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"The 11:59"

Total questions: 17

Worksheet time: 32mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Lester Simmons is responsible for ...

a)

Willie Beavers's death.

b)

running the Silver Arrow.

c)

creating the Porters' Death Train.

d)

giving Tip Samson his nickname

e)

keeping accurate time at the station

2.

What does Lester do to keep death away?

a)

lights a large fire

b)

boards a train

c)

breaks a window

d)

drifts off to sleep

e)

nails his doors shut

3.

Which of the following is a synonym for the word meager in the phrase "is meager twenty-four-dollar-a-month Pullman retirement check"?

a)

generous

b)

valuable

c)

common

d)

limited

e)

extraordinary

4.

Lester reminds himself that "His first and only love had been traveling, and she was a jealous companion." What does he mean by this?

a)

Traveling would not have been as easy to do if he had been married.

b)

Companions are not easy to find when you travel a great deal.

c)

He has trouble falling in love because of his jealous nature.

d)

He broke up with the woman he loved because she wanted him to stop traveling.

e)

If he had stopped traveling, he would have envied anyone who was still on the move.

5.

Which of the following words does not accurately describe Lester?

a)

proud

b)

friendly

c)

older

d)

easygoing

e)

lazy

6.

Lester never really expects to...

a)

die alone

b)

beat Death

c)

hear the 11:59

d)

be remembered

e)

outlive Tip Sampson

7.

In this story, Death is a character who is coming to get Lester. Why might the author have presented Death in this way?

a)

to show that Lester is losing his mind

b)

to show that time and death often work together

c)

to make Lester's conflict with death more dramatic

d)

to explain why Lester hears a train whistle at 11:59

e)

to emphasize that most of Lester's friends have already died

8.

Hearing the 11:59 causes Lester to...

a)

search for the meaning of life

b)

long for contact with old friends

c)

change the way he views his life

d)

finally understand his place in the world

e)

go through a series of different emotions

9.

In the passage given, the author mentions Louise Henderson in order to ...

a)

show that there are many people in the world who love Lester

b)

give an example of the many choices Lester has made in his life

c)

introduce an important new character in an interesting and unusual way

d)

explain how Lester has affected the lives of some of the people he has met.

e)

make it clear that Lester has been in love with the same woman for many years.

10.

Which vocabulary word would make the most sense in the following sentence. "In the darkness of the night, the ____ seemed to float above him and look directly into his terrified eyes."

a)

chide

b)

worrisome

c)

specter

d)

meager

e)

stranger

11.

What is a synonym for the word worrisome?

a)

concerned

b)

mesmerizing

c)

not worried

d)

disapproving

e)

fascinated

12.

If someone expressed a mild disapproval of something you did, what might they do?

a)

applaud you

b)

mesmerize you

c)

chide you

d)

encourage you

e)

look up to you

13.

Who is the specter that comes to get Lester at the end of the story?

a)

Tip Sampson

b)

Willie Beavers

c)

Daddy Joe

d)

Philip Randolph

14.

Which statement most closely reflects what Lester might say about his career as a porter?

a)

It was a tough job that left me without much money, but at least I made good friends.

b)

It made me feel important to be helping people, and it was especially nice when I got big tips.

c)

Being a porter was wonderful because I was able to travel, have lots of laughs, and meet great people.

d)

It was hard to feel good about myself when rich people were always ordering me around.

e)

There are many jobs I would rather have had, but I felt it was important to help the Brotherhood.

15.

Which sentence best summarizes the meaning of the passage given to you?

a)

Your life changes with each decision you make

b)

You should never let yourself be haunted by the past

c)

It is impossible for anyone to live a life without regrets.

d)

No matter how you live your life, your basic character doesn't change.

e)

As you grow old, you realize all the mistakes you have made in your life.

16.

When Lester is talking to the young porters and telling them stories, it is part of the....

a)

exposition

b)

rising action

c)

climax

d)

falling action

e)

resolution

17.

Is the main conflict in this story internal or external?

a)

Internal

b)

external