The Patient Machine - Personification in literary text (Grade 8)
Passage
•
English
•
8th Grade
•
Practice Problem
•
Hard
Angela Lock
FREE Resource
8 questions
Show all answers
1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
Which of the following phrases from the passage is a direct example of personification?
Its metallic shell was sleek
the new gaming console whispered promises
She had a history essay due tomorrow
Banks’s chrome fingers began to sort
Answer explanation
This is the correct answer because it gives the human quality of whispering to an inanimate object, the gaming console. The other options are literal descriptions.
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
When the author writes that the clock 'stared down at her, its second hand ticking like a stern finger tapping impatiently,' what feeling is this meant to create?
A feeling of excitement about the time
A sense of being judged and running out of time
A feeling of calmness and peace
A sense of confusion about what to do
Answer explanation
Personifying the clock as 'staring' and its hand as a 'stern finger tapping' creates a tone of pressure and judgment, emphasizing Lillie's anxiety about her deadline and her responsibilities.
3.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
What is the most likely reason the author says the robot's internal fans 'gave a soft, tired sigh'?
To describe a mechanical malfunction in the robot.
To show that the robot was running out of battery power.
To suggest the robot was physically exhausted from working.
To reflect Lillie’s own feeling of being weary of her bad choices.
Answer explanation
The personification of the robot's sound as a 'tired sigh' is not meant to be literal. It reflects Lillie's internal state and her perception that even the robot is disappointed in her choice, mirroring her own weariness with her procrastination.
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
According to the passage, what object is described as having a 'demanding presence'?
The gaming console
The pile of laundry
The unfinished history essay
The robot, Banks
Answer explanation
The passage explicitly states, '...the datapad’s screen glowed, its unfinished history essay a demanding presence.' This gives the homework the human-like quality of being demanding.
5.
CATEGORIZE QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
Categorize the following examples of personification from the passage based on whether they represent a 'Temptation' or a 'Responsibility' for Lillie.
Groups:
(a) Temptation
,
(b) Responsibility
The blinking cursor... was a patient, waiting heartbeat
The clock on the wall stared down at her
the laundry slumped sadly
the whole room was breathing easier
its unfinished history essay a demanding presence
the gaming console whispered promises
Answer explanation
The phrase 'whispered promises' represents the temptation of playing games. All the other phrases personify objects related to Lillie's duties: the 'demanding' essay, the 'staring' clock, the 'waiting' cursor, the 'sadly slumped' laundry, and the relieved room all represent the weight and eventual relief of fulfilling her responsibilities.
6.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
30 sec • 1 pt
In the first paragraph, the pile of laundry is described as having 'slumped sadly.' What does this personification emphasize?
The messiness and neglect in the room.
The high quality of the clothes.
Lillie's pride in her clean room.
The laundry's bright and cheerful colors.
Answer explanation
By giving the laundry the human posture of 'slumping sadly,' the author emphasizes the state of neglect in the room and the responsibilities Lillie has been ignoring.
7.
MATCH QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
Match the object from the passage with the human-like quality or action it is given.
Staring sternly
The clock
Having a heartbeat
The unfinished essay
Being demanding
The gaming console
Whispering promises
The blinking cursor
Answer explanation
The passage describes the essay as a 'demanding presence,' the clock as 'stared down at her,' the console as it 'whispered promises,' and the cursor as a 'patient, waiting heartbeat.' Each match correctly pairs the object with its personified action.
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