WorksheetsFinal Exam Literary Review
Total questions: 36
Worksheet time: 57mins
Which of these might be an example of a story's theme?
staying true to yourself is important
your best friend
two parents get a divorce
a boy finds out he has superpowers
Read the passage. Which plot element is shown in bold?
The wolf was frustrated that he couldn't blow down the house of the third little pig, so he tried instead to get the pig by climbing through the chimney. Surprise! He fell right into a pot of water that the little pig had on for supper. "Yum!" said the little pig. The pig invited his two brothers over. They ate a delicious wolf stew for dinner and all lived happily ever after.
climax
resolution
rising action
falling action
What is the classic fairy tale resolution?
once upon a time
the end...or is it?
and they lived happily ever after
this is a story about family
Words like "best," "should," "think," "believe" and "feel" are clues that an author is most likely trying to ________.
persuade
inform
entertain
distract
The theme of a story is the...
main character.
message about life that the author expresses.
sequence of events.
short summary of what the story is about.
Which of the following could be the theme of a story?
Fear is more dangerous than any beast.
A brave young girl pretends to be a man and takes her father's place in the army.
a fear of heights
"I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too."
Which of the following could be a theme of a story?
a 35-year-old woman named Essie and her brother
a small apartment in Marfa, Texas
Telling the truth may cause pain, but in the end, it's better than lying.
Essie lied to her brother about her identity for two years, but she finally decided to tell him the truth.
Which of the following could be a theme of a story?
Your past does not define you.
returning home after a long time
A man sees a group of people he used to work with a long time ago.
an old man who used to be a farmer
Read the following passage from a story.
As Tai strummed the guitar, Charlesa looked at her with pride. For so long, Tai's fingers had clumsily tripped over the strings, but now she played the song with ease. Getting to this point hadn't been easy for Charlesa, either. She sighed, trying to bury the memories of all the screaming tantrums Tai had thrown. Once, she nearly threw her guitar against a wall. But now when Tai smiled, and the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama" floated out of the instrument, Charlesa smiled, too. It had been worth it.
Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?
Playing a musical instrument is too much work.
Hard work can bring great rewards.
Friends shouldn't try to teach each other new things.
It's OK to give up on yourself.
Read the following passage from a story.
"Ajit is so excited to see you," he heard his mother shout into the phone. She always spoke louder on long-distance calls, as if raising her voice would help it travel across the Atlantic. "Aren't you, Ajit?" she demanded.
Ajit slumped in his chair, pushing wrinkled peas around his plate. His suitcases stood at attention in the hallway, holding eight weeks worth of shirts, pants and socks. Suddenly, a loud crash sounded.
"Patches!" his mother shrieked.
In the hallway, Patches the cat stood next to an overturned suitcase and the remnants of a shattered vase. As Ajit's mother rushed to assess the damage, Patches sidled up to Ajit, rubbing his face against Ajit's leg. Ajit reached down to stroke him, and Patches looked up, blinking his green eyes. He stared at Ajit with his knowing look—a look that seemed to offer so much and ask for so little in return.
Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?
Friendship is worth more than material goods.
You must confront your past.
Pets are more trouble than they're worth.
The love of a pet is unlike any other.
If the passage below were set at Lena’s birthday party, what could you infer?
Lena laughed loudly. “I can’t believe you did that!” she said, smiling.
Lena might have received an unexpected present.
Lena might be a very selfish character.
Lena might be mad at her best friend.
Lena might be talking to her uncle.
If the passage below were set in a snowy park where children were playing, what could you infer?
Lena laughed loudly. “I can’t believe you did that!” she said, smiling.
Lena might have been gently hit by a snowball.
Lena might be lost.
Lena might be playing a boardgame or card game.
Lena might be talking to herself.
Which description of a setting would best create a mood of loneliness for a story?
“The sun was bright, and the breeze was warm in the park. In the distance, there was the pleasant noise of children laughing.”
“The restaurant was packed. The waitress balanced three dishes on her arm and moved carefully around the large, round tables. Everyone’s plates were full.”
“At the amusement park, the ticket counter hadn’t opened yet. It was still too early. But the warm smell of hot dogs and pretzels was already filling the air with the promise of fun.”
