STAAR English 2 Exam 2021

In which lines does the poet use personification to create a somber mood?

• Lines 3 through 5

• Lines 9 and 10

• Lines 17 through 19

• Lines 28 and 29

Lines 20 and 21 suggest that the speaker —

• wants to be honest about how little he understands the creative impulse

• does not want to mislead his daughter into believing that she has special talent

• is now willing to risk hurting his daughter’s self-esteem by telling her the truth about her work

• wants to admit his confusion about the sometimes-stifling life choices that creative people make

Read lines 26 and 27 from the poem.

when the sky is a surreal sea

in which you drown . . .

This image can best be interpreted as meaning that —

• a child sees the sky as a magical ocean full of mysterious creatures

• the speaker hopes to save his daughter from a terrible future

• artists experience a sea of wild and unpredictable emotions

• there is a danger that artists may get lost in their own creations

The final line of the poem suggests that —

• the daughter will develop an interest in more practical pursuits as she matures

• the speaker expects his daughter’s art to transform as she grows older

• the daughter’s paintings will become more whimsical as she develops her technical skills

• the speaker believes that his daughter will one day be a successful professional artist

Which sentence describes a shift in the poem’s focus?

• In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s creative struggles, while in stanza 2, he imagines her eventual success as an artist.

• In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s paintings, while in stanza 2, he describes his own artwork.

• In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s art as an expression of childhood, while in stanza 2, he considers her future as a mature artist.

• In stanza 1, the speaker focuses on his daughter’s early artistic success, while in stanza 2, he questions whether she should pursue a career as a painter.

Read paragraph 15.

His old scaly hand crawls over to touch my

knee. His fingers are white, the nails cracking

and dull, like old silver.

In this paragraph, the author uses imagery to —

• show the son’s fear of being touched by his father

• imply that the father may not really be dying after all

• emphasize how aged and decrepit the father appears to his son

• suggest that the son has little respect for his father

What does paragraph 16 reveal about the son?

• He blames himself for his father’s long absences.

• He thinks his father never gave them the opportunity to be close.

• He is too willing to forgive his father for lying.

• He is unwilling to share what he knows with his father.

Which line of dialogue provides the best evidence that the father is questioning his priorities?

• “Now all that seems so unimportant, you know?”

• “Remembering a man’s stories makes him immortal, did you know that?”

• “I had dinner with a prime minister once, William.”

• “I wasn’t going to tell you about the two-headed lady, Mr. Smarty-pants,” he says.

In paragraphs 3 through 5, the phrases “Let me guess” and “no doubt” give the son’s dialogue a tone that is —

• naive

• hypercritical

• indignant

• sarcastic

Paragraph 17 suggests that the son is motivated to listen to his father because —

• he values his father’s advice

• he regrets not paying attention to his father in the past

• he believes his father is dying

• he believes his father will tell him a secret