"A Blessing" Review

At what time of day do the events in "A Blessing" take place?

• sunrise

• midday

• twilight

• midnight

In "A Blessing," what have the ponies come "out of the willows" to do?

• greet visitors

• watch cars go by

• graze in the woods

• leap over the fence

In "A Blessing," which of the following represents the separation between people and animals?

• the highway

• the pasture

• the woods

• the fence

In "A Blessing," what is most likely the "blessing"?

• the spring grasses that grow in the pasture

• the light breeze that moves over the landscape

• the relationship between the speaker and his friend

• the feeling of closeness between humans and animals

Where are you most likely to find a blossom?

• in the sky

• in a garden

• inside a gymnasium

• on top of a concrete wall

Which is the most likely meaning of shyly in the following sentence?

When she was moved into a new class, Jennie shyly asked her teacher where her assigned seat was.

• loudly

• timidly

• rudely

• clearly

In which of the following situations is the person most likely to feel loneliness?

• All of Jacob's friends attended his birthday party.

• Max helped his younger sister with her homework.

• With her brother's gone, Ingrid enjoyed reading alone in the quiet house.

• On her first day of camp, Rose sat alone, missing her parents and friends.

In "A Blessing," what effect do the ponies have on the speaker?

• They make him feel sad.

• They bring up old memories.

• They make him feel alive.

• They cause him to be careful.

In "A Blessing," the speaker says the horses have been "grazing all day, alone." What does he mean by this?

• The horses have been grazing far from the city

• The horses have been grazing apart from each other

• The horses have been grazing without human company

• The horses have been grazing one at a time, taking turns

With which statement would the speaker in "A Blessing" most likely agree?

• Moments of silent communication between people and animals are a gift

• People who believe they are communicating with animals are mistaken

• Friends can communicate best when they are surrounded by nature

• People with rare and special gifts are able to communicate with animals