A Clean Title Example

Which paragraph most clearly introduces tension in the structure of the story?

• A. Paragraph 1

• B. Paragraph 4

• C. Paragraph 9

• D. Paragraph 11

What do the sentences from the excerpt most closely show about how the king views the accused?

“The accused person was instantly punished if he found himself guilty, and if innocent he was rewarded on the spot, whether he liked it or not. There was no escape from the judgments of the king’s arena.”

• A. The king believes the accused is responsible for his own punishment.

• B. The king believes the accused must declare guilt before choosing a door.

• C. The king believes the accused will receive a reward if he avoids punishment.

• D. The king believes the accused may choose to debate in the arena for his innocence.

Which inference can be best made about why the king is described as “semi-barbaric” rather than wholly barbaric?

• A. The queen is the other half of the royal leadership that punishes criminals in the arena.

• B. Only one door in the king’s arena leads to death while the other door leads to marriage.

• C. The king shows fairness to the people accused of crimes by allowing them to choose their punishment.

• D. Only one person in the kingdom has been tried in the arena while other criminals have been forgiven.

What is the author’s most likely reason for ending the story with a question?

• A. To allow the reader to choose the ending of the story to create a unique conclusion during each reading

• B. To protect the reader from knowing about the tragedy experienced by the young hero and the princess

• C. To motivate the reader to consider the moral implications of the choices the princess might make

• D. To leave the reader confused about the actions of the young hero and the princess

Which inference can be best made about the king?

• A. He is jealous.

• B. He is egotistic.

• C. He is intelligent.

• D. He is considerate.

Which sentence from the excerpt most strongly supports the answer to Question 5?

• A. “He was greatly given to self-communing, and when he and himself agreed upon anything, the thing was done.”

• B. “It was the duty and privilege of the person on trial to walk directly to these doors and open one of them.”

• C. “As is usual in such cases, she was the apple of his eye, and was loved by him above all humanity.”

• D. “This, of course, was an especially important occasion, and his Majesty, as well as all the people, was greatly interested in the workings and development of this trial.”

Which inference can be best made about the door that bothers the princess the most?

• A. The princess is most bothered by the door that opens to the tiger because she hopes the young hero will survive.

• B. The princess is most bothered by the door that opens to the lady because she knows the lady loves another young man.

• C. The princess is most bothered by the door that opens to the tiger because she thinks the young hero will harm the animal.

• D. The princess is most bothered by the door that opens to the lady because she fears the young hero will be happy to marry.

Which sentence from the excerpt most strongly supports the answer to Question 7?

• A. “Not only did she know in which room stood the lady, ready to emerge, all blushing and radiant should her door be opened, but she knew who the lady was.”

• B. “How often, in her waking hours and in her dreams, had she started in wild horror and covered her face with her hands as she thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the cruel fangs of the tiger!”

• C. “But how much oftener had she seen him at the other door!”

• D. “Would it not be better for him to die at once, and go to wait for her in the blessed regions of semi-barbaric futurity?”

Match the correct synonym to the bold word in the quote from the excerpt:

The arena of the king was built, not to give the people an opportunity of hearing the rhapsodies of dying gladiators, nor to enable them to view the inevitable conclusion of a conflict between religious opinions and hungry jaws, but for purposes far better adapted to widen and develop the mental energies of the people.”

• emotions

• unbiased

• portions

• schemings

What is the audience's reaction to the door with the lady in paragraph 6?

• "wended slowly"

• "merry peals"

• "downcast hearts"

• "bowed heads"