Four Dragons Questions

Read the following dictionary entry.

affair \ə- 'fer\ n

1. a matter of public or commercial concern 2. a social occasion, event, or activity (such as a party) 3. a romantic relationship, often brief and secret 4. an event that causes public controversy

Which definition most closely matches the way the word affairs is used in paragraph 9

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Definition 3

• Definition 4

2. The Greek root morphē, meaning “form,” helps the reader understand that the word metamorphosed in paragraph

27 means

• A. Promised faithfully

• A. Emptied thoroughly

• A. Flew dramatically

• A. Changed physically

3. Which sentence supports the idea that the Jade Emperor is more concerned with the fairies and dragons than with the real people on earth?

• A. Enraged, the Jade Emperor ordered the heavenly generals and their troops to arrest the four dragons. (paragraph 25)

• B. The Jade Emperor was not pleased to be interrupted by the dragons rushing in. (paragraph 9)

• C. Seeming to agree to their plea, the Jade Emperor dismissed them, while he continued to listen to the music. (paragraph 12)

• D. “How dare the four dragons bring rain without my permission!” said the Jade Emperor. (paragraph 24)

4. When the dragons first see the effects of the drought on the people, they react by —

• A. turning themselves into rivers

• B. using ocean water to create rain

• C. refusing to get involved

• D. making plans to visit the Jade Emperor

5. What is the author’s main purpose for writing this selection?

• A. To analyze the geography of the earth

• B. To give a fanciful explanation for rivers in China

• C. To caution people about the drawbacks of helping people

• D. To convince readers that the Jade Emperor was a bad ruler

6. Read this sentence from paragraph 23.

On the ground the wheat stalks raised their heads and the sorghum stalks straightened up.

The author uses figurative language in this sentence most likely to

• A. Personify the crops springing back to life

• B. Identify which crops were affected by the rain

• C. Exaggerate the effect the rain had on the crops

• D. Express surprise that the dragons helped

7. How do the four dragons’ characteristics and behaviors help develop the main theme in the selection?

• A. They are gentle, indicating that you shouldn’t judge characters based on their appearances.

• B. They admire the Jade Emperor, indicating that children should always listen to their ancestors.

• C. They are hard-working, emphasizing that difficult tasks can be overcome with perseverance.

• D. They take matters into their own hands, illustrating that personal sacrifice is often needed for the good of a larger group.

8. Which of the four dragons most influences the events of the story?

• The Black Dragon

• The Long Dragon

• The Yellow Dragon

• The Pearl Dragon