The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County Review

Which of the following choices best describes Jim Smiley in “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”?

• bored and annoyed

• gentle and tranquil

• clever and competitive

• suspicious and aggressive

In “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” the reader is led to believe that Andrew Jackson, the fighting dog, lost his last fight because of which factor?

• a thrown sponge

• his own stupidity

• the other dog’s superior strength

• a broken spirit after being tricked

In “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” why does Smiley act indifferently when the stranger asks him about Dan’l Webster?

• Smiley is hoping to persuade the stranger to bet on how well Dan’l can jump.

• Dan’l looks as if he has something wrong with him, and Smiley is worried.

• Smiley is busy trying to teach Dan’l to jump, and the stranger interrupts.

• Simon Wheeler has cheated on a bet, and Smiley is angry about it.

How does a stranger cheat Smiley out of a bet on his frog in “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”?

• by filling Smiley’s frog with lead shot

• by finding a frog that can beat Smiley’s frog

• by replacing Smiley’s frog with another, fatter frog

• by hiding Smiley’s frog when Smiley goes to catch another frog

How does “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” end?

• Wheeler admits that he never met anyone named Leonidas Smiley.

• The narrator thanks Wheeler for the information about Leonidas Smiley.

• Wheeler tells the narrator about the adventures of Smiley’s one-eyed cow.

• Wheeler starts another Smiley story that the narrator does not stay to hear.

If you consider one of your friends to be garrulous, which of the following is most likely to be true?

• You hide the cookies whenever she visits. 

• You expect not to get a word in when she talks.

• You keep your wallet close to you when she is near.

• You wear plain clothes in hopes that she will take a hint.

Which of the following responses is most likely to occur when something is tedious?

• chuckles and belly laughs

• red faces and angry looks

• eye rolling and yawning

• tight lips and sniffing

Which of the following situations best illustrates the word buttonholed?

• The farmer fed the pigs a homemade mash..

• The sailor made sure that the hatch was secure.

• The senator cornered me and talked my ear off.

• The tailor repaired the collar of my best overcoat.

Read this sentence from “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”

Simon Wheeler backed me into a corner and blockaded me there with his chair, and then sat down and reeled off the monotonous narrative which follows this paragraph."

Based on this excerpt, identify the narrator’s most likely feeling about his situation.

• He feels trapped.

• He feels concerned.

• He feels focused and attentive.

• He feels amused and entertained.

In “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” what is one key feature of Simon Wheeler’s storytelling?

• He acts out all of his story’s characters.

• He uses very formal language.

• He includes irrelevant details.

• He is specific and precise.