to make lunch for Maurice and leave it with her doorman for him to pick up on his way to school. He asked her if she could put the lunch in a brown paper bag, because then the other kids would know that someone cared about him.

Which phrases from the excerpt are most likely to have a strong emotional effect?

• sharing dinner

• like the child Laura had always wanted

• put the lunch in a brown paper bag

• offered to make lunch

Which of these statements best portrays Maurice and Laura's relationship, as presented in the selection from An Invisible Thread?

• Maurice benefited from the relationship much more than Laura did.

• Laura benefited from the relationship much more than Maurice did.

• Laura and Maurice both benefitted enormously from the relationship.

• Neither Laura nor Maurice benefitted very much from the relationship.

According to the selection from An Invisible Thread, what main effect does Maurice believe Laura has had on him?

• A.She changed the direction of his life

• She taught him the true value of money.

• She helped him get along with other people.

• She taught him to value what he already had.

According to the selection from An Invisible Thread, in what main way did Maurice teach Laura about the gift of love?

• by the example of his marriage

• by giving Laura someone to love

• by always remembering his mother

• by showing what a child's love is like

How does Laura Schroff, the author and first-person narrator of An Invisible Thread, mainly share Maurice's thoughts and feelings about their relationship?

• by describing his actions at the dinner

• by describing his appearance at the dinner

• by providing the conversation that he and she had

• by providing a direct quotation of the toast he made