"Here Lies Arthur"

Read the excerpt from paragraph 5.

"Everyone loves a story," he always said. And whatever Arthur did, Myrddin could turn it into a story so simple and clean that everyone would want to hear it, and hold it in their hearts, and take it out from time to time to polish it and see it shine, and pass it on to their friends and children.

What does the author's metaphor reveal about the villagers' attitudes toward Myrddin?

• The villagers feel that Myrddin makes King Arthur's adventures much more believable.

• The villagers feel that Myrddin's stories are too plain to be believed but are good for amusement.

• The villagers feel that Myrddin makes King Arthur's deeds shine brighter than any other man's deeds.

• The villagers feel that Myrddin's words are to be cherished and shared with others.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.4

Read the sentence from paragraph 5.

It was funny to see the way people bathed in his stories, believing every word.

What is the meaning of the phrase "bathed in" as it is used in the sentence?

• absorbed

• covered

• purified

• showered

Tags

CCSS.L.8.4A

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

Why is the information provided in paragraph 6 significant to the character development in the passage?

• It emphasizes Myrddin's abilities as a storyteller.

• It reveals the villagers' actual feelings about King Arthur.

• It introduces Myrddin's abilities as a doctor.

• It suggests King Arthur's war-band is unbeatable.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.3

How does the author's use of dramatic irony in paragraphs 5-6 create the effect of humor for the reader?

• The reader recognizes the disconnect between Myrddin's fantastical stories and his poor harp playing, which creates a humorous image.

• The reader becomes aware of the fact that Myrddin creates most of his stories, and thus the reader can laugh at the villagers' responses to the stories.

• The reader recognizes the narrator's true identity, and thus the imagery of the narrator dressed as a boy becomes humorous.

• The reader becomes aware of the terrible things King Arthur has done in the villages, which makes Myrddin's positive stories seem laughable.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.6

Part A

Select two themes that are represented in the passage.

• Words can influence one's opinions of others.

• Some people will believe anything they are told.

• One's outer appearance does not represent what is inside one's heart.

• Telling the truth is better than telling a lie.

• The beauty of nature is found in the simplest places.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.2

Part B

Select two quotations to support the themes chosen in question 5.

• "We traveled sometimes on old Roman roads that looked like a god had made them, for what mortal could build roads that wide and straight?" (paragraph 2)

• "The sounds Myrddin plucked from it weren't beautiful, nor meant to be. They were just a stream of sound for him to set his words afloat on." (paragraph 3)

• "And funniest of all was the feeling I had that even if I'd told them the truth, they would all have believed Myrddin's account over my own." (paragraph 5)

• "Some people knew a different tale about a sword. They'd seen the symbol stitched upon the war-band's battle flag, and a story had grown up about a sword wedged in a stone, and how Arthur had freed it to prove that he was Uther's son and heir to old Ambrosius." (paragraph 7)

• "I liked the Arthur of the stories better, but some of his bravery and mystery rubbed off on the real man, so that when we came back to Arthur's place in the harvest and I saw him again, I could not help but think of the time he had captured that glass castle in the Irish Sea, or sliced the Black Witch into two halves, like two tubs."

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.W.8.9A

Which quotation from the passage contains figurative language?

• "It was that time of spring they call Blackthorn Winter, when blossoms lie white on the hedge banks like fresh snow." (paragraph 1)

• "Now and then we went into some old town where men still tried to act like Roman citizens, despite the trees that were sprouting in their streets..." (paragraph 2)

• "There was a lake in Brechiniog where Arthur had seen islands that floated on the water and never rested twice in the same place." (paragraph 4)

• "It started to seem that there were two Arthurs: the hard man who had burned villages, and another one who lived in Myrddin's stories..." (paragraph 8)

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

CCSS.RL.8.4

What do Myrddin and the narrator know that the villagers do not?

• Myrddin is a magician.

• The narrator is a hostage.

• King Arthur is actually a good man.

• The villagers are being deceived.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.W.8.9A

Part A

Read paragraph 9.

Myrddin said he was not an enchanter, but he worked magic all right. He turned me into a boy, and he turned Arthur into a hero.

What do the sentences reveal about Myrddin?

• Myrddin is a magician and can trick people into believing what he wants them to believe.

• Myrddin is a gifted entertainer, providing music and words to tell stories of King Arthur.

• Myrddin is able to compel people to do and see things they do not wish to do and see.

• Myrddin is able to use words to transform how people view King Arthur and his deeds.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.3

Part B

Which two quotations from the passage support the answer to question 9?

• "And each night Myrddin unwrapped his harp and told his tales of Arthur." (paragraph 2)

• "And what words! To people who had never left the valleys they were born in, Myrddin brought news of the wide world and tales of the wonders of Britain." (paragraph 4)

• "I am the story-spinning physician who keeps his reputation in good health." (paragraph 6)

• "The stories kept changing, too, but that didn't seem to matter." (paragraph 7)

• "...some of his bravery and mystery rubbed off on the real man..." (paragraph 8)

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1