Figurative Language

Waiting for Ice It’s early October. The polar bears have spent the summer on Wrangle Island, far north of Russia in the Arctic Ocean, trapped because of the drifting ice they roam has melted. They must wait for the patchwork quilt of ice to return, so they can hunt for seals and whales from these floating life rafts. But this summer has been warmer than usual. The polar bears crowd around together on a spot of land stretching out into the sea and wait for the ice that is late in coming. The young cub roams among them, searching for her mother.

The phrase "the patchwork quilt of ice" is an example of a metaphor. What is the author trying to say about the ice?

• That the ice was covering the surface of the Arctic Ocean

• That the ice was scattered in different shapes and sizes across the ocean.

• That the ice kept the polar bears from getting attacked.

• That the ice was melting into the ocean.

Waiting for Ice It’s early October. The polar bears have spent the summer on Wrangle Island, far north of Russia in the Arctic Ocean, trapped because of the drifting ice they roam has melted. They must wait for the patchwork quilt of ice to return, so they can hunt for seals and whales from these floating life rafts. But this summer has been warmer than usual. The polar bears crowd around together on a spot of land stretching out into the sea and wait for the ice that is late in coming. The young cub roams among them, searching for her mother.

Why does the author refer to the ice as, “floating life rafts”?

• To explain that the polar bears use ice as rafts to float around

• To show that the ice is shaped like life rafts

• To make the passage sound better for the reader

• To explain that seals and whales need the life rafts to survive

This Is the Dream This the fountain that stands in the square, And the unwritten rule is to take turns and share. This is the bus that roars through the streets, And all of the passengers choose their own seats. This is the restaurant where, up in the front, The black and white sign says “OPEN FOR LUNCH.” This is the library, books wall to wall, Free to be read- not by some but by all.

What type of figurative language is "this is the bus that roars through the streets"?

• simile

• metaphor

• hyperbole

• personification

With the phrase "this is the bus that roars through the street", what is the author really trying to say about the bus?

• That the bus was talking as it drove down the street.

• That the bus was loud as it drove down the street

• That the bus had sirens to alert passengers that it was coming down the street.

• That this was a special bus shaped like a lion.

Ron’s Big Mission It took Ron a while to find some good books. He always looked for books that showed children who looked like him. But that was hard. There were not as many books about black kids on the shelves. At last Ron found some books on airplanes. He took the books and started to walk to the front desk. Ron felt apprehensive and his hand felt like he had dipped them in a pool of water, but he knew what he wanted to do. Mrs. Fielding, a white lady who was often in the library, stopped him. “You can give me the books and I’ll check them out for you, Ron,” she said gently. “No, thanks, Mrs. Fielding,” Ron said. “I’m going to do it all by myself.” “But Ron-“she started to say. Ron was already on his way to the front desk. He put the books in the counter, ready to check out.

In Ron’s Big Mission, what is the author really trying to say in the simile "his hand felt like he had dipped them in a pool of water"?

• Ron took a swim in the library’s pool to cool him off.

• Ron’s hands were clammy and sweaty

• Ron had just washed his hands.

• Ron was struggling to hold on to the books because his hand were wet.

Ron’s Big Mission It took Ron a while to find some good books. He always looked for books that showed children who looked like him. But that was hard. There were not as many books about black kids on the shelves. At last Ron found some books on airplanes. He took the books and started to walk to the front desk. Ron felt apprehensive and his hand felt like he had dipped them in a pool of water, but he knew what he wanted to do. Mrs. Fielding, a white lady who was often in the library, stopped him. “You can give me the books and I’ll check them out for you, Ron,” she said gently. “No, thanks, Mrs. Fielding,” Ron said. “I’m going to do it all by myself.” “But Ron-“she started to say. Ron was already on his way to the front desk. He put the books in the counter, ready to check out.

What does the simile "his hand felt like he had dipped them in a pool of water" help you understand about the meaning of the word apprehensive?

• It means that Ron was nervous.

• It means that Ron knew he was doing something bad.

• It means Ron was really excited.

• It means that Ron really wanted to books about kids like him, not airplanes

It was a bright summer day in December. Ten-year old Rachel Shardlow and her brother Sam were swimming in one of their favorite Spots, the Calliope River. This swimming area is about 15 miles from where the river empties into the Pacific Ocean. Rachel was floating in the cool and clean water, practicing her flips. Suddenly, she felt a burning pain on her legs. It felt at first like a knife had sliced her. But within a second, she felt as though her leg and arm were on fire. She looked down and saw that she was entangled with an enormous jellyfish. Her skin burned. Her heart felt as though it was being squeezed in her chest. The moment the tentacles of the jelly fish made contact with Rachel’s skin, the venom was injected into her body.

What is the author trying to explain in the figurative language "Her heart felt as though it was being squeezed in her chest"?

• The jelly fish was squeezing her heart.

• That her chest was in pain and she couldn’t breathe.

• That her heart was on fire

• The jelly fish had injected it’s venom into her heart.

It was a bright summer day in December. Ten-year old Rachel Shardlow and her brother Sam were swimming in one of their favorite Spots, the Calliope River. This swimming area is about 15 miles from where the river empties into the Pacific Ocean. Rachel was floating in the cool and clean water, practicing her flips. Suddenly, she felt a burning pain on her legs. It felt at first like a knife had sliced her. But within a second, she felt as though her leg and arm were on fire. She looked down and saw that she was entangled with an enormous jellyfish. Her skin burned. Her heart felt as though it was being squeezed in her chest. The moment the tentacles of the jelly fish made contact with Rachel’s skin, the venom was injected into her body.

What is another example of figurative language from the text above?

• It was a bright summer day in December.

• Rachel was floating in the cool and clean water, practicing her flips.

• It felt at first like a knife had sliced her.

• The moment the tentacles of the jelly fish made contact with Rachel’s skin, the venom was injected into her body.

(1)In 1914, the leaders of one Molasses Company decided to build an enormous tank near Boston Harbor. The tank was constructed very quickly, and it was huge, bigger than any tank ever built in the whole world. As if the North End wasn’t already grim rough, now a three-story steel tank towered over the neighborhood. (2)Just hours after it was first filled with molasses, brown syrup was leaking from the tank, oozing like blood from a wound. When the tank was filled, it rumbled and groaned, as though the steel walls of the tank were crying out in pain. Some people living near the tank worried it was unsafe.

In the first paragraph, what is the author trying to tell you about the molasses tank in the hyperbole that is given?

• The tank built to hold the molasses was extremely large

• The tank was not a pretty sight to look at.

• The tank wasn’t big enough to hold all of the molasses

• In order to build the large tank, the neighbor was knocked down.

(1)In 1914, the leaders of one Molasses Company decided to build an enormous tank near Boston Harbor. The tank was constructed very quickly, and it was huge, bigger than any tank ever built in the whole world. As if the North End wasn’t already grim rough, now a three-story steel tank towered over the neighborhood. (2)Just hours after it was first filled with molasses, brown syrup was leaking from the tank, oozing like blood from a wound. When the tank was filled, it rumbled and groaned, as though the steel walls of the tank were crying out in pain. Some people living near the tank worried it was unsafe.

In the second paragraph, what does the author mean when she says the tank “groaned” and “the steel walls were crying out in pain”?

• The walls busted and the molasses poured out of the tank.

• The tank actually groaned and cried saying it didn’t want to hold the molasses in there.

• The tank was falling apart.

• The tank was making noises because it was not sturdy enough to hold the thick molasses.