Roll of Thunder First Read

Which paragraph provides the first reference to the issue troubling Papa and his family?

• 4

• 6

• 9

• 11

What is most closely the meaning of amenities as it is used in the following passage (paragraph 22)?

You goin’ up to the store tomorrow, David? Mr. Avery asked after all the amenities had been said. Since the first trip in January, Mr. Morrison had made one other trip to Vicksburg, but Papa had not gone with him.

• noun | requirements

• noun | greetings

• noun | features

• noun | insults

Which sentence from the following passage best supports the idea that the family is upset by Mr. Avery’s news (paragraphs 24-26)?

Mr. Avery cleared his throat nervously. “It’s—it’s that list I come ’bout, David. . . . I don’t want them things no more.”

The porch grew silent.

When no one said anything, Mr. Avery glanced at Mr. Lanier, and Mr. Lanier shook his head and continued. “Mr. Granger making it hard on us, David. Said we gonna have to give him sixty percent of the cotton, ’stead of fifty . . . now that the cotton’s planted and it’s too late to plant more. . . . Don’t s’pose though that it makes much difference. The way cotton sells these days, seems the more we plant, the less money we gets anyways—”

• “Mr. Avery cleared his throat nervously.”

• “The porch grew silent.”

• “’Mr. Granger making it hard on us, David.’”

• “’Don’t s’pose though that it makes much difference.’”

Papa tells Stacey he is “born blessed” mainly because .

• he is able to work

• he has family

• he has land

• he is a boy

Papa’s feelings toward Mr. Avery and Mr. Lanier are best described as .

• dissapointment

• anger

• understanding

• relief

Which sentence from the excerpt most strongly supports the answer to Question 5?

• “'These women folks done gone and fixed us a feast.'”

• “'They got no right pulling out!'”

• “'Them men, they doing what they’ve gotta do.'”

• “‘Papa,’ I said, standing to join them, 'we giving up, too?'"

Which theme in the text is mainly expressed by the final paragraph?

Papa looked down at me and brought me closer, then waved his hand toward the drive. “You see that fig tree over yonder, Cassie? Them other trees all around . . . that oak and walnut, they’re a lot bigger and they take up more room and give so much shade they almost overshadow that little ole fig. But that fig tree’s got roots that run deep, and it belongs in that yard as much as that oak and walnut. It keeps on blooming, bearing good fruit year after year, knowing all the time it’ll never get as big as them other trees. Just keeps on growing and doing what it gotta do. It don’t give up. It give up, it’ll die. There’s a lesson to be learned from that little tree, Cassie girl, ’cause we’re like it. We keep doing what we gotta, and we don’t give up. We can’t.”

• People must keep trying so they can succeed.

• Lessons can be learned in the most unusual places.

• Nature creates trees with many different functions.

• Family has the ability to provide security and comfort.

Which passage from the last paragraph of the excerpt most directly supports the answer to Question 7?

• “Papa looked down at me and brought me closer…”

• “‘You see that fig tree over yonder, Cassie?’”

• “'…it belongs in that yard as much as that oak and walnut.'”

• “‘We keep doing what we gotta, and we don’t give up.’”