The Flight of Icarus Myth and Traditional Literature

Which word could be used to describe a main theme of the myth?

• wisdom

• freedom

• escape

• fear

Which statement best explains how the setting impacts the plot of the story?

• Daedalus saw the air as a means of escape.

• Daedalus was a gifted engineer and inventor.

• Daedalus was imprisoned in a high tower.

• Daedalus tried to escape to Crete but failed.

Read the sentence.

Daedalus was an ingenious artist and was not discouraged by his failures.

The author’s purpose for using this sentence in paragraph 2 of the myth is to —.

• explain that Daedalus was a successful artist but afraid of failure

• explain that Daedalus was a smart person who does not give up

• explain that Daedalus was a smart person but afraid of failure

• explain that Daedalus was a successful artist but easily discouraged

Reread the last sentence of paragraph 3 of the selection. What is the effect of this description of Icarus playing on the shore?

• It shows the reader that Icarus did not help his father.

• It shows that Icarus was happy to be on the island.

• It shows that Icarus wanted to be an artist like his father.

• It shows that Icarus was a young boy who liked to play.

In paragraph 6 of the selection, the author compares Icarus to a bird. The purpose of this comparison is to —.

• foreshadow Icarus’s inability to fly

• foreshadow Icarus’s love for his father

• foreshadow Icarus’s joy when he flies

• foreshadow Icarus’s wings coming off

The word anxiety comes from the Latin word angere, which means “to choke.” What is the effect of the use of the word anxiety in paragraph 8 of the myth?

• It shows that Daedalus was angry with Icarus.

• It shows that Daedalus wanted to punish Icarus.

• It shows that Daedalus was panicked about Icarus.

• It shows that Daedalus was afraid that Icarus would fall.

Which detail from the selection supports the key idea that Icarus flew too high?

• Up and up Icarus soared . . .

• . . . the sun became so hot that the largest feathers dropped off . . .

• . . . until he reached the clouds . . .

• He cried out to his father . . .

The word exaltation is derived from the Latin word exaltare, which means “raise or elevate.” Its purpose in paragraph 9 is to explain —.

• that Daedalus was happy to escape the island

• that Icarus was happy to escape the island

• why Icarus flew higher and higher in the sky

• why Icarus flew into the ocean

Which two details from the text support the idea that a theme of the selection is independence?

• Daedalus managed to escape from the tower . . .

• He was bewitched by a sense of freedom . . .

• Soon Icarus was sure that he, too, could fly . . .

• . . . thrown caution to the winds in the exaltation of his freedom . . .

• . . . but he does not control the air . . .

The detail He bade him watch the movements of the birds, how they soared and glided overhead emphasizes that —.

• birds were worshipped as gods in ancient Greece

• flying by your own power was possible but dangerous

• nature was highly respected by ancient Greeks

• Daedalus wanted to make wings from birds’ feathers