An Uncomfortable Bed

Part A

Which of the following statements best describes a theme of the text?

• Practical jokes have a price, often a friendship.

• Paranoia can make fools out of people.

• True friends are never cruel.

• Better to be paranoid and wrong than oblivious.

Part B

Which of the following best supports the answer to Part A?

• Paragraph 1

• Paragraph 6

• Paragraph 12

• Paragraph 17

Reread the following quote from paragraph 6:

"I smelled a practical joke in the air, as a dog scents game."

How does this figurative language impact the tone of the story?

• The comparison of an animal smelling game to the narrator sniffing out a practical joke

  is inappropriate, adding to the mocking tone of the piece

• The comparison of an animal smelling game to the narrator sniffing out a practical joke

  is silly and deluded (since, as a victim of pranks, he is normally the prey), adding to the

  comedic tone of the piece.

• The word "game" implies that the narrator is the true predator when it comes to

  pranks, adding to the ironic and cruel tone of the story.

• The comparison of an animal smelling game to the narrator sniffing out a practical joke

  creates a frightened mood, adding to the dark and anxious tone of the story.