The Flight of Icarus as Told by Salley Benson

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

• wisdom

• freedom

• escape

• fear

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CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.8.9

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.

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CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

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

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CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.8.9

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.

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CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

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

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CCSS.RI.6.7

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.RL.7.7

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.

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CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.8.9

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 . . .

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CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

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

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CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

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 . . .

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

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

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10