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Worksheets"Hanging Fire/Translating Grandfather's House" Study Guide
Total questions: 21
Worksheet time: 11mins
In “Hanging Fire,” where is the speaker’s mother?
at a dance party
at a school contest
behind a closed door
in the baby’s nursery
In “Hanging Fