Symbolism

After a big fight with her parents, Mirah decided to run away from home. She put some essentials in her backpack and then ran and ran, until she was so far from town that she found herself in the desert. As she stopped to rest and sip from her water bottle, Mirah realized she had forgotten to say goodbye to her two best friends and her pet puppy. All the way out here, she wouldn't be able to rant to anyone about her annoying family. Mirah sat down and noticed the sand dunes extending far into the horizon in every direction. She sighed, curled up into a ball, and cried.

What does the desert symbolize in this story?

• courage and strength

• isolation and loneliness

• adventure

• sadness

Sonia woke up with a smile on her face because she knew it would be a special day. Today was the day of the big ceremony: it was her 16th birthday, which meant her mother would give her the silver spoon that had been passed down in her family for generations. She quickly put on the dress she had picked out the night before and ran down the stairs. "I'm ready!" she declared.

Which of the following is a symbol in this story?

• Sonia's dress

• the silver spoon

• Sonia's mother

• the stairs

What does this symbol represent?

• Royalty/power

• A king or queen

• Beauty

• Hatred

What does this symbol represent?

• Red, white, and blue

• School

• Freedom

• Canada

Ana had spent an unhappy night of tossing and turning. Yesterday, the wrong move had caused her to lose the volleyball match. As she sat up in bed the next morning, she could see the sun just peeking over the bushes in her back yard. As the sun rose higher and shined more brightly, Ana felt her spirits lifting. Feeling her confidence return, Ana thought to herself, I know I can work harder, and I'll make the team forget yesterday ever happened.

In this passage, the rising sun symbolizes—

• Ana's house

• volleyball

• a second chance

• a sleepless night

One hot summer day, a weary fox padded down a dusty road, desperate for food and drink. He had traveled for miles without finding so much as a berry to nibble or a puddle of water to sip from. Suddenly, a beautiful aroma filled the air. The fox sniffed and sniffed, his mouth watering in anticipation. Then he looked up. Several feet above him, trailing along a trellis, was a vine full of juicy grapes. The fox jumped up, but he could not reach them. Then he backed up, took a running start, and leaped as high as he could. Still, the grapes remained out of reach. Again and again, he tried, with no success. Finally, exhausted and faint from his efforts, the fox gave up and went on his way. "Oh, well," he sneered, "no big loss. I could tell those grapes were sour anyway." In this passage, the grapes symbolize—

• something that a person wants but can't have

• a desire to be happy and independent

• a delicious, satisfying meal

• a decision that is difficult to make

What does the color red symbolize?

• sadness and calmness

• joy and fear

• jealousy and inexperience

• love and anger

What does the color blue symbolize?

• sadness and calmness

• wealth and honor

• love and anger

• royalty and ambition

What does a heart typically symbolize?

• fear

• time

• love

• thunder

In a story, what could a storom symbolize?

• love

• happiness

• danger

• luck