"Scholarship Jacket" Questions

1. Who is the narrator of the story?

• a. Martha's grandfather
• b. Mr. Boone
• c. the principal
• d. Martha

2. How can you tell that this story is told from the first-person point of view?

• a. the main character is telling the story
• b. we can hear the thoughts of all characters
• c. the narrator refers to the main character as Martha
• d. the narrator is not a character in the story

3. Which inference can you make about Martha from the way she describes herself in the beginning of the story?

• A. She believes that she is intelligent, but not particularly beautiful.
• B. She knows she could be better looking if she had the right clothes.
• C. She thinks the other students will make fun of her because she is smart.
• D. She believes that she would be a great athlete, if she had the chance to try out.

4. In the past, the scholarship jacket has always gone to a student...

• A. with financial need
• B. who is popular with the teachers
• C. who has earned the highest grades
• D. whose parents are well respected in the community

5. To Martha, the scholarship jacket SYMBOLIZES (look this term up in your notes if you need to).

• A an honor that has been fairly earned.
• B a way to be accepted at school.
• C how rules can be manipulated by those in authority.
• D the negative influence of competition on children.

6. Go back and reread the conversation that Martha overhears between her two teachers (p 5/228). Which set of words BEST explains the conflict between Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Boone?

• A. loyalty vs. disloyalty
• B. generosity vs. stinginess
• C. annoyance vs. acceptance
• D. fairness vs. dishonesty

7. After hearing the argument between Mr. Boone and Mr. Schmidt, Martha says “To this day I don’t remember if I got in trouble in P.E. for being late or how I made it through the rest of the afternoon.” She most likely means...

• A. being late was not a concern.
• B. it was a long time ago and easily forgotten.
• C. she skipped the class.
• D. she was so upset by what she heard.

8. The author implies that Mr. Boone

• A. had a strong personal dislike for Martha
• B. knew Martha was not really as intelligent as other people thought
• C. felt that Joann had more leadership ability
• D. was more concerned about pleasing Joann's father than being fair to Martha

9. The most likely reason for the Board’s new policy concerning the scholarship jacket is that the members

• A. think the jacket costs too much to give away.
• B. want everyone to have an equal chance.
• C. hold a grudge against Martha’s grandfather.
• D. want the daughter of a powerful Board member to get it.

10. What is NOT one of the reasons why winning the scholarship jacket is so important to Martha?

• a. Her older sister had won it a few years back.
• b. It will mean a scholarship to college.
• c. Martha had been a straight A student since first grade.
• d. It would validate (justify, confirm) her achievements and hard work.