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Flowers for Algernon

Total questions: 34

Worksheet time: 22mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The story is divided into progress reports to

a)

show that Charlie is unable to think of chapter titles before his surgery.

b)

track Charlie's thoughts and development before and after the surgery.

c)

help Charlie keep track of different reports for his job at the factory.

2.
Why  do the doctors use Charlie in their experiment?
a)
They feel he is motivated to try to learn
b)
He is the only person willing to try it.
c)
They see that he has bonded with Algernon
d)
They know he needs a better job.
3.

From the choices below, which one is NOT a positive quality of Charlie Gordon?

a)

eager to please

b)

motivated

c)

agreeable

d)

cruel

4.

Charlie is unable to deal with his first inkblot test because

a)

he sees images in the inkblots that scare him.

b)

he cannot understand what he is supposed to see.

c)

he is terrified of the man administering the test.

5.

Algernon is all of the following except:

a)

an animal that can talk

b)

a laboratory test animal

c)

a white mouse

6.

Which sentence best states the doctors' reason for having Charlie compete with the mazes with Algernon?

a)

Charlie needs to learn the rules for running mazes.

b)

The doctors want to embarrass him and see if he can handle stress.

c)

It is a way to compare their levels of intelligence.

7.
What are Dr. Nemur's motivations for performing the experiment (and future experiments)?
a)
money
b)
pressure from the scientific community to perform
c)
recognitions and rewards
d)
making a positive difference for humankind
8.
What do Charlie's "friends" mean when they say someone "really pulled a Charlie Gordon"?
a)
they did a cool trick
b)
they did something kind
c)
they did something smart
d)
they did something dumb
9.

What can you infer about Charlie's relationship with his co-workers before the experiment?

a)

He thinks they are good friends and fails to realize that they sometimes tease him.

b)

He is deeply hurt by their teasing, but refuses to believe that they mean it in good fun.

c)

They are afraid of him and do not like to socialize

d)

They try so hard to be kind to him.

10.
Why does Charlie get a raise at the factory? 
a)
He was on time to work for an entire year.
b)
The boss learned about his surgery.
c)
Everyone is afraid of him.
d)
Charlie figured out a new way to line up the machines in the factory.
11.

As Charlie becomes more intelligent he realizes the Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur

a)

are sensitive people who care about him.

b)

are incompetent doctors who "messed up" the experiment.

c)

are ambitious men who do not particularly care about him.

d)

want him to lose his intelligence because he makes them feel dumb.

12.

What happened at Charlie's workplace?

a)

Mr. Donnegan named him Employee of the Month

b)

Joe and Frank broke one of the machines, and Charlie fixed it before Mr. Donnegan found out.

c)

Workers signed a petition asking for Charlie to be fired.

d)

Charlie announced that mopping the floor was "beneath his pay grade."

13.

Charlie says of Miss Kinnian, "The thought of leaving her behind makes me sad." What does this statement foreshadow?

a)

Charlie will change in ways that make a relationship with her impossible.

b)

Charlie will be offered a job that will take him far away.

c)

Miss Kinnian will do something that will destroy Charlie's love for her.

14.

How does Charlie first discover that the effects of his operation will not last?

a)

He sees changes in Algernon

b)

He sees changes in himself.

c)

He overhears the doctor.

d)

Miss Kinnian tells him.

15.

What event foreshadows what will happen to Charlie?

a)

Charlie gives up using the typewriter.

b)

Charlie decides to do research on his own.

c)

Algenon becomes uncooperative and disturbed.

d)

The boy at the restaurant drops the glasses.

16.

Charlie begins to spend a great deal of time alone because

a)

he lacks friends who can match his level of intelligence.

b)

Miss Kinnian and the doctors often try to avoid him.

c)

his landlady objects to him having visitors in his room.

17.

After he defends the boy in the restaurant, Charlie is disgusted with himself because

a)

he caused an embarrassing scene.

b)

he did not help the boy clean up the broken dishes.

c)

the boy could defend himself without help.

d)

at first, he laughed at the boy too.

18.

Which event motivates Charlie to do his own study of increasing human intelligence?

a)

Dr. Strauss gives him his own laboratory.

b)

The scene with the boy at the restaurant reminds Charlie of how he used to be.

c)

Charlie's progress becomes a sensation at a convention of psychologists.

19.

Charlie's research concludes that increases in intelligence through the technique developed by Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur are

a)

dangerous

b)

ready to be used with all humans

c)

only temporary

d)

permanent

20.

Shortly after Algernon's death, Charlie goes for a walk, and a police officer has to

a)

lead him home.

b)

arrest him.

c)

help him bury Algernon.

d)

arrest the doctors.

21.

After Charlie mistakenly returns to Miss Kinnian's classroom, he writes, "I reely pulled a Charlie Gordan that time." This remark might best be seen as showing:

a)

Charlie's understanding of the other people's laughter and mocking of him.

b)

Charlie's pleasure at becoming his own self again.

c)

Charlie still wants to learn to read and write.

22.

At the end of the story, what does Charlie plan to do?

a)

Go back to night school.

b)

Become a supervisor at his old job.

c)

Make his story public.

d)

Leave New York for good.

23.

What will probably happen to Charlie?

a)

Charlie will make new friends after he leaves New York.

b)

Charlie will die for the same reasons that Algernon died.

c)

Charlie will decide to stay in New York after all.

d)

Charlie will slowly become intelligent again.

24.

Charlie's friends, Frank and Joe, make fun of Charlie at the beginning of the story. However, at the end of the story, they

a)

are glad that Charlie has lost his intelligence.

b)

are scared of Charlie and refuse to talk to him when he returns to the factory.

c)

protect Charlie against other workers who try to make fun of him.

25.

What conclusion does Charlie draw at the end of the story?

a)

Intelligence, even on a genius level, does not last forever.

b)

He wishes he had not taken part in the experiment.

c)

He is glad he had the chance to become intelligent and believes intelligence is a good thing.

d)

You should never become friends with a mouse like Algernon.

26.

What is one theme of "Flowers for Algernon"?

a)

All human beings deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

b)

Intelligence is a curse.

c)

Intelligent people are always lonely and unhappy.

d)

It is ok to laugh at people who are different.

27.

Tangible means

a)

able to be seen or touched

b)

empty-headed

c)

causing great interest or excitement

d)

weaken or damage

28.

An opportunist is someone who:

a)

is innocent or gullible

b)

proving something is wrong

c)

takes advantage of any situation

d)

is foolish or silly

29.

Specialization means

a)

to know a lot about many things

b)

causing great excitement or interest

c)

to represent information using numbers

d)

to be expert in or focus on one area

30.

To cause a sensation means

a)

to prove something is wrong

b)

to create great interest or excitement

c)

to take advantage of any situation

d)

able to be seen or touched

31.

If the evidence refutes a witness's testimony they-

a)

prove the witness wrong

b)

create a lot of interest or excitement about the witness

c)

examine his/her own thoughts and feelings

d)

are representing evidence with numbers

32.

Something that is proportional

a)

is ridiculous or silly

b)

is empty-headed and foolish

c)

is even, has a constant relationship

d)

focuses on one area of study

33.

To impair is to

a)

teach someone not to be naive

b)

weaken or damage

c)

to prove something is wrong

d)

come up with a theory or educated guess

34.

Something that is absurd is

a)

going backwards

b)

a theory or educated guess used for research

c)

weakened or damaged

d)

ridiculous, silly