Helen Keller "Story of my Life"

What is the impact on the tone of the passage when the author says she has a “hesitation in lifting the veil that clings about my childhood like a golden mist” in paragraph 1?

• The author’s description creates an emotional tone.

• The author’s description creates a hopeful tone.

• The author’s description creates a reflective tone.

• The author’s description creates an uncertain tone.

What is the meaning of tedious as it is used in paragraph 1?

• boring

• descriptive

• painful

• repetitive

Which quotation from the passage provides evidence of the author’s strength?

• “Besides, many of the joys and sorrows of childhood have lost their poignancy; and many incidents of vital importance in my early education have been forgotten in the excitement of great discoveries.” (paragraph 1)

• “Even in the days before my teacher came, I used to feel along the square stiff boxwood hedges, and, guided by the sense of smell would find the first violets and lilies.” (paragraph 4)

• “At six months I could pipe out ‘How d’ye,’ and one day I attracted every one’s attention by saying ‘Tea, tea, tea’ quite plainly.” (paragraph 6)

• “They tell me I walked the day I was a year old. My mother had just taken me out of the bath-tub and was holding me in her lap, when I was suddenly attracted by the flickering shadows of leaves that danced in the sunlight on the smooth floor.” (paragraph 7)

How does the author’s use of structure contribute to the development of the central idea?

• By describing the beauty she remembers from her childhood surroundings, the author develops the overwhelming sadness she feels towards those early memories.

• By intertwining events from both before and after she lost her hearing and sight, the author develops the idea of her desire to learn and discover no matter if she had her handicap or not.

• By detailing the events of her life chronologically, the author develops the idea of the growth and setbacks she experienced during her life.

• By explaining the vividness of her childhood home, the author develops the idea of the influence the safety of her surroundings had on her.

What is meant by the phrase “lost the name on the way” in paragraph 5?

• changed his mind on the name

• forgot the name the mother desired

• gave into the mother’s wish for the name

• misplaced the paper with the name

Which statement provides an objective summary of the passage?

• Helen Keller lived in a small house with her mother, father, and a servant. The house had lovely gardens that she enjoyed exploring both before and after she lost her hearing and sight.

• Helen Keller’s illness occurred at the beginning of a cold winter. She had enjoyed the colors of the fall leaves but soon caught a serious illness that the doctor and her parents were not sure she would survive. It left abruptly, cruelly taking her hearing and sight with it.

• Helen Keller had a typical childhood until an illness resulted in the loss of her hearing and sight. Many years later, she can vividly recall the beauty of her childhood home and its effect on her senses and security.

• Helen Keller was an advanced child, always looking to learn something new or explore her environment both before and after losing her hearing and sight. She learned to walk at an early age and enjoyed the natural surroundings her childhood home provided.

How does paragraph 8 contribute to the whole passage?

• It emphasizes the severity of her condition.

• It explains why she lost her hearing and sight.

• It highlights the family’s excitement when she recovered.

• It provides an upsetting prediction as an end to the chapter.