The Miracle Worker

What can the reader infer from the following text?

[Now in the family room the rear door opens, and HELEN steps in. She stands a moment, then sniffs in one deep grateful breath, and her hands go out vigorously to familiar things, over the door panels, and to the chairs around the table, and over the silverware on the table, until she meets VINEY; she pats her flank approvingly.]

• A. The family room contains beautiful furniture.

• B. Helen uses her sense of touch to navigate her surroundings.

• C. The family room is the family’s favorite gathering place.

• D. Helen’s favorite person is Viney.

Which line from the play best illustrates Annie’s efforts to teach Helen?

• A. “It took us the best part of two weeks and— ”

• B. “And everything she’s learned is?”

• C. “But what’s the child done?”

• D. “I’ve always suspected those hens.”

Which inference can be best made from this text from the play?

[…JAMES considers a moment, glances across at Annie, lowers his head again, and obliges.]

JAMES [Lightly]: And Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with an angel until the breaking of the day; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him; and the angel said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And Jacob said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Amen.

[ANNIE has lifted her eyes suspiciously at JAMES, who winks expressionlessly and inclines his head to HELEN.]

Oh, you angel.

• A. James hopes Annie will understand that he is Jacob in the story of Jacob and the angel.

• B. James wants to express his love for Annie by telling her the story of Jacob and the angel.

• C. James believes the relationship between Annie and Helen is like the struggle between Jacob and the angel.

• D. James thinks he can teach Annie a lesson about Christianity.

What does the phrase out of joint most likely mean, according to the following passage?

KELLER [Not noticing]: Reverend looked in at the office today to complain his hens have stopped laying. Poor fellow, he was out of joint, all he could‒

• A. To be highly upset.

• B. To be highly amused.

• C. To be tearful.

• D. To be a vegetarian.

Which inference can be best made about Helen Keller?

• A. She is amused.

• B. She shows defiance.

• C. She hates her family.

• D. She dislikes her father.

Which line from the play most strongly supports the answer to question 5?

• A. “…she pats her flank approvingly.”

• B. “…ANNIE puts a napkin around HELEN.”

• C. “She bends to retrieve it, but ANNIE stops her…”

• D. “…for the third time puts the napkin on HELEN.”

What is most likely Annie Sullivan’s “main worry”?

• A. That the family will discontinue the discipline Helen has recently learned.

• B. That James Keller will disrespect his daughter.

• C. That Helen will ruin the family’s evening meals.

• D. That Aunt Ev will punish Helen too harshly when she misbehaves at the dinner table

Which line from the play most strongly supports the answer to question 7?

• A. “What do you wish to do?”

• B. “There’s an awful lot of things in the Good Book that I wouldn’t care to hear just before eating.”

• C. “Will once hurt so much, Miss Annie?”

• D. “Oh, I should say so, you know my opinion of your pickles—”

Match each vocabulary word with its correct synonym:

• tilts

• deliberately

• purposefully

• inclines

• considers

• bound

• certain

• contemplates

• strongly

• vigorously

Match each speaker with their corresponding dialogue:

Answer Key

• Annie Sullivan

• “Oh, I should say so, you know my opinion of your pickles—”

• Kate Keller

• “Will you say grace, Jimmie?”

• Viney

• “Oh, we glad to have you back too, prob’ly.”

• Aunt Ev

• “Take her out of my hands and it all falls apart.”

• James Keller

• “I’ve always suspected those hens.”