Setting & Plot

Read the passage.

The basement was dark and damp. Joe and Angela searched for the lights, but couldn't find any. They had to rely on their senses. Feeling along the walls, their hands tangled with cobwebs. Then, they found a door, but it turned out to be a small cupboard. After searching for several minutes, Angela found a closet. They ran their hands across the old clothes, looking for a wool coat belonging to Joe's grandfather.

What is the setting of this passage?

• inside an old coat

• a small cupboard

• a dark and damp basement

• inside an old coat

At which stage in a story is the conflict at its most dramatic?

• the exposition

• the climax

• the resolution

• the rising action

Read the passage.

Eliot stared at the giant rollercoaster. Then, remembering his little sister, he called out to her. Turning around, he realized with a shock that she was gone. Eliot ran through the packs of people, searching everywhere. Finally, he stopped under a tree to catch his breath. Where could Sierra be? And how would he ever find her in this crowded park?

How does the setting affect the plot?

• It only tells where the story takes place.

• It tells important details about the story.

• It makes the conflict more complicated.

• It tells when the story takes place.

Which of the following best summarizes the different roles of setting in a story?

• identifies characters, serves as a backdrop for the action, and resolves the story

• serves as a backdrop for the action, affects conflict, and creates mood

• develops characters, creates mood, and explains the plot

• creates mood, identifies the conflict, and builds the story to a climax

Which of these is the best definition of setting?

• the time and place of a story

• the atmosphere of a story

• the way a story moves from one event to the next

• the way a character moves through a story

Does the setting in each passage help create the conflict?

They huddled around the radio. Outside, the hurricane raged. Rain and wind whipped the palm trees; the walls shook. But the radio was clear: no rescue helicopters were coming. And their food was running short.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Does the setting in each passage help create the conflict?

That morning in the kitchen, Luis flipped through the paper to find his interview. But when he read it, he gasped. The reporter had promised to tell his side of the story. Instead, she had twisted his words!

• TRUE

• FALSE