The Man Who Loved Clowns

Based on its use in paragraph 1, it can be understood that honorable belongs to which of the following word groups?

• smart, wise, intelligent

• helpful, beneficial, useful

• ancient, old-fashioned, traditional

• respected, admirable, praised

The author of this passage is most interested in

• presenting the history of clowns

• explaining why Yu Sze is a hero

• discussing the role clowns play in a culture

• making people feel better about being called a clown

In paragraph 2, the author suggests that sometimes clowns have “great freedom of speech” compared to ordinary people because

• clowns are not afraid of their leaders

• able to use humor to make a point

• scrutinized more than ordinary people

• viewed as national heroes

In paragraph 3, the author writes, "The Emperor’s jester, Yu Sze, was the only person who dared to criticize this plan." Like Yu Sze, which of these people also criticizes something?

• Alice, who paints a picture and enters it into a contest

• Jeffrey, who wears a silly clown costume to a Halloween party

• Ed, who points out the problems with the book he just read

• Rolfe, who studies very hard but still gets bad grades

According to the author, Yu Sze persuaded the Chinese Emperor not to

• build the Great Wall

• paint the Great Wall

• mistreat the workers

• starve the workers

In the final paragraph, the author suggests that clowns may represent “wisdom in disguise.” By this the author means that clowns

• are smarter than they appear

• should always be respected

• show up in unexpected places

• dress up in costumes

According to the author, humor can be one of the most effective ways to

• entertain people

• change people

• influence people

• understand people

What type of text structure was used in this passage?

• Sequence of events

• Problem Solution

• Descriptive

• Chronological order

What idiom or common saying would the author most likely agree with?

• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

• You can’t judge a book by its cover.

• Don’t cry over spilt milk.

• Drastic times call for drastic measures.

What is the main purpose of the third paragraph?

• To give examples of how clowns are creepy and scary.

• To explain how clowning is an old honorable pastime.

• To give an example of how a clown used his influence for good.

• To show how entertaining clowns can be.