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The Mysterious Mr.Lincoln

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 8mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

1.    Read the following paragraph from the selection:

 

Abraham Lincoln wasn’t the sort of man who could lose himself in a crowd. After all, he stood six feet four inches tall, and to top it off, he wore a high silk hat. His height was mostly in his long bony legs. When he sat in a chair, he seemed no taller than anyone else. It was only when he stood up that he towered above other men.

 

What does the author mean by the underlined sentence?

a)

  Lincoln’s height caused him to tower over most people.

b)

Lincoln stood out because of his homeliness

c)

Lincoln’s fame made him easily recognizable.

d)

   Lincoln liked to be the center of attention.

2.

Which word best describes Lincoln’s White House manners?

a)

ambitious

b)

artificial

c)

unpretentious

d)

sophisticated

3.

   Read the following paragraph from the selection:

 

Lincoln may have seemed like a common man, but he wasn’t. His friends agreed that he was one of the most ambitious people they had ever known. Lincoln struggled hard to rise above his log-cabin origins, and he was proud of his achievements. By the time he ran for president he was a wealthy man, earning a large income from his law practice and his many investments. As for the nickname Abe, he hated it. No one who knew him well ever called him Abe to his face. They addressed him as Lincoln or Mr. Lincoln.

 

When the author writes that Lincoln “struggled hard to rise above his ‘log-cabin’ origins,”​he means that Lincoln tried to overcome his:

a)

humble beginnings.

b)

homespun speech.

c)

bawdy jokes.

d)

poor manners.

4.

What does the author mean when he writes that the legend of Abe Lincoln is “only partly true. And it hides the man behind it like a disguise”?

a)

Lincoln wasn’t always totally truthful about his life story

b)

As Lincoln’s life story has been told and re-told, it is no longer accurate.

c)

Lincoln was very secretive about the events in his life story.

d)

Even Lincoln’s closest friends did not know the truth about his life story

5.

According to the author, which word best describes the real Abe Lincoln?

a)

ambitious

b)

common

c)

Honest

d)

Outgoing

6.

When Lincoln’s partner, William Herndon describes Lincoln as being “reticent” he means that Lincoln was

a)

reserved.

b)

misunderstood.

c)

legendary

d)

wealthy

7.

What does the author mean when he writes that the legend of Abe Lincoln is “only partly true. And it hides the man behind it like a disguise”?

a)

Lincoln wasn’t always totally truthful about his life story

b)

As Lincoln’s life story has been told and re-told, it is no longer accurate

c)

Lincoln was very secretive about the events in his life story.

d)

Even Lincoln’s closest friends did not know the truth about his life story.

8.

Read this sentence from the passage. “The eyes began to sparkle, the mouth to smile, the whole countenance was wreathed in animation, so that a stranger would have said, “Why this man, so angular and solemn a moment ago, is really handsome!”

What does the phrase the whole countenance was wreathed in animation mean?

a)

the body language changed completely

b)

the entire face filled with enthusiasm

c)

the whole body became actively involved

d)

the facial features were not as obvious

9.

What is the meaning of the word gawky as used in the sentence? As a young man, he was sensitive about his gawky looks, but in time he learned to laugh at himself.

a)

Awkward

b)

Changeable

c)

Familiar

d)

Animated

10.

According to the article, Abe Lincoln was...

a)

usually a gloomy person, even in his younger years

b)

sometimes sad but full of life when it came time to speak

c)

a person who easily revealed his inner feelings

d)

None of the above

11.

Lincoln had little formal education...

a)

yet he was always careful to use proper pronunciation

b)

he avoided discussions on matters such as Shakespeare

c)

he disliked formality and preferred to be called "Abe"

d)

yet he became an extraordinarily great speaker and writer

12.

The title of this selection, "The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln," is appropriate beause..

a)

it explains the secretive way Lincoln led the Civil War

b)

The author is using humor; Lincoln was a very simple person

c)

even Lincoln's closets friends didn't really understand him

d)

the piece explores the strange circumstances about his death

13.

Which of the following is generally NOT know about Lincoln?

a)

He grew up in a log cabin

b)

He led the nation through the Civil War

c)

He was a wealthy man

d)

He often looked serious in photographs

14.

Lincoln showed his wealth by....

a)

wearing a uniform to work in the White House

b)

allowed his wife to decide what he could wear

c)

he bought two new suits a year from a tailor in Springfield

d)

None of the above.

15.

Which of the following statements contains a simile that describes Lincoln?

a)

"The dull, listless features dropped like a mask."

b)

"He relied on yarns to 'whittle down sadness."

c)

"At first glance, most people thought he was homely."

d)

None of the above