"Ruthless" by William de Mille
Authored by Ersertavia Ford
English
8th - 9th Grade
CCSS covered
Used 113+ times
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About
This quiz focuses on literary analysis of William de Mille's short story "Ruthless," targeting 8th and 9th grade English Language Arts students. The questions assess students' ability to analyze character development, understand literary devices like irony and symbolism, identify themes, and interpret textual evidence. Students need strong reading comprehension skills to extract meaning from specific paragraphs, analyze character motivations and relationships, and understand how plot elements contribute to the overall theme. The quiz emphasizes close reading strategies, requiring students to return to specific paragraphs for context clues and evidence. Students must demonstrate understanding of vocabulary in context, recognize situational irony, interpret symbolism (such as the significance of the character's surname "Webb"), and analyze how dialogue and character interactions advance the plot. The questions progress from basic comprehension to higher-order thinking skills, asking students to evaluate how literary elements work together to create meaning and support the story's central theme about revenge and consequences. Created by Ersertavia Ford, an English teacher in the US who teaches grades 8 and 9. This comprehensive assessment serves multiple instructional purposes, functioning effectively as a summative assessment after students complete reading "Ruthless," as homework to reinforce close reading skills, or as a review activity before discussing themes of justice and revenge in literature. The quiz supports differentiated instruction by including both straightforward comprehension questions and more complex analytical tasks that challenge students to synthesize information across multiple paragraphs. Teachers can use this formatively to identify students who need additional support with textual analysis or inferential reasoning. The assessment aligns with Common Core standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1 and RL.9.1 for citing textual evidence, RL.8.2 and RL.9.2 for determining themes, RL.8.3 and RL.9.3 for analyzing character development and plot progression, and RL.8.4 and RL.9.4 for determining word meanings and analyzing author's choices. This quiz effectively measures students' mastery of essential literary analysis skills while engaging them with a compelling narrative that explores universal themes of morality and consequence.
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19 questions
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1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
According to paragraph 2, what is the meaning of the term "grimly"?
harsh
embarrassed
concerned
serious
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.9-10.4
CCSS.RI.8.4
CCSS.RI.9-10.4
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
What is the purpose of paragraph 1?
Paragraph 1 reveals the somber tone that will be revealed in the text.
Paragraph 1 presents the setting and how the atmosphere reflects the season.
Paragraph 1 details the revelation that will come to someone who is beyond ruthless to others.
Paragraph 1 gives a description of the characters that will evolve throughout the text.
Tags
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.RL.8.2
CCSS.RI.8.2
CCSS.RI. 9-10.2
3.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
In paragraph 2, the author states, "Not even his wife was allowed to have a key, for Judson Webb loved his personal possessions and felt a sense of deep outrage if they were touched by any hand but his own." What does this express about Judson's character?
This quote expresses the lack of understanding anyone has for Judson's prized possessions.
The quote details the nature of love Judson has towards his wife.
The quote expresses how serious and how possessive Judson is about his items.
The quote expresses the reason why Judson wants to eliminate anyone who touches his belongings.
Tags
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.RI.8.1
CCSS.RL.7.1
CCSS.RL.8.1
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
Paragraph 10 states, "Her eyes narrowed as she watched him." What does this statement reveal about how she feels towards her husband?
She no longer wants to be around her husband.
She is indifferent about the nature of his actions.
She is worried about how his actions will affect their family.
She is very suspicious of what he attempting to do.
Tags
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
CCSS.RI.8.1
CCSS.RL.7.1
CCSS.RL.8.1
CCSS.RI. 9-10.1
5.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
When he drops the tablets into the liquor, Judson states, "At least no one has found an antidote: once it’s down its curtains." Which of the following BEST expresses the meaning of the phrase "down its curtains"? **Look back at paragraph 14 to help you determine the meaning.**
To meet the end of the stage
To complete its journey
To reach its destination, in this case, throat to stomach
To make a new substance
Tags
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.9-10.4
CCSS.RI.8.4
CCSS.RI.9-10.4
CCSS.RI.7.4
6.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
What punishment does Judson want to give the thief?
He wants to harm the thief
He wants to sympathize with the thief when he returns
He wishes to eliminate the thief for good
He wishes to welcome the thief into his home, as he is presenting liquor for the thief.
Tags
CCSS.RL.9-10.3
CCSS.RL.6.3
CCSS.RL.6.6
CCSS.RL.7.6
CCSS.RL.8.6
7.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
What lesson does Judson present in paragraph 21?
Judson shows the nature of being a thief, no matter how minute, deserves punishment all the same.
Judson presents the idea that any thief can be forgiven.
Judson reveals that being a thief can have some consequences but should be dealt with differently.
Judson describes how thieves can change, just as he had in the past.
Tags
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.RL.8.2
CCSS.RI.8.2
CCSS.RI.7.2
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