Caged Bird Vocabulary

Which lines from the poem show that the caged bird has never been free?

• “his wings are clipped and / his feet are tied / so he opens his throat to sing.” (lines 12–14)

• “his tune is heard / on the distant hill / for the caged bird / sings for freedom.” (lines 19–22)

• “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams / his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream” (lines 27–28)

• “The caged bird sings / with a fearful trill / of things unknown / but longed for still” (lines 31–34)

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which lines from the poem show that the caged bird has never been free?

• “his wings are clipped and / his feet are tied / so he opens his throat to sing.” (lines 12–14)

• “his tune is heard / on the distant hill / for the caged bird / sings for freedom.” (lines 19–22)

• “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams / his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream” (lines 27–28)

• “The caged bird sings / with a fearful trill / of things unknown / but longed for still” (lines 31–34)

Choose the best synonym of “intolerant” in the phrase, “I must always be intolerant of ignorance”

• a.  Unaccepting
  
• b.  Narrow-minded
  
• c.   Prejudiced
• d.   Discriminatory
  

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

Choose the quote that best demonstrates Maya’s knowledge of how to overcome intolerance:

• a.  “Language is man’s way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him from the lower animals.”
  
• b.   “As I ate she began the first of what we later called ‘lessons in living.”
  
• c.   “Words mean more that what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with meaning.”
  
• d.   “She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit.”
  

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Which statement best describes the theme of this story?

• a.   It is best to listen to adults who have wisdom.
  
• b.   Written language is important to bringing people together.
  
• c.  It is important to self-educate through reading and sharing knowledge.
  
• d.   The most feeling is to be respected by others.
  

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

Vocabulary Question MC: “It seemed so valid and poetic.” Based on the previous sentence from line 22, the best antonym of “valid” would be…

• a.  Sound 
• b. Well-rounded 
• c. Illogical
• d. Sympathetic

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Vocabulary Follow-Up MC: Which text evidence best supports the definition of the word “valid”?

• a.   “Language is man’s way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him from the lower animals.”
  
• b.  “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with the shades of deeper meaning.”
  
• c.  “That was a totally new idea to me, and I would need time to think about it.”
  
• d.  “Your grandmother says you read a lot. Every chance you get. That’s good, but not good enough.”
  

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Secondary Skill Question MC: Which choice does not show an example of metaphor or simile?

• a.  “Mrs. Bertha was the aristocrat of Black Stamps” 
  
• b.  “She had the grace and control to appear warm in the coldest weather.”
  
• c.  “Her printed voile dresses and flowered hates were as right for her as denim overalls for a farmer.” 
  
• d.  “Her skin was a rich black that would have peeled like a plum if snagged.”
  

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5