Stray Comprehension Skills Test

1. Who is the protagonist of the story?

• a. Doris
• b. the stray
• c. Mr. Lacey
• d. Mr. and Mrs. Lacey

2. Which excerpt below does not include details about the setting?

• a. Icicles hung three feet or more from the eaves of houses...
• b. In January, a puppy wandered...
• c. Mr. Lacey was at the table, cleaning his fingernails with his pocketknife.
• d. Doris, whose school had been called off because of the snow…

3. Which excerpt from the story best shows how Mrs. Lacey felt about allowing the stray to stay in the basement?

• a. “Where did that come from?” Mrs. Lacey asked as soon as Doris put the dog down in the kitchen.
• b. She thought it might have some shepherd in it.
• c. “I don’t know where it came from,” he said mildly, “but I know for sure where it’s going.”
• d. He agreed to let it sleep in the basement while Mrs. Lacey grudgingly let Doris feed it table scraps.

4. Why won’t Mr. and Mrs. Lacey allow Doris to keep the stray?

• a. The Laceys can't afford a dog.
• b. Doris's brother is allergic to dogs.
• c. No one is home during the day to care for the dog.
• d. Mr. and Mrs. Lacey do not like animals.

5. What did Mrs. Lacey say to Doris after Mr. Lacey opened the trunk of his car?

• a. "You try to act more grown-up about this."
• b. "It will be time for dinner soon."
• c. "Go and clean the mess that the dog left in the basement."
• d. "Your father doesn't have a choice."

6. What connotation does the underlined word have in the following sentence? He agreed to let it sleep in the basement while Mrs. Lacey grudgingly let Doris feed it table scraps.

• a. positive
• b. negative
• c. neutral
• d. hesitantly

7. What is the denotation of the underlined word in the following sentence? Her face was wet and red, her eyes full of distress.

• a. delight
• b. negative
• c. neutral
• d. extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain

8. Which sentence best describes the plot of the story?

• a. Doris wanted to keep the abandoned puppy she found, but her parents would not allow it.
• b. Doris’s father made so little money that pets were out of the question.
• c. Doris did not name the puppy, even though she’d had it for a week.
• d. On Saturday, the sun was shining and the roads were plowed.

9. What was the first sign in the story that Mr. Lacey is sensitive to the dog’s feelings?

• a. Mr. Lacey did not take the dog to the pound right away.
• b. Mr. Lacey allowed the dog to sleep in the basement.
• c. Mr. Lacey admitted that the dog was well-behaved.
• d. Mr. Lacey did not leave the dog at the pound.

10. Which excerpt below does not include evidence that life is difficult for the Laceys?

• a. The woman was sensitive about throwing out food.
• b. Outside, she heard the trunk of the car slam shut, one of the doors open and close, the old engine cough and choke and finally start up.
• c. “I wouldn’t leave an ant in that place,” he said.
• d. Mrs. Lacey shook her head, “You know we can’t afford a dog, Doris.”