The Leap

Which of the following describes the narrator's mother?

• She struggles to remember her past as a trapeze artist when she loses her vision.

• Her past as a trapeze artist helps her move around now that she is blind.

• She is blind because of her past experiences as a trapeze artist.

• Her past is something she talks about often with her family.

The narrator’s mother was…

• a fearless and skilled trapeze artist.

• constantly afraid of falling during her act.

• distracted from her act by her pregnancy.

• never in any real danger as a trapeze artist.

What is the first reason the narrator owes their existence to their mother?

• Their mother’s calm decision to save herself.

• Their mother’s brave choice to save her partner’s life.

• Their mother’s fear that caused her not to make a decision.

• Their mother’s anxiety about rescuing people from the collapsing tent.

How does the narrator feel about the sister they never met?

• They view the unborn baby as their sister.

• They miss the baby as much as their mother does.

• They feel regretful that they could never meet.

• They feel a distant sense of connection to the baby.

While in the hospital, the narrator’s mother and father…

• teach each other, read, and fall in love.

• read and write books about life in the circus.

• discover a love for travel books and exploration.

• read, share stories about love, and plan to travel the world.

What surprising choices does the narrator’s mother make after the circus accident?

• She chooses to travel the world and continue her husband’s circus dream.

• She remarries and starts a new family in the town where she lost her first family.

• She continues to travel with the circus and perform her act alone.

• She decides to stay in the town and raise her child by herself.

What does the narrator do when the house catches on fire?

• They panic and don’t remember what to do.

• They give up and wait for the fire to reach them.

• They frantically look for a way out and find more fire.

• They calmly do what they practiced in the event of a fire.

What is the third reason the narrator owes their existence to their mother?

• Their mother encourages the narrator to jump out of the window and to her.

• Their mother uses her trapeze artist skills to rescue the narrator from the fire.

• Their mother borrows a ladder from the firefighters to reach the narrator.

• Their mother uses a secret passage into the house to avoid the flames.

Which statement best expresses the theme of the short story?

• A person’s second love is their truest love.

• Time slows down for people when they are in danger.

• A person can become courageous when protecting a loved one.

• It’s important for a mother to remain courageous and full of love after a tragedy.

Which piece of evidence best reveals the mother’s willingness to risk her life for her child?

• “She has kept no sequined costume, no photographs, no feathers or posters from that part of her youth.” ( Paragraph 2)

• “I came home to read to my mother, to read out loud, read long into the dark if I must, to read all night.” ( Paragraph 15

• “my mother's leap through the ice-dark air toward that thinnest extension, and how she broke the branch falling so that it cracked in her hands” ( Paragraph 23)

• “I slowly wondered what would happen if we missed the circle or bounced out of it. Then I wrapped my hands around my mother’s hands.” ( Paragraph 25)