Lamb to the Slaughter

PART A: Which statement identifies the theme of the text?

• There are some betrayals that cannot be forgiven.

• It is important to admit your guilt when you do something wrong.

• Always keep a calm and clear head during times of stress.

• People can act unpredictably when they are betrayed by someone they love.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• “But I’ve thought about it a good deal and I’ve decided the only thing to do is tell you right away. I hope you won’t blame me too much.” (Paragraph 33)

• . “At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head.” (Paragraph 42)

• “It was extraordinary, now, how clear her mind became all of a sudden. She began thinking very fast. As the wife of a detective, she knew quite well what the penalty would be.” (Paragraph 47)

• “All the old love and longing for him welled up inside her, and she ran over to him, knelt down beside him, and began to cry her heart out.” (Paragraph 76)

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.1

CCSS.RI.11-12.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

PART A: What is the meaning of “tranquil” in paragraph 3?

"Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he would come. There was a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did. The drop of a head as she bent over her sewing was curiously tranquil."

• relaxed

• excited

• dull

• happy

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

PART B: Which quote from paragraph 3 best supports the answer to Part A?

• “merely to please herself with the thought”

• “a slow smiling air about her,”

• “a wonderful translucent quality,”

• “she began to listen,”

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.1

CCSS.RI.11-12.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

"Her skin - for this was her sixth month with child - had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger, darker than before"

What does this sentence tell us?

• She's pregnant

• She's worried

• She's looking after children

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

"Her skin - for this was her sixth month with child - had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger, darker than before."

What does acquired mean?

• gained

• lost

• terrible

• dried out

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Why does Mary Maloney kill her husband Patrick?

• He's leaving her

• Pregnancy has made her crazy

• She's tired of looking after him

• She's having an affair

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Before he leaves her, what does Mary Maloney's life revolve around?

• Her husband, Patrick.

• Her pregnancy

• Her house

• Her job

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.4

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

Where does the title, "Lamb to the Slaughter", come from?

• The dinner they ate

• It's an allusion to the Bible - leading the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter

• The author's imagination

• It's onomatopoeia

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

What was the Maloney's usual habit for dinner on a Thursday night?

• They ate lamb

• They usually went out for dinner

• They had friends around

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.4

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1