WorksheetsNew Directions
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 15mins
Because “New Directions” is a narrative essay, we know that Annie Johnson is a
fictional character.
real person.
relative of Maya Angelou.
character in a movie.
In “New Directions,” which word best describes Annie Johnson’s husband?
deceptive
annoying
indifferent
helpless
In “New Directions,” why does Annie carry two five-gallon pails filled with stones?
She is selling the stones to the cotton gin.
She is gathering stones from a nearby quarry to repair her house.
She is experimenting to see how heavy a load she can carry.
She is training for a weight-lifting contest.
What does Annie Johnson do when she decides to “cut herself a brand-new path”?
She cuts her lawn for the first time.
She brings her children to a new school.
She finds a way to support her family.
She goes to work in a new lumber mill.
In “New Directions,” which of the following is a significant detail?
Annie is over six feet tall.
Annie is determined not to leave her sons.
Annie’s husband is named William.
Annie likes to travel.
What can you predict about Annie’s cooking ability from the following sentence?
She told herself that she wasn’t a fancy cook but that she could “mix groceries well enough
to scare hungry away and from starving a man.”
She is a terrible cook.
She is an adequate cook.
She is a gourmet chef.
She has never cooked in her life.
When Maya Angelou says that Annie Johnson “balanced her appearances between the two hours of activity,” she means that Annie
sold her meat pies hot and freshly cooked to the two locations on succeeding days.
appeared only at the cotton gin one day and only at the lumber mill the next day.
sold her meat pies every morning at the cotton gin and every afternoon at the lumber mill.
sold an equal number of meat pies at the two locations.
What can you predict from the following sentence in “New Directions”?
When she felt certain that the workers had become dependent on her, she built a stall
between the two hives of industry and let the men run to her for their lunchtime provisions.
The stall will fail because it is too far from the lumber mill and the cotton gin.
The workers will be willing to travel to buy Annie Johnson’s meat pies.
Annie Johnson will need to hire some helpers.
Annie Johnson will change her recipe for meat pies.
To what does Maya Angelou compare the lumber mill and the cotton gin?
She built a stall between the two hives of industry and let the men run to her for their lunch-time provisions.
ant nests
bird nests
bee hives
crowded cities
Which statement helps you predict that Annie Johnson will succeed?
“She made her plans meticulously and in secret.”
“That same night she worked into the early hours boiling chicken and frying ham.”
“She balanced her appearances between the two hours of activity.”
“In years that stall became a store where customers could buy cheese, meal, syrup .... ”
Which of the following best states the main idea of Maya Angelou’s sentence?
If the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and . . . step off that road into another direction.
It is better to be safe and comfortable than to take unnecessary risks.
If you travel a lot, always carry a map in your pocket.
If you want to start a new business, you must figure out what people need.
If you are unhappy with your life, you must take a risk and try something new.
In a narrative essay such as “New Directions,” the writer
persuades the reader to take action.
describes a personal experience.
tells a story about a real person or a real event.
discusses one or more current issues.
From Maya Angelou’s advice at the end of “New Directions,” you can predict that she
has changed directions in her own life.
has made no changes in her own life.
is afraid of taking risks.
is embarrassed when she makes changes.
In talking about Annie Johnson’s life, Maya Angelou uses the words roads and path
figuratively.
literally.
optimistically.
pessimistically.
What quality does Maya Angelou most admire about Annie Johnson?
her appearance
her determination
her creativity
her curiosity
