The Return

What is the verb phrase in the following sentence?

The travelers were consistently inspired by the vivid scenery along the tracks.

• were consistently

• were inspired

• travelers were

• inspired by

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L.9-10.1

Which of these sentences contains a verb in the active voice?

• Instructions about our luggage were given over the speaker.

• Across the aisle, a game was being played by two sisters. .

• The remains of my lunch had been consumed hours ago.

• A man in my compartment quietly read the newspaper.

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L.9-10.1

Which of these sentences contains a verb in the passive voice?

• Every few minutes, the conductor strolled down the passage.

• I had remembered to purchase a map at the train station.

• Snacks and sandwiches were sold to voyagers in the dining car.

• Our train rushed past the small villages and entered the tunnel

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L.9-10.1

If equus is Latin for “horse,” what would it mean to be described as “having an equine nose”? Base your answer on your understanding of both the root and the suffix in equine.

• to own a horse with a big nose

• d. to be able to sense things as a horse might

• to smell something horsey

• to have a nose like that of a horse

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RL.9-10.4

L.9-10.4.b

What does the suffix –ine mean in the bracketed word?

The stars seemed to be made of a (crystalline) substance.

• cause

• like

• condition of

• person

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RL.9-10.4

L.9-10.4.b

Which of these events from “The Return” is the best example of situational irony?

• Kamau’s exhilaration at realizing that the Honia River still flows

• Kamau’s hopes of seeing Muthoni and his discovery that she has left

• Kamau’s loss of his bundle as he tries to remove his coat by the river

• Kamau’s first view of his father and recognition that he has aged

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RL.9-10.5

Where has Kamau been for the five years preceding the events in the story?

Kamau has been imprisoned by the government for the past five years.

Where is Kamau going as the story begins?

When the story begins, Kamau is going back home to see his family in Honia, the village by the river where he grew up.

How does Kamau’s mother feel about Kamau’s wife, Muthoni?

Kamau’s mother accepts Muthoni’s decision to leave, stating, “She was a good daughter to us.” Muthoni left with Karanja because Kamau’s family didn’t have enough money and food to keep her, and they trusted Karanja because he was Kamau’s childhood friend.

To confirm your understanding, write a summary of the story.

A man named Kamau was released from imprisonment and journeys home to receive an unpleasant reception. His family believed he was dead and let his wife leave with his childhood friend because they couldn’t afford to keep her. Kamau is very upset, but in the end, he realizes that things change whether you are around to see them or not.