Grade 5, Unit 6 Benchmark Assessment

1. What does the word "entice" mean in line 8?

• to tempt

• to alarm

• to assist

• to confuse

2. What did Circe do to help Udysseus?

• She turned Odysseus's men into pigs

• She kept Odysseus with her for a long time.

• She revealed the future to Odysseus.

• She told Odysseus how to handle the Sirens.

3A. Why did the sailors agree to sail past the Sirens even though doing so was dangerous?

• They wanted to get back to their homes.

• They felt the Sirens were less dangerous than Circe.

• They hoped to hear the singing for themselves.

• They knew Odysseus had a plan to resist the Sirens.

3B. Which line from the play supports the answer to Part A?

• "No one knows exactly what their song sounds like."

• "That channel is the only way home, but have courage, for tender-hearted Circe has told me how to counter the dangerous Sirens' song."

• "Circe says the Sirens' song foretells the future, so hearing it may help us."

• "Unite me from this mast, I command you."

4. Which sentence best describes how Odysseus and the sailors handled the challenge of the Sirens?

• The sailors were afaid and avoided the Sirens, but Odysseus chose to test himself against their powers.

• Both Odysseus and the sailors prepared themselves ahead of time to resist the Sirens.

• Together, the sailors helped Odysseus resist the Sirens' call, but each of them had to face the temptation on his own.

• Odysseus untied himself from the mast and the sailors left without him.

5. In line 2, what is the meaning of the word "Lotus-eaters"?

• people who eat the lotus plant

• as delicious as a lotus flower

• people who live in a place called Lotus

• of or related to the lotus plant

6A. Which sentence best states a central message of this play?

• Do not let pleasures distract you from reaching your goal.

• The quickest route is not always the best.

• A team is only as strong as its weakest member.

• Your future is determined by the choices you make.

6B. Which line from the play supports the message in Part 6A?

• "The island of the Sirens approaches, men, so here's the plan."

• "Each of you take some of this beeswax and stop up your ears so not a single musical note can get through."

• "After they finish, Sirens appear among rocks, gesturing and encouraging them to come closer."

• "Giving in to my temptation would have been our doom, but we are safe now.

7. How did his crew help Odysseus get past the Sirens?

• They plugged his ears with wax so he could not hear.

• They put him below deck so he could not see the Sirens.

• They tied him to the mast and would not release him.

• They reminded him of what happened when he trusted Circe.

8. Choose a word that completes the sentence.

In line 20, the second syllable of "exhausted" is pronounced with the same vowel sound -

• flow

• flay

• flood

• flaw