“The sky was gray that cool November afternoon in the empty playground. The swings were rusted. The wood was rotted. There was silence except for the wind blowing through the dead leaves.”
In the passage below, what can you infer about the setting of the story?
When the men reached Oregon, they stepped out of their wagons and embraced. The journey was long and dangerous, but they made it. Soon, their families would follow their trail in their own wagons, leaving their homes in the East to meet them in this brand new land: the West.
The story might take place on a different planet.
The story might take place in the past.
The story might take place in a desert.
We can’t make any inferences about the setting from this passage.
What can you infer about the setting based on the passage below?
Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife. Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cooking stove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner. There was no garret at all, and no cellar—except a small hole, dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path. It was reached by a trap-door in the middle of the floor, from which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.
The story is set in a place where the weather is always mild and pleasant.
The story is set near a river that sometimes floods.
The story is set on a farm where only very rich people can afford to live.
The story is set on a farm where there are sometimes cyclones.
Which passage below has the most whimsical tone?
The creature moved its sharp claws over the strange device, and the noise was loud and distracting.
The lovely fairy danced her long fingers over the harp, and the music carried us gently into a trance.
The creature played the instrument, and we listened to the music it made.
The monster produced a terrifying noise, and we tried hard not to scream and give away our hiding place.
Which passage below has the most critical tone?
On the train, the man slowly clipped his fingernails. He focused on the task, beginning with his pinky finger and finishing with his thumb.
On the train, the tired, old man began clipping his fingernails. He was trying to distract himself from his loneliness by focusing on this one small task, moving from pinky to thumb.
The man—right in the middle of the crowded train—began to clip his long, yellow fingernails. He did it slowly, as if he didn't even care that a dozen other people could see and hear him.
The man on the train clipped his fingernails. It took him 2 minutes and 8 seconds. He started on his pinky and finished with his thumb. When he was finished, he put the clippers back into his jacket pocket.
Which words and phrases best show the sentimental tone in the passage below?
I got out of the old car and took a few halting steps up the driveway. A cloud of warmth drifted out of the window and embraced me like a comforting hug. I knew that smell: fresh bread that Papa had just taken from the oven. I heard the familiar pitch of his whistle as he slowly stirred tomato soup on the stovetop. I ran to open the screen door because, now, I knew where I was. I was home.
"warmth," "comforting hug" and "home"
"car," "tomato soup" and "door"
"old," "halting" and "out the window"
"driveway," "screen door" and "slowly stirred"
Which word best describes the tone of the sentence below?
The stunning poem that opens this lovely collection is rich with imagery and language.
admiring
bitter
sad
hopeful
Which word best describes the tone of the passage below?
I never wanted to see that movie, but my annoying little sister kept pestering me. Eventually, her whining wore me down, and I gave in. But that waste of a movie really destroyed my Saturday.
admiring
bitter
sad
hopeful
Which words and phrases from the sentence below best shows you the tone?
That waste of a movie really destroyed my Saturday.
"waste" and "destroyed"
"movie" and "of a"
"that" and "my"
"really" and "Saturday"
Which of the following passages has the most objective tone?
I devoted three hours on Saturday to the masterpiece of a movie.
The movie that I saw on Saturday was three hours of torture.
On Saturday, I made a three-hour mistake: I saw the movie.
I saw the movie on Saturday. It was three-hours long.
What is the theme?
What is the theme?
What is the theme?
What is the theme?
how they can build those nests! I like to leave
scraps of hair and yarn out for them to find.
They'll use these things and weave them into a
nest. Being a parent is a hard job, and the birds
can use all the help they can get.
What is the author's perspective?
They are so graceful to watch as
they run through the forest. It's
hard to understand how anyone could do anything to harm these beautiful animals.
What is the author's perspective?
of humans. Many dolphins are killed each year in fishing nets. Oil has been spilled into ocean
water, polluting the dolphins' environment.
What is the author's perspective?
The city is a sea of sadness.
"My mom can be as fiery as a volcano when I don't do my chores on time."
"The camera loves me!"
"After all the fans left the stadium, the bleachers were a disaster area."
Rachel is a walking encyclopedia.
Metaphor
Personification
Simile
Idiom
The boy was standing like a statue on the sidewalk in everyone's way.
Metaphor
Personification
Simile
Hyperbole
