The Golden Touch Test

As described in “The Golden Touch,” what are King Midas’s two great loves?

• the garden and the river

• his daughter and gold

• food and drink

In “The Golden Touch,” who grants the king his wish?

• a stranger

• the King himself

• the king's daughter

In “The Golden Touch,” what is the king’s main problem at the breakfast table?

• He sees that his daughter is upset with him.

• He is unsure about how to store his golden food.

• His food turns to gold before he can swallow it.

At the end of “The Golden Touch,” how does King Midas undo the damage he has caused?

• He changes flowers to gold.

• He apologizes to those he has hurt.

• He sprinkles water on things he has touched.

If Marla is admiring the burnished wood, what is she most likely admiring? Base your answer on the meaning of burnished.

• the wood’s shape

• the wood’s deep polish

• the wood’s smooth texture

In the following sentence, which word could best be substituted for lustrous?

Base your answer on the meaning of lustrous.

"The moon is lustrous."

• milky

• radiant

• romantic

Nina was cast as the fairy godmother in the school play. She made a gilded wand to carry onstage. What did she most likely use to make the wand? Base your answer on the meaning of gilded.

• a wire clothes hanger

• scissors and glue

• gold paint

Part A Which word best describes King Midas in the first part of “The Golden

Touch”?

• wise

• cruel

• greedy

Part B Which sentence from “The Golden Touch” best supports the answer to

Part A?

• He had planted a garden, in which grew the biggest and beautifullest and sweetest roses that any mortal ever saw or smelt.

• The very tip-top of enjoyment would never be reached, unless the whole world were to become his treasure-room, and be filled with yellow metal which should be all his own.

• Midas was enjoying himself in his treasure-room, one day, as usual, when he perceived a shadow fall over the heaps of gold.

Which excerpt from early in “The Golden Touch” most strongly hints at a

tragic event to come?

• Once upon a time, there lived a very rich man, and a king besides, whose name was Midas; and he had a little daughter, whom nobody but myself ever heard of, and whose name I either never knew, or have entirely forgotten.

• He made it his custom, therefore, to pass a large portion of every day in a dark and dreary apartment, under ground, at the basement of his place. It was here that he kept his wealth. To this dismal hole … Midas betook himself whenever he wanted to be particularly happy.

• He drew out his handkerchief, which little Marygold had hemmed for him. That was likewise gold…. Somehow or other, this last transformation did not quite please King Midas. He would rather that his little daughter’s handiwork should have remained just the same.