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Semester Exam Study Guide ELA

Total questions: 19

Worksheet time: 10mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What effect does the word lug achieve in his sentence

a)

It adds to the sense of doing hard work under foul conditions

b)

It reflects the idea that these men are not very intelligent.

c)

It creates a sense of unpleasantness in an otherwise pleasant description.

d)

It highlights the point that these men are practiced outsdoorsmen.

2.

Which sentence from Three Men in a Boat demonstrates that the author feels he cannot count on his friend?

a)

You are wet through, and there is a good two inches of water in the boat, and all the things are damp.

b)

You find a place on the banks that is not quite so puddly as other places you have seen, and you land and lug out the tent, and two of you proceed to fix it.

c)

It is soaked and heavy, and it flops about, and tumbles down on you, and clings round your head and makes you mad.

d)

Just as you get your side beautifully fixed, he gives it a hoist from his end, and spoils it all.

3.

Which phrase from My First Summer in the Sierra BEST shows how John Muir's reaction to his experience differs from Jerome K. Jerome's?

a)

About noon we had another rainstorm

b)

some of the hailstones an inch in diameter

c)

the rain came in a grand torrent

d)

our camp grove fills and thrills with the glorious light

4.

Although Jerome was in England and Muir was in California, a goal of BOTH writers was to describe which of the following?

a)

a humorous experience

b)

an outdoor adventure

c)

an inspiring event

d)

an important friendship

5.

Which statement BEST describes a claim made in Three Men in a Boat?

a)

Problems encountered while camping can be overcome with the right equipment.

b)

It is difficult, but not impossible, to eat a good meal in the rain.

c)

Camping is more enjoyable than staying in a hotel.

d)

Rainy weather makes camping miserable and unhealthy.

6.

Which statement about My First Summer in the Sierra is a fact?

a)

The weather changed dramatically within the same day.

b)

The observed weather conditions were unlike anyplace else.

c)

The sunsets were beautiful and glorious.

d)

Natural conditions were nothing special to observe.

7.

Imagine each text is made into a movie. How should each movie treat its storm scene?

a)

Three Men in a Boat should be an animated movie. My First Summer in the Sierra should be an action movie.

b)

Three Men in a Boat should be a comedy. My First Summer in the Sierra should be a documentary.

c)

Three Men in a Boat and My First Summer in the Sierra should both be action movies.

d)

Three Men in a Boat and My First Summer in the Sierra should both be documentaries.

8.

Some people are going to perform My First Summer in the Sierras on stage. What should the director do to the backdrop for July 19th?

a)

Paint a field of daffodils on the backdrop, and put clouds above them.

b)

Use colored lights behind the backdrop, and slowly increase the light.

c)

Spray water drops from above the backdrop to look like rain.

d)

Show a video on the backdrop of hikers in a mountain pass.

9.

When John Muir describes the landscape in paragraph 2 of My First Summer in the Sierra, which of these is he including?

a)

the domes of Yosemite

b)

the sunrise

c)

the roses and daffodils

d)

the sky

10.

A director is making How Snake Lost His Legs into a script for a play. Click on the TWO BEST places for a change of scene in the play.

a)

between paragraphs 1 and 2

b)

between paragraphs 2 and 3

c)

between paragraphs 3 and 4

d)

between paragraphs 4 and 5

e)

between paragraphs 5 and 6

11.

In comparison to the style of writing in “Lazy Day Sunday,” how does the use of animals in “How Snake Lost His Legs” affect the meaning of the text?

a)

It makes the text seem more realistic for readers.

b)

It provides a historic version of the same general story.

c)

It provides an opportunity to express additional ideas about the world.

d)

It makes the text more accessible for different readers.

12.

Which sentence from “Lazy Day Sunday” BEST shows that Matilda knows she has made a mistake in ignoring her mother’s request?

a)

It was a lazy Sunday, and Matilda was trying to catch up on the sleep she missed all week.

b)

Matilda had opened one eye at 5:35, but she hadn’t really noticed the time, and Mom would be home soon anyway.

c)

At 6:20, the smoke alarm went off, and Matilda began to regret the last hour.

d)

For a long moment, all she could do was blink as the foam dripped from her chin and hands.

13.

In the first three paragraphs of “Lazy Day Sunday,” the author compares the pillow on the sofa to a cloud in the sky. How does this analogy develop the meaning of Matilda's actions in the text?

a)

It shows that Matilda has a good imagination.

b)

It explains why Matilda has a hard time waking up.

c)

It suggests that Matilda is exaggerating about the events.

d)

It indicates what Matilda dreams about as she naps.

14.

How is Matilda in “Lazy Day Sunday” similar to Snake in “How Snake Lost His Legs”?

a)

They both make a long journey to find something they have lost.

b)

They both need others to help them solve their problems.

c)

They both work hard to overcome challenges.

d)

They both suffer as a result of their own actions.

15.

How does the structure of “Lazy Day Sunday” help to teach the lesson more effectively than the structure of “How Snake Lost His Legs”?

a)

by giving background information about the main character

b)

by showing how an act can cause a string of unfortunate results

c)

by indicating the amount of time that passes

d)

by describing events in the exact order they occur

16.

How are the main characters in the texts different?

a)

Snake's family helps him solve his problem, while Matlida's family does not.

b)

Matilda vows to learn from her mistakes.

c)

Matilda's problems are a result of bad choices, while Snake's are not.

d)

Snake blames others for his mistakes, while Matlida does not.

17.

In the following excerpt from "Lazy Day Sunday," select the TWO sentences that use figurative language to make a comparison.

a)

Perhaps that's why she made the not-so-wise decision to ignore her mother's request as she ran out of the supermarket.

b)

It was a simple request to turn off the oven at 5:30 and pull the roast out of the cool, but that cloud in the sky was calling her name.

c)

Matilda had opened one eye at 5:55, but she hadn't really noticed the time, and Mom would be home soon anyway.

d)

Of course, when 6:15 arrived and the smell of smoke began to waft through the living room, she came down from her a cloud a little.

18.

Which sentence BEST explains how "Lazy Day Sunday" is similar to "How Snake Lost His Legs?"

a)

In both stories, the specific conflicts the

characters face are alike.

b)

In both stories, a character's laziness nearly

causes a disaster.

c)

In both stories, the theme is about listening to

one's parents.

d)

In both stories, the settings have similar

features.

19.

Which sentence from “How Snake Lost His Legs”

BEST supports the idea that Snake regrets his

actions?

a)

In fact, Snake was so lazy that he unintentionally

changed his own fate.

b)

Surely Moon was exaggerating and the rains

would eventually come back.

c)

Snake had plenty of water at the hole in the

meantime.

d)

Snake rose unsteadily and looked to the cliff in

the east.