Excerpt from "Oliver Twist" Questions

Which quotation must be included in a summary of the passage?

• “The master in his cook’s uniform sat at the fireplace; . . .” (paragraph 3)

• “‘Please, sir, I want some more.’” (paragraph 4)

• “‘Calm yourself and answer me slowly.’” (paragraph 10)

• “Oliver was ordered to his room to stay; . . .” (paragraph 13)

Which two quotations help to develop the theme of desperation?

• “Out of this the master, dressed in an apron for the purpose, and assisted by one or two women, spooned the gruel at meal-times.” (paragraph 1)

• “When they had finished this, (which never took very long, the spoons being nearly as large as the bowls), they would sit staring at the fireplace with such eager eyes as if they could eat the very bricks of which it was made.” (paragraph 2) 

• “He rose from the table, and advancing, bowl and spoon in hand, spoke to the master, somewhat alarmed at his own daring.” (paragraph 3)

• “The master aimed a blow at Oliver’s head with the ladle, held him tight in his arms, and shrieked aloud for the Headmaster.” (paragraph 8)

• “As I purpose to show in the sequel whether the white waistcoated gentleman was right or not, I should perhaps mar the interest of this narrative (supposing it to possess any at all), if I ventured to hint just yet whether the life of Oliver Twist had this abrupt termination or not.” (paragraph 14)

Which of the following sentences is a main idea of paragraph 14?

• The narrator plans to write a sequel to this story.

• The narrator is dismayed to give the reader bad news about Oliver’s life.

• The narrator will not give the reader any hints about what happens to Oliver.

• The narrator is concerned that the reader will think the story is uninteresting.

Which sentence states a theme of the passage?

• Special occasions call for special foods to eat.

• Hunger can cause people to do unusual things.

• Masters rely on their servants to keep the order.

• Peer pressure inspires children to do dangerous things.

Which sentence provides the best summary of paragraph 13?

• Mr. Limbkins will give five pounds to anyone who will take Oliver Twist away.

• Oliver’s punishment is to pay the master five pounds for his rebellious behavior.

• Oliver’s master decides that Oliver will volunteer at the church to pay off his debt.

• Mr. Limbkins and the master decide that Oliver will never be allowed to leave his room.

Which detail must be included in a summary of the passage?

• Oliver does not like how the gruel tastes.

• Oliver is an orphan who was sickly as an infant.

• Oliver and the other boys are desperate for more food.

• Oliver and the master have gotten into arguments before.

Part A: Which phrase best describes the master's emotional state of mind after Oliver's request in paragraph 4?

• embarrassed

• stunned

• sympathetic

• curious

Part B: Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?

• ". . .he gazed in astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds and then clung for support to the fireplace." (paragraph 5)

• "The assistants were frozen with wonder, and the boys with fear." (paragraph 5)

• "The master aimed a blow at Oliver's head with the ladle, held him tight in his arms, and shrieked aloud for the Headmaster." (paragraph 8)

• "Horror was seen on every face." (paragraph 9)

A central idea of paragraph 2 is ​ (a)   ​. The author develops the central idea by ​ (b)  

• the near starvation of the boys
• describing their strange behavior
• the misery of the cook shop's son
• the cleanliness of the boys' dishes
• detailing the size of the bowls and spoons
• explaining the weakness of one of the youth

Choose three details that belong in a summary of the passage.

• The boys in the workhouse are barely fed enough to survive throughout the day.

• Oliver is sold to apprenticeship in a trade and must leave the only home he knows.

• A council is held, and by chance, Oliver is selected to ask the master for more gruel.

• The boys always completely finish their gruel and then often lick their spoons clean.

• At the next meal, Oliver asks for more gruel and is threatened with severe punishment.