"Little Things Are Big"- Reading

What main problem does the young woman with three children have as she travels on the subway in “Little Things Are Big”?

• She has difficulty traveling on the train and through the station because of her burdens.

• She cannot ask anyone on the train for help because she cannot speak English.

• She refuses help from any person who is not white because of her biases.

• She does not know whether she is on the right train for her destination.

Which statement best describes the conflict that the narrator of “Little Things Are Big,” a black man, faces when he sees the white woman in need of help?

• He does not want to help the white woman, but he fears that if he does not, the other passengers will think he is uncaring.

• He wants to help the white woman, but he is afraid she will react negatively to a black man she does not know.

• He wants to help the white woman, but a white man steps forward to offer help first.

• He does not want to help the white woman, but he feels guilty about ignoring her.

In “Little Things Are Big,” what decision about the conflict does the narrator make, and why?

• He decides not to help the woman, because he does not care what anyone else thinks.

• He decides to help the woman, because his Puerto Rican heritage and his feelings demand it.

• He decides not to help the woman, because he is afraid that she will scream and get him into trouble.

• He decides to help the woman, because he wants to prove to her that her prejudice against blacks and Puerto Ricans is wrong.

How does the narrator feel about his decision at the end of “Little Things Are Big”?

• He feels relief that he will never have to make that kind of decision again.

• He feels anger toward the woman because she was afraid of him and refused his help.

• He feels pride in his Puerto Rican heritage, which helped him make the right decision.

• He feels shame for not helping the woman, along with a determination to act differently in the future.

What is the most likely meaning of courtesy in this statement from “Little Things Are Big”?

Courtesy is a characteristic of Puerto Rican. . . . The ancestral manners that the most illiterate Puerto Rican passes on from father to son were struggling inside me.

• a hunger to learn

• generous gift-giving

• considerate, respectful behavior toward others

• free services offered to people who cannot afford them

If a person is prejudiced toward a certain group of people, then which of the following must be true? Base your answer on the meaning of prejudiced.

But how could I, a black and a Puerto Rican, approach this white lady who very likely might have prejudices against blacks and everybody with foreign accents, in a deserted subway station very late at night? . . . Perhaps the lady was not prejudiced after all. Or not prejudiced enough to scream at the coming of a black man toward her in a solitary subway station a few hours past midnight.

• The person sees what members of the group are like before forming opinions about them.

• The person has negative views of most or all members of the group.

• The person is fair in his or her opinions regarding the group.

• The person is unfamiliar with any members of the group.

What is the meaning of insensitive in the following quotation from “Little Things Are Big”?

I passed on by her as if I saw nothing. As if I was insensitive to her needs. Like a rude animal walking on two legs, I just moved on half running by the long subway platform leaving the children and the valise and her with the baby on her arm.

• too busy to help

• too angry to help

• not caring about her need

• not sure of how to respond

^{I passed on by her as if I saw nothing. As if I was insensitive to her needs. Like a rude animal walking on two legs, I just moved on half running by the long subway platform leaving the children and the valise and her with the baby on her arm.}

Which words from the quotation best support the answer to Part A?

• passed on by her as if I saw nothing

• like a rude animal walking on two legs

• half running by the long subway platform

• leaving the children and the valise and her

Here was I, way past midnight, face-to-face with a situation that could very well explode into an outburst of prejudices and chauvinistic conditioning of the “divide and rule” policy of present-day society.

Which of the following is the most accurate interpretation of the narrator’s viewpoint?

• He believes that people of color and foreigners should avoid most Americans in order to stay out of trouble.

• He believes that fear of foreigners and people of color is meant to separate and control people.

• He believes that he may be wrong in thinking the white woman will be afraid of him.

• He believes that people in power treat people of color and foreigners in a fair way.

With which of these statements about why “little things are big” would the narrator most likely agree?

• Never make an important decision in haste.

• Help children in need whenever and wherever you can.

• Do the right thing, even if the situation is uncomfortable.

• In your time of trouble, accept help from anyone who offers.