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WorksheetsTGC Skill Game #3
Total questions: 25
Worksheet time: 25mins
When an investigator from Child Protection Services comes to check the Walls’ household for possible neglect, Jeannette lies to him and tells him everything is fine. This most likely shows that Jeannette:
is hoping the investigator will know she is lying
does not mind the horrible living conditions of her family
is hoping the investigator will return and arrest her parents
does not want to be separated from her family despite its dysfunctions
Read the following excerpt: “I surely wanted to get back in that water, but I couldn’t help but feel that if I took Denitia up on her offer, I’d be violating some sort of taboo. “Wouldn’t anybody get mad?”
Based on the context of the word taboo, which of the following is the best definition:
Official ban
Unofficial law
Official rule
Unofficial expectation
Unlike Jeannette’s own mother, “Grandma Smith had strong opinions about the way things out to be done—how to dress, how to talk, how to organize your time and how to cook and keep house, how to manage your finances.”
These characteristics demonstrate which of the following themes?
Teachers often have rigid personalities which allow little room for freedom of thought.
Children often develop habits that are the polar opposite of their parents.
Some parents enjoy watching their children suffer from their mistakes.
Adults often raise their children the same way they themselves were raised.
When Jeannette’s mom, Mary, paints a picture of a woman drowning, the reader can infer that the painting:
demonstrates Mary’s love of water
mirrors Mary’s feelings of being overwhelmed
illustrates Mary’s anger toward her children
reflects Mary’s hated of her husband
Read the following dictionary entry:
Assessing (uh-ses) verb 1) to value for taxation, 2) to determine the amount of, 3) to impose a tax, 4) to estimate or judge the value of
“As she questioned me, she studied what I wore, assessing the fabric and appraising the cost of each item and making a judgment about my taste in general.”
As it is used in the above lines, which definition best describes the word assessing?
1
2
3
4
Jeannette has a conversation with her teacher, Miss Katona, and reveals to her that she would like to move to New York. Miss Katona says, “That would be a terrible mistake. You live here.” What can the reader infer based on Miss Katona’s advice?
she doesn’t know how bad Jeannette’s home life actually is
she has never lived anywhere besides Welch
she, like other adults from Welch, sees high school as the “highlight” of a person’s life
all of the above
Read these sentences from the passage:
“Once he forgot to take the key, and when he returned, he made a big point of counting the rings in front of me. It was his way of letting me know he didn’t trust me in the slightest. One day after Mr. Becker had come back from lunch and ostentatiously checked the display cases.”
What does the word ostentatiously mean in this excerpt?
A subtle attempt to impress
An obvious attempt to warn
A rude attempt to criticize
A shy attempt to plead
When Jeannette is preparing to leave for New York City, Brian helps her count down the days. Based on this action, the reader can most likely conclude:
Brian is excited to get Jeannette’s room for himself
Brian realizes there will be more food without Jeannette
Brian loves his sister and is happy she will be “getting out”
Brian thinks he will be able to take over Jeannette’s part-time jobs
The author of this novel would most likely agree with which of the following statements:
A terrible childhood can ruin a person’s life.
People who work hard can succeed despite their upbringing.
There is no way to overcome the emotional damage of a bad childhood.
Parents who neglect their children don’t deserve to have a relationship with them as adults.
As it is used in the following sentence, the word clambered most likely means:
“I clambered up the mountainside to the rear of the house—the stairs had completely rotted through— and climbed through the back window we now used as a door.”
To jump with ease and confidence
To skip in a lively manner
To climb with difficulty
To run with fear and anxiety
The fact that Lori, Jeannette, and Brian all get jobs as soon as they move to New York supports which of the following themes?
Many people who grow up in poverty don’t really care about success.
Many people who grow up in poverty try to become millionaires.
Many people who grow up in poverty develop a good work ethic.
Many people who grow up in poverty want to give back by volunteering.
Which of the following statements could be combined to best summarize how Jeannette’s parents spend their time once they become homeless?
1.Begging for money on the street
2.Attending plays, concerts, and operas
3.Reading famous literature in libraries
4.Fighting the government over rights for the homeless
1
2, 3, 4
3, 4
4
Why does Jeannette Walls include the following analogy?
“A blur of hurrying bodies streamed past me, leaving me feeling like a stone in a creek, and then I heard someone calling my name” (245)
To exaggerate how she felt refreshed and rejuvenated by being in New York City amongst intellectual, busy people
To show similarities between her strength to move to New York City and the strength of an unmoving stone in a creek
To give human characteristics to the guilt that existed in the pit of her stomach for leaving her family in Welch
To compare how she felt out of place in a fast moving city to a heavy stone sitting in the bottom of a creek bed
Which of the following does not contain an analogy?
"You're the king of your own castle, and that's the way it should be," Dad replied. "But it'll be a chilly day in hell before I bow to my own son (254).
“That two room squat was cramped, and Maureen and Dad would get into the worst screaming fights, with Maureen calling Dad a worthless drunk and Dad calling Maureen a sick puppy, the runt of the litter, who should have been drowned at birth” (274)
“Mom and Dad hated the shelters. Human cesspools, Dad called them, goddamn vermin pits” (258)
“I felt like telling Carol that my parents were out there, too, that she had no idea what it was like to be down on your luck, with nowhere to go and nothing to eat” (268).
Jeannette challenges professor Fuchs’ opinion homelessness, and the professor said “what do you know about the hardships and obstacles that the underclass faces?” What theme is developed when Jeannette responds by saying “you have a point” (257)?
It is natural to get defensive when someone questions a person’s integrity.
It is easy to get offended when someone unfairly judges someone’s loved ones without meeting them.
It is hard for someone to stand up for themselves if they’ll feel embarrassed in the process.
It is typical for well educated people to be reflective and willing to learn from their mistakes.
What is Rex alluding to in the following sentence?
He told me how complicated the process had been, because the wiring in the building was so ancient. "Damnedest electrical system I've ever seen," he said. "The manual must have been written in hieroglyphics” (267).
Electrical system owners manuals
Benjamin Franklin discovering electricity
An old form of writing used by Egyptians
Copper wiring used by people in Welch
Why is the gestapo being alluded to in the following quote?
“Brian had joined the police force as soon as he turned twenty. Dad couldn't figure out what he'd done wrong, raising a son who'd grown up to become a member of the gestapo” (274).
To show how Brian is violent and racist, similar to the gestapo’s treatment of the Jews during The Holocaust
To show how Rex feels like he failed his son since Brian chose a profession that conflicts with Rex’s opinions
To show how Rex admires Brian for choosing a noble calling where he can do good in the world and fight crime
To show how Brian chose a job that he knew Rex would not like because he wanted to prove Rex couldn’t control him.
Which of the following best describes the tone of the following sentence?
“We started talking about some of Dad’s great escapades: letting me pet the cheetah, taking us Demon Hunting, giving us stars for Christmas” (288).
Pessimistic
Condescending
Reminiscent
Indifferent
Which of the following best describes the tone of the following sentences from the novel?
“My heart started to race, and my palms grew damp. I walked down the bus aisle to the tiny restroom in the rear and washed up in the mental basin. I studied my face in the mirror and wondered what New Yorkers would think when they looked at me” (245).
Apprehensive
Admonitory
Apathetic
Amused
How would this section of the novel be different if it were written from Lori’s point of view?
The reader would have insight into whether or not Lori felt resentful or burdened by the responsibility of taking care of Maureen when she came to live in New York without her parents.
The reader would have a neutral perspective of the parents’ opinions of their eldest daughter and her motive for having her siblings move to New York City.
The readers would have direct access to Lori’s demands about how people should be better parents and provide a stable environment for their children.
The reader would be able to have unbiased information about the living conditions in New York City to determine if the move is best for Maureen.
What is the point of view of the following quote, if read in isolation?
“She had been a squatter for almost fifteen years, and the city finally decided to sell the apartments to her and the other squatters for one dollar apiece” (288).
First Person
Second Person
Third Person Limited
Third Person Omniscient
What words best describe the tone of the following quote?
“I knew I should have stood up for Mom and Dad. I’d been pretty scrappy as a kid, and our family had always fought for one another, but back then we had no choice. The truth was, I was tired of taking on people who ridiculed us for the way we lived” (256).
reflective and ominous
regretful and frustrated
reverent and facetious
giddy and apathetic
What is the tone of the following quote?
“Eventually, even mom acknowledged that I’d done all right. ‘No one expected you to amount to much,’ she told me. ‘Lori was the smart one, Maureen the pretty one, and Brian the brave one. You never had much going for you except that you always worked hard” (270).
nostalgic
outraged
matter-of-fact
somber
What is the point of view of the following quote, when read in isolation?
“Look at it from his perspective. You buy him all these nice new things, and all he has for you is junk from the street. He’s the father. He’s the one who’s supposed to be taking care of you” (263).
First Person
Second Person
Third Person Limited
Third Person Omniscient
What is the disadvantage of reading this novel from the first person point of view?
The reader feels attacked by Jeannette’s thoughts and feelings and finds her to be bossy.
The reader has biased information from Jeannette’s perspective and doesn’t know the other family members’ thoughts and feelings.
The reader forms a strong bond with Jeannette, sees themself as a member of the Walls family, and appreciates their sense of adventure.
The reader has a neutral perspective of all of the Walls’ family’s thoughts and feelings about growing up in poverty and feels unattached to their conflict.
