33. Skill Check: Figurative Language in Lit.

Fear of Flying

     Charlotte walked through the revolving doors of Heathrow airport, her heart fluttering like a caged bird. This was her first flight abroad and she was terrified of flying. Her friend in Connecticut had invited her for her wedding, and although she was excited to see her friend, the thought of traveling gave her jitters. Charlotte took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she boarded the plane. As the plane started to move on the runway, Charlotte's fear began increasing. She felt her hands tremble as the plane gained speed on the runway. When they were finally in the air, Charlotte felt calm enough to watch a movie on her laptop and take a nap. After some time, she woke up with a start when the flight attendant announced that they were about to land at Bradley International Airport. Charlotte looked out of the window at the tall skyscrapers, wondering how and where they would land. Her doubt turned into admiration as the pilot skillfully maneuvered the plane through the maze of tall buildings and touched the runway like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

What is meant by the simile "like an eagle swooping down on its prey"?

• The pilot maneuvered the plane for a perfect landing.

• The pilot wanted to show off his skills by flying the plane like an eagle.

• While landing, the plane looked like an eagle diving to catch its prey.

• Among the tall buildings, the plane looked like a flying eagle.

     Tye and Mylie had always been a great team. They inspired and challenged each other to work to the best of their abilities. Whether it was a science project or painting the front door, Tye and Mylie liked doing everything together.

     Mylie was saddened the day Tye sprained her right arm playing basketball. It was hard for Tye to sit back and watch Mylie do all the work. After all, it was Tye's room that was being painted. It was interesting for her to watch her friend transform her room. She was even more surprised to see Mylie do an excellent job completely on her own.

     "Do you like it?" Mylie asked, nervously, when she was finished painting the galaxy on the walls.

     "Girl, you've ruined it," Tye replied with a smile. "What am I going to do with you?"

Tye's remark, "Girl, you've ruined it," is an example of verbal irony because...

• she actually wants to repaint the wall.

• she feels unwanted and not needed.

• she really appreciates Mylie's work.

• she wants the wall to look different.

Lovenia was the Don Quixote among our friends in college. Nobody else I knew followed his or her heart like she did. If she wanted to study an art, she definitely would pursue it. While some of us kept dreaming of the moon from our window, Lovenia climbed a tree to try to touch it. Once, she made earrings that looked like flowers. Another time, she wrote a book about people who live creatively. To all of us scared to move an inch away from conformity, Lovenia showed the way to live.

     After college, things went on in our lives as destined, and we moved on. It was years before I heard of Lovenia again. Somehow, she had found my address and written a long letter to me about her adventures. Much like the Lovenia I had known, she had traveled across Asia on a scholarship. She wrote about climbing the Himalayas and swimming in the sea. Her odyssey had inspired a book of cultural studies, and she was inviting me to a book-signing in my town.

Why does the author compare Lovenia to Don Quixote?

• to show that the narrator feels jealousy toward Lovenia

• to show that the narrator is less successful than Lovenia

• to show that Lovenia is a dreamer like Don Quixote

• to show that Lovenia is competitive like Don Quixote