The House of Stairs

In paragraph 31, Martin "managed not to cry" in front of his father. From this action, the reader can conclude that Martin is --

• furious that his father didn't believe there was a creepy lady on the elevator

• envious that his father is so brave

• timid about confronting the creepy lady on the elevator

• heartbroken that his father is continually disappointed in him

Which statement best expresses the suspenseful tone of the selection?

• Maybe it was simply the dimensions of the contraption that bothered him, so small that it felt uncomfortably crowded even when there was only one other person in it.
• When the elevator stopped on his floor, she barely moved out of the way. 
• Luckily, on the unlit flight on which he fell was between sixteen and seventeen.
• She moved in quickly; he was too slow, too unsteady on his crutches to work his way past her in time.

Read the sentences from paragraph 6.
"She wore a threadbare green coat that ballooned around her; her ankles bulged above dirty sneakers."

These sentences show that the lady on the elevator has --

• taken pride in her appearance
• spent little money to care for herself
• decided to scare Martin with her appearance
• hurried onto the elevator because she is late

The author included questions such as "What was she doing?" "Had she been waiting for him?" "Was she riding with him on purpose?" throughout the story to --

• explain why Martin is fearful of the lady on the elevator

• demonstate Martin's uneasiness about the elevator

• show the reader the lady on the elevator is acting strangely

• emphasize and build up the growing suspense developed by Martin's inner fears

Which event incites the external conflict in the selection?

• Martin's dad asks why he doesn't take the elevator
• Martin feels uncomfortable in the elevator
• The lady in the green coat gets on the elevator and stares at Martin
• Martin falls on the stairs between the fifteenth and sixteenth floor.

Which line from the story conveys the narrator's sense of fear?

• "She nodded, her flesh quivering, and stepped on."
• "He felt her eyes on him as he stared at the numbers slowly blinking on and off - slower than usual, it seemed to him."
• "He knew she had gotten on at fourteen this morning."
• "'Did you ever notice a strange fat lady on the elevator?' He asked his father that evening."

Which statement best expresses the internal conflict in the selection?

• Martin is an impressionable young man who is very uncomfortable with riding in a cramped elevator with others
• Martin is a shy boy who has difficulty interacting with others, especially his father
• Martin is a timid boy who is easily frightened by common things in life
• Martin is a skittish young man who refuses to confront his fears

The author writes about Martin considering the stairs to --

• emphasize the degree of fear that Martin is experiencing 
• suggests that Martin is attempting to overcome his fears
• imply that Martin believes that his fears are silly
• reveal Martin's hatred for his classmates

The reader can conclude when Martin arrives winded and gasping at the seventeenth floor, he is --

• so afraid of the elevator that he is willing to work hard to avoid riding on it
• out of shape and needs to exercise more
• ashamed of how his father will treat him if he rides the elevator
• almost as afraid of the stairs as he is of the elevator

Which statement best expresses the theme of the selection?

• It is best to avoid problems rather than to try to face them.
• It is important for children to accept their parent's advice.
• You never know where you can meet great people.
• Fear is a powerful force that can trap you.