The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket

What does the phrase "Walking more slowly and listening to that voice" reveal about the narrator? (Paragraph 1)

• He is on an errand.

• He feels restless.

• He is unfamiliar with the area.

• He appreciates nature.

What is the effect of the word "Wide-eyed" in paragraph 4?

• It shows that the narrator is fearful of and worried about the children playing at night.

• It shows that the children are not behaving as the narrator expected them to behave.

• It shows that the children were supposed to be in bed at that time, not outside.

• It shows that the narrator is very interested in the events taking place around the cricket.

What does the phrase "made new lanterns out of their hearts and minds" (paragraph 3) represent?

• the children’s artistic ability

• the children's vision of beauty

• the children’s understanding of design

• the children's cultural beliefs

What is the effect of the repetition of the children shouting "It's a bell cricket!" ?

• It shows that most children prefer to catch grasshoppers.

• It shows that finding the grasshopper was a disappointment to the boy.

• It shows that they really wanted the insect to be a bell cricket.

• It shows that the bell cricket holds some type of importance for them.

PART A: What is the tone of the story?

• reflective

• concerned

• indifferent

• longing

PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the tone identified in PART A?

• “The girl opened the little insect cage close to her side and released the cricket in it.”

• "Each day,... the children made new lanterns out of their hearts and minds."

• "...spreading out his arms, the boy stood as if guarding the brush where the insect was"

• "I will think it a pity that you have no way to remember tonight's play of light."

What is the effect of the shift in narration from speaking to the reader to speaking directly to Fujio in Paragraph 15?

• It creates a sense of surprise for the boy to know that the narrator has been watching him.

• It emphasizes that that the narrator understands something the boy does not yet understand.

• It shows that the speaker and the boy have something in common at the moment he sees the cricket.

• It shows how as adults the children will need to be selective with future friendships.

PART A: Which statement best reflects the narrator's perspective in the text?

• Lessons of childhood are often lost in adulthood.

• Treat nature and children with the respect they deserve.

• Be careful of giving your heart to others.

• Learn to forget the mistakes of the past.

PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports your answer to PART A?

• "The child with the red lantern discarded it as a tasteless object that could be bought at a store."

• "She, slipping her left wrist under the string of her lantern, enclosed the boy's fist with both hands."

• "Even when you have become a young man, laugh with pleasure at a girl's delight when, told that it's a grasshopper, she is given a bell cricket."

• "The boy's lantern, which he held up alongside the girl's insect cage, inscribed his name, cutout in the green papered aperture, onto her white cotton kimono."

Japanese culture often sees bell crickets as good luck because of their rarity. What is the effect of the use of the symbol in the text?

• It represents the confusion of the children as they interact with each other.

• It represents how important the activity is to their culture.

• It represents how important the lanterns are to the children’s insect hunt.

• It represents the special nature of relationships in life.