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The Watsons Go To Birmingham Ch 1-3

Total questions: 36

Worksheet time: 2hrs 48mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Write your name here.

USE THIS FORMAT!

Last name, First name

4 lines
2.

Which class period are you from?

a)

Per 1

b)

Per 2

c)

Per 4

d)

Per 7

e)

Per 8

3.

Paragraphs 1-5 are important to the story because they –

a)

explain why it’s so cold in Flint

b)

introduce the setting and main characters

c)

describe the conflict between Byron and the rest of the family

d)

show that Birmingham is better than Flint

4.

Which sentence best shows that Byron wants his family to think he’s too “cool” for them?

a)

Byron and Buphead each grabbed one of my arms and one of my legs and swung me between them.

b)

I moved closer and when I got right next to him I could see boogers running out of his nose and tears running down his cheeks.

c)

Byron had tucked the blanket between him and Dad down into the cushion of the couch to make sure he couldn’t be touched.

d)

When I opened my eyes Byron was running to the house with his hands over his mouth and Momma following right behind him.

5.

What did the narrator mean when he said that it "felt like Jack Frost had moved in with us"?

a)

Their heater had broken down.

b)

They didn't have any more gloves.

c)

It was freezing cold in their house.

d)

They build a snowman and were cold.

6.

Kenny can tell when his mother is angry or upset because:

a)

her face turns red

b)

she speaks with a Southern accent

c)

she shakes her head

d)

she bites her lip

7.

What is mama insecure about?

a)

living in poverty

b)

being from the south and speaking with a heavy accent

c)

she has a large gap between her teeth

d)

her kids nor her husband respects her

8.

Who is Joey?

a)

The mom

b)

A friend from school

c)

The sister

d)

A boy on the bus

9.

What was Dad's car's nickname?

a)

Black Bomber

b)

Brown Bomber

c)

Brown Baby

d)

Big Bomber

10.

In chapter 1, the story about Byron and Buphead teaching Kenny “How to Survive a Blizzard, Part I,” are important to the story because they –

a)

explain to the reader how to survive a blizzard

b)

establish the antagonistic, brothers-in-conflict, relationship on which the story is based

c)

describe the three boys and the way they are dressed

d)

show a contrast between Byron’s and Buphead’s grading system for Kenny’s performance in the test

11.

Why did Dad have tears running down his face when Byron got his mouth stuck on the frozen mirror?

a)

He was scared and panicked about how they were going to “unfreeze” Byron from the mirror.

b)

He was laughing hysterically because he thought it was funny that Byron was kissing his own reflection when he got stuck.

c)

He was trying to sympathize with his wife and show her that he understood her fear that Byron could be seriously injured.

d)

He felt badly and blamed himself because Byron got stuck while scraping windows, a chore which his Dad had given him to do.

12.

The resolution to Byron’s main conflict in chapter 1 occurs when –

a)

Byron’s lips get stuck to the car mirror

b)

Kenny runs to get help from Momma and Dad

c)

Momma pulls Byron’s face off the mirror

d)

Kenny calls Byron the Lipless Wonder

13.

By telling the story from Kenny’s point of view, the author helps the reader understand –

a)

why Kenny feels happy when Byron sticks up for him at school

b)

why Moses Henderson is called Hambone by Dad

c)

what Momma did to free Byron from the car mirror

d)

the reason Dad makes the boys scrape the ice off the windows

14.

Each dictionary entry below is a definition for the word sharp. sharp \shahrp\ adj


Which definition represents the meaning of sharp as it is used in the following sentences: “I must be adopted; there just ain’t no way two folks as ugly as your momma and daddy coulda give birth to someone as sharp as me!”

a)

having a thin cutting edge or fine point

b)

piercing or shrill in sound

c)

involving an quick change in direction

d)

extremely stylish

15.

Which quote from Byron from the story shows that Byron really does care about his brother, Kenny?

a)

“Say kid, you wanna learn somethin’that might save your stupid life one day? We gonna teach you how to survive a blizzard.”

b)

“You know what, square? I must be adopted; there ain’t no way two folks as ugly as your momma and daddy coulda give birth to someone as sharp as me!”

c)

“Look, man, if you don’t want people to look at your messed-up eye you just gotta do this.”

d)

Give my regards to Clark, Poindexter.”

16.

In the last paragraph beginning on p. 6 and ending on p. 7, “knock those windows out” means to –

a)

Break the window glass

b)

Roll down the windows

c)

Get the windows cleared of ice

d)

Knock on the neighbor’s windows to get help

17.

What was Byron called since the age he turned 13?

a)

Young Master Watson

b)

A punk

c)

Country Corn Flake

d)

A juvenile delinquent

18.

Byron is called a juvenile delinquent. What does this mean?

a)

He is a young person who volunteers to help people.

b)

He is a young person who breaks a lot of rules and gets into trouble.

19.

What happens to Byron when he and Kenny are scraping ice off the car?

a)

he cut is finger

b)

he slipped on ice and fell

c)

his lips got stuck to the mirror

d)

his eye lashes froze

20.

How did Byron finally get his lips off the mirror?

a)

By pouring warm water on them.

b)

Wrapping a scarf around them until they thawed.

c)

Mrs. Watson grabbed him by the head and pulled.

d)

Mr. Watson drove down the road until he fell off.

21.

What is the name of the Superhero Kenny invents in the car on the way to Aunt Cydney's?

a)

Superman

b)

The Lipless Wonder

c)

The Super Lip

d)

The Frozen Lip

22.

What main conflict is introduced in the exposition?

a)

mama and dad fight a lot, especially about how dad won her love

b)

whether or not to move back to Birmingham

c)

Byron's bad behavior

d)

the extremely cold conditions at the family's home

23.

Which words in paragraph 1, p. 29, help the reader know what raggedy means?

a)

Big smile, tennis shoes

b)

New boy, beard, long hair

c)

Jacket, blue jeans, personal saver

d)

Holes in the sleeves, tore-up jeans

24.

Why does Kenny refer to the new kid as his "personal saver?"

a)

He hopes he will save him from Byron.

b)

He thinks he is a god.

c)

He thinks others will pick on the new kid and leave him alone

d)

He helped Kenny cheat on a test.

25.

Larry Dunn is portrayed as being –

a)

courageous

b)

forgiving

c)

submissive

d)

cruel

26.

What is Kenny insecure about?

a)

being smart and having a lazy eye

b)

being Byron's younger brother, who also happens to be one of the school bullies

c)

living in poverty

d)

being dropped off by his dad at school

27.

Why does Byron say, "Give my regards to Clark, Poindexter"?

a)

When he is skipping school

b)

When he is about to beat up Kenny

c)

When he is leaving the house

d)

All of the above

28.

What is the name of the school the children attend?

a)

Brandon Elementary

b)

Clark Elementary

c)

Davidson Elementary

d)

Edwards Elementary

29.

Which theme is NOT addressed in chapters 1 and 2?

a)

honesty

b)

poverty

c)

family

d)

insecurities

30.

Why is Larry Dunn so much bigger and stronger than other students?

a)

Because he worked out at the gym.

b)

His parents were very large.

c)

He wasn't really that big, the other kids were just small.

d)

Because he had failed two or three grades.

31.

Choose the word that best matches this definition.


Definition: a device used to control and change the temperature in a room

a)

thermometer

b)

gage

c)

thermostat

d)

switch

32.

Choose the word that best matches this definition.


Definition: follow an example, copy or imitate

a)

rival

b)

emulate

c)

compete

d)

identical

33.

Choose the word that best matches this definition.


Definition: damage to the skin and tissues caused by extreme cold

a)

eczema

b)

frostbite

c)

hives

d)

hypothermia

34.

Choose the word that best matches this definition.


Definition: to make timid or frighten by threats

a)

shock

b)

intimidate

c)

panic

d)

alarm

35.

In Ch. 3, we learn that Rufus begins to come to Kenny's house after school, around 5:30pm. Based on your knowledge of Rufus, what inference can you make about the reason for his visits?

a)

He is homeless and has nowhere else to go.

b)

He is hungry and shows up at dinner time.

c)

He brings food to help feed the Watson family.

d)

He doesn't like his brother, Cody, and wants to avoid him.

36.

In Ch. 3, the author includes a flashback about L.J. and a dinosaur war. The purpose of this flashback is to....

a)

show the reader that Kenny was childish and still played with plastic dinosaurs.

b)

show the reader that Kenny wants to attend college to study paleontology.

c)

show the reader that Kenny would put up with a bad friend, just so he could have someone to play with.

d)

show the reader that Kenny was patriotic and always wanted to be the American dinosaurs.