Allusions

Allusion is defined as ___________.

• Two lines working as a unit

• A reference to a famous person, place, or event

• A form of wordplay with similar sounds

• Words that involve incorporating of at least of the five senses

The superhero Spider-Man possesses a spidey sense that warns him of impending trouble. What is the meaning of the allusion in the following sentence? Luther picked up his pace on the trail as his spidey sense began to tingle.

• Sense of smell

• Sense of curiosity

• Sense of excitement

• Sense of danger

In the story, a Christmas Carol, a penny-pinching and bitter Ebenezer Scrooge values money more than people. What is the meaning of the allusion in the following sentence? Our neighbor has a reputation for being a Scrooge, so we don't stop at his door anymore when we are fundraising.

• Kind

• Stingy

• Generous

• Scary

In Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, which President was he alluding to when he began with "Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation."

• George Washington

• Ronald Reagan

• Abraham Lincoln

• John F. Kennedy

Which of the following would NOT be considered an allusion?

• We will miss him so much because he was the greatest dog in the world.

• His wife was his Achilles' heel.

• He lies so much that I'm surprised his nose doesn't grow like Pinocchio's.

• She transformed her backyard to look like the Garden of Eden.

He was constantly trying to impress people by making __________ to obscure works of literature that no one had ever heard of.

• illusions

• allusions

Which of the following sentences is an example of an allusion?

• That little girl is as mean as a snake!

• The ocean swallowed up the boat.

• He's a real Romeo with the ladies.

• You are a shining star!

In "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," a shepherd boy repeatedly tricks people by claiming that a wolf is coming to eat his flock of sheep. When a wolf actually comes, the boy cries for help, but no one believes that he's telling the truth, so they don't help him. What is the meaning of the allusion in the following sentence? Lucy warned her youngest son not to cry wolf while wrestling with his older brother.

• To make howling noises

• To not be so aggressive

• To raise a false alarm

• To not get hurt