The Fall of the House of Usher Selection Quiz
Authored by Laura Nelson
English
9th Grade
CCSS covered
Used 256+ times
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This quiz thoroughly assesses 9th grade students' comprehension and analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's classic Gothic short story "The Fall of the House of Usher." The questions evaluate students' understanding of plot elements, character development, symbolism, and vocabulary in context. Students must demonstrate their ability to identify key story events, analyze character motivations and psychological states, interpret symbolic relationships between setting and character, and support their interpretations with textual evidence. The quiz requires students to engage with complex literary concepts including Gothic atmosphere, unreliable narration, and the psychological dimensions of horror literature. Students need strong reading comprehension skills, the ability to make inferences about character psychology, understanding of literary symbolism, and facility with close reading techniques to analyze how Poe uses descriptive details to create mood and meaning. Created by Laura Nelson, an English teacher in the United States who teaches grade 9. This quiz serves as an excellent formative assessment tool to gauge student understanding after reading this foundational work of American Gothic literature. Teachers can effectively use this quiz as a post-reading assessment to evaluate comprehension, as a review activity before class discussions about Gothic literary elements, or as homework to reinforce key story details and analytical thinking skills. The two-part questions particularly support deeper critical thinking by requiring students to first identify literary elements and then locate supporting textual evidence. This assessment format prepares students for more sophisticated literary analysis and aligns with Common Core standards RL.9-10.1 for citing textual evidence, RL.9-10.3 for analyzing character development, and RL.9-10.4 for determining word meanings, while building the foundation skills necessary for success with more complex American literature throughout high school.
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12 questions
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1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
2 mins • 1 pt
At the beginning of “The Fall of the House of Usher,” what does the narrator do?
He listens to Roderick Usher's improvisations on the guitar.
He travels with Roderick Usher to visit Usher's family home.
He travels to visit Roderick Usher at Usher's family home.
He helps Roderick Usher bury Roderick’s sister Madeline in a vault.
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.4
CCSS.RL.6.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.9-10.4
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
2 mins • 1 pt
Which phrase best describes Usher’s state of mind in “The Fall of the House of Usher”?
cautious and glum
dull and depressed
suspicious and miserable
nervous and agitated
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.4
CCSS.RL.6.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.9-10.4
3.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
2 mins • 1 pt
In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” what does Usher say is his biggest fear?
being frightened to death
being accidentally buried alive
the death of his sister Madeline
the collapse of his family's house
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.4
CCSS.RL.6.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.9-10.4
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
2 mins • 1 pt
Which of the following is the most accurate description of what happens to Madeline Usher in "The Fall of the House of Usher"?
She dies, is buried by her brother, but then returns to life to terrorize her brother and the narrator.
She appears to die, is mistakenly entombed, but then revives and forces her way to freedom before dying.
She pretends to die, is taken for dead and is buried, but then emerges from her crypt to destroy the house
She nearly dies, recovers through a doctor's help, but then is thrown into an underground cell by her brother.
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.4
CCSS.RL.6.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.9-10.4
5.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
2 mins • 1 pt
Which is the most accurate description of the ending of the “The Fall of the House of Usher”?
During a storm, the waters of the tarn surrounding the house rise until the house is submerged.
During a storm, the barely perceptible fissure in the façade of the house widens until the house collapses.
During a storm, Roderick Usher madly rushes about striking at the house until he causes its collapse.
During a storm, Roderick and Madeline Usher struggle so madly that they cause the collapse of the house.
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.4
CCSS.RL.6.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.9-10.4
6.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
2 mins • 1 pt
If a storm were to annihilate a building, which of the following would most likely be the result?
The building would have part of its roof torn off.
The building would have damage but would remain intact.
The building would be reduced to small fragments.
The building would be removed from its foundation.
Tags
CCSS.RI.4.3
CCSS.RI.5.3
CCSS.RI.6.3
CCSS.RI.7.3
CCSS.RI.8.3
7.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
2 mins • 1 pt
Read the following sentence from “The Fall of the House of Usher,” in which the narrator explains that he has received a letter from Roderick Usher.
A letter, however, had lately reached me in a distant part of the country—a letter from him—which, in its wildly importunate nature, had admitted of no other than a personal reply.
What is the most likely reason the narrator says the letter "admitted of no other than a personal reply"? Base your answer on your knowledge of the story as well as on the sentence.
The narrator feels obliged to respond to his friend's request for a visit because his friend is clearly upset
The narrator is worried that it will seem rude if he does not answer the letter in a personal way.
The narrator hopes his friend will invite him to stay in the distant part of the country where his friend lives.
The narrator believes that his friend is threatening to harm him if he does not give the right answer
Tags
CCSS.RL.5.6
CCSS.RL.6.6
CCSS.RL.7.6
CCSS.RL.8.6
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