The Whisper in the Attic - Verbal Irony (Grade 7)
Passage
•
English
•
7th Grade
•
Practice Problem
•
Hard
Angela Lock
FREE Resource
8 questions
Show all answers
1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
When Arlo first asks Lydia if she heard the whisper, what is her sarcastic response?
"Wow, a real-life ghost in a box."
"Oh, I'm terrified."
"We should sell tickets."
"Did you find a mountain of gold?"
Answer explanation
This is Lydia's direct response to Arlo's question, "Did you hear that?" She says it sarcastically to show she is not scared at all.
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
Which of these sarcastic phrases does Lydia use to mock Arlo's discovery?
"A mountain of gold"
"A broken toy"
"A real-life ghost in a box"
"A faint, airy whisper"
Answer explanation
Lydia says, "Wow, a real-life ghost in a box," with a flat voice to make fun of Arlo's belief that the music box is haunted.
3.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
When Lydia says, "That's definitely the most exciting thing that's ever happened in this dusty attic," what does she really mean?
She is genuinely thrilled by the discovery.
She thinks the attic is boring and Arlo is overreacting.
She wants to explore the attic more.
She is scared but trying to hide it.
Answer explanation
This is an example of verbal irony. Lydia's flat tone and the context show she means the opposite of what she is saying; she finds the situation boring, not exciting.
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
At the beginning of the story, what sarcastic question does Lydia ask Arlo when he calls for her?
"Did you find a mountain of gold?"
"Did you hear that?"
"What is it, Arlo?"
"Still think it's just a broken toy?"
Answer explanation
This is the first thing Lydia says to Arlo. By asking if he found something impossible like a 'mountain of gold,' she is sarcastically showing she doesn't expect him to have found anything important.
5.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
What is the main purpose of Lydia's verbal irony throughout most of the story?
To show she is smarter than Arlo.
To make Arlo angry so he will leave.
To hide her own secret fear of the attic.
To tease Arlo and show she doesn't believe his supernatural claims.
Answer explanation
Lydia's sarcastic comments like "Oh, I'm terrified" and "We should sell tickets" are meant to tease her brother and express her disbelief in the whisper.
6.
CATEGORIZE QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
Categorize the following phrases from the story as either "Genuinely Meant" or "Ironically Meant."
Groups:
(a) Genuinely Meant
,
(b) Ironically Meant
"Even better," Arlo whispered...
"Okay," she whispered..."I heard it."
"Let me hear your amazing discovery."
"Oh, I'm terrified."
"We should sell tickets."
"No, it whispered!" Arlo insisted.
Answer explanation
The 'Genuinely Meant' phrases are stated sincerely by the characters. The 'Ironically Meant' phrases are all said by Lydia to mean the opposite of the literal words, which is verbal irony.
7.
MATCH QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
Match Lydia's ironic statements with their true, underlying meaning.
Stating that she thinks the situation is very boring.
"Did you find a mountain of gold?"
Expressing doubt that Arlo found anything interesting.
"That's definitely the most exciting thing..."
Showing she is not scared at all.
"Wow, a real-life ghost in a box."
Dismissing the idea of a ghost as silly.
"Oh, I'm terrified."
Answer explanation
Each of Lydia's statements uses verbal irony. The question matches the sarcastic phrase with what she actually means: doubting Arlo, showing she isn't scared, thinking the ghost idea is silly, and feeling bored.
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