The Vietnam Wall (poem by Alberto Ríos)

Which of these statements expresses the main idea of “The Vietnam Wall”?

• The Vietnam Wall lists the names of those who died in the Vietnam War.

• The Vietnam Wall records the deaths of the speaker’s friends and relatives.

• The Vietnam Wall resembles the scar that is left from an appendix operation

• The Vietnam Wall has a powerful emotional effect on the people who visit it.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

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CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which of these statements best evaluates the effect of the short, choppy lines at the beginning of “The Vietnam Wall”?

• They capture a tone of childlike wonder.

• They suggest that the speaker is contradicting himself.

• They help show that visiting the wall is an emotional experience.

• They help convey that the wall means different things to different people.

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CCSS.RL.8.4

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In the simile in lines 4–5, what does the speaker mean when he compares visiting the wall to cutting onions?

• Visiting the wall brings on sudden crying.

• Visiting the wall requires close attention.

• Visiting the wall is like peeling layer after layer.

• Visiting the wall leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

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CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.10

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Read the dictionary entry for the word dig and then answer the question.

dig \dĭg\ v 1. to break up and move earth 2. Informal to like very much 3. Informal to take notice of  n 1. a push or poke with the finger 2. a sharp, sarcastic remark 3. a site being excavated to find artifacts from the past.

• Verb 2

• Verb 3

• Noun 2

• Noun 3

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What does the speaker most likely mean with the figurative language in lines I have walked into a grave.

• I have walked into a trap.

• I have walked into a silent place.

• I have walked into a forbidden place.

• I have walked into a sad memorial for the dead.

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CCSS.RL.8.4

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What do the details about the wall in lines 16–24 most clearly show about the Vietnam War itself?

• The war lasted for a very long time.

• The death rate rose as the war progressed.

• Those who died came from all over the world.

• There was great confusion about those who died.

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CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

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Which punctuation most clearly helps convey the pain and sorrow of those visiting the wall?

• The colons in lines 3 and 20

• The commas in lines 13–15

• The dashes in line 25

• The accent mark in line 29

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CCSS.RL.8.4

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What type of building is the Vietnam Wall?

• A temple

• A memorial

• A church

• A dollhouse

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CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

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Which of the following is an example of figurative language used to describe the memorial?

• The boys in the street want to give

• Names, long lines, lines of names

• There is somebody / Severiano Ríos.

• A scar into the skin of the ground

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The speaker compares the wall to:

• A dollhouse

• A wall

• A house

• Another memorial site

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CCSS.RL.8.4

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