Unit 1 Quiz 2

Which of the following best describes the difference between a personal narrative and a short story?

• A personal narrative is based on a memory of real events; a short story is about an imaginary time and place.

• A personal narrative is narrated by the main character; a short story is narrated by a third-person narrator.

• A personal narrative has only one character; a short story has any number of characters.

• A personal narrative features an internal conflict; a short story features an external conflict.

Which two sentences best describe characteristics of a short story?

• The setting exists in a memory.

• The sequence of events is focused on a significant incident.

• The topics are real incidents.

• The dialogue is imaginary.

• Characters can be animals, people, or objects.

Read the excerpt from the short story "Thank You, M'am."

"In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox. Mrs. Jones got up and went behind the screen. The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse which she left behind her on the day-bed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now."

Which choice best describes the theme of the excerpt?

• charity and kindness

• compassion and trust

• forgiveness and empathy

• consequences and punishment

In the story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes, Roger tries to steal Mrs. Jones's purse. She catches him and tells him off, but then brings him home to feed him and offers him kindness.

Which of the following passages from the story best shows how Roger changes in response to this new situation?

• "Some of their doors were open, too, so he knew he and the woman were not alone."

• "After he had dried his face and not knowing what else to do, dried it again, the boy turned around, wondering what next."

• "There was another long pause. The boy’s mouth opened. Then he frowned, but not knowing he frowned."

• “Do you need somebody to go to the store,' asked the boy, 'maybe to get some milk or something?”

Which list of story elements shows the most effective order of a short story plot structure?

• Climax → Rising Action → Falling Action → Exposition → Resolution

• Exposition → Rising Action → Climax → Falling Action → Resolution

• Exposition → Rising Action → Falling Action → Climax → Resolution

• Resolution → Exposition → Rising Action → Climax → Falling Action

Read the excerpt from the myth "Orpheus and Eurydice."

"Orpheus sang his mournful song to the lord and queen of the underworld, Hades and Persephone. Perhaps remembering her own sweet life above ground, Persephone had pity for Orpheus and persuaded her husband to return Eurydice’s soul to the upper world, where she could live again with her beloved.

“Very well,” said Hades. “You go on your way, back the way you came, and Eurydice will follow. But you must not look at her until she has passed out of the underworld. If you do, she will stay here with me. You may look at her all you like when you get her above.”

Orpheus promised not to look. As the singer proceeded through the dark, dreary caves of the underworld, followed by Eurydice, he wanted to turn and see his wonderful wife. He resisted and resisted, but the way out was so long and so winding that he feared she might get lost."

Which choice best describes the foreshadowing in this passage?

• Orpheus singing his mournful song for Hades and Persephone foreshadows the sadness he will feel for the rest of his life.

• Hades' warning to Orpheus that he will lose his wife forever if he turns back to look at her foreshadows Orpheus' inability to follow these instructions.

• Persephone's pity for Orpheus foreshadows the pity she will feel for him after he has lost his wife a second time, due to his own impatience.

• Orpheus' walk through the dark, dreary caves of the underworld foreshadows the grief he will feel after he loses his wife a second time.

Read this excerpt from the story "Eleven."

"Mrs. Price takes the sweater and puts it right on my desk, but when I open my mouth nothing comes out.

“That’s not, I don’t, you’re not . . . Not mine,” I finally say in a little voice that was maybe me when I was four.

“Of course it’s yours,” Mrs. Price says. “I remember you wearing it once.”

Because she’s older and the teacher, she’s right and I’m not.

Not mine, not mine, not mine, but Mrs. Price is already turning to page thirty-two, and math problem number four. I don’t know why but all of a sudden I’m feeling sick inside, like the part of me that’s three wants to come out of my eyes, only I squeeze them shut tight and bite down on my teeth real hard and try to remember today I am eleven, eleven. Mama is making a cake for me for tonight, and when Papa comes home everybody will sing Happy birthday, happy birthday to you.

But when the sick feeling goes away and I open my eyes, the red sweater’s still sitting there like a big red mountain."

Which statement best describes the conflict shown in this passage?

• The narrator is frustrated with Mrs. Price for not listening to her and also with herself for not being able to speak up.

• Mrs. Price is angry with the narrator for being obsessed about the sweater and not paying attention to the math problem.

• The narrator is angry with Mrs. Price for not listening to her and ashamed of herself for forgetting her own birthday.

• The narrator feels sad that Mrs. Price did not remember that today is her eleventh birthday.

It can be inferred that Greg smiles at the end of the short story "The Treasure of Lemon Brown" because

• He is happy that the rain has finally stopped.

• He decides that doing well in school is important after all.

• He is glad that Lemon has given him his treasure.

• He has a new understanding of his dad's perspective.

Which choice is the best example of a statement of theme from the short story "The Treasure of Lemon Brown"

• Belongings and money bring true treasure.

• A man's treasure is the relationship he has with his family.

• There are always people looking to steal another person's treasure.

• Doing well in school will bring treasure.

Read the excerpt from the short story "The Treasure of Lemon Brown."

"The dark sky, filled with angry, swirling clouds, reflected Greg Ridley’s mood as he sat on the stoop of his building. His father’s voice came to him again, first reading the letter the principal had sent to the house, then lecturing endlessly about his poor efforts in math."

Which type of figurative language best describes the phrase "angry, swirling clouds," from the excerpt?

• Personification

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Sensory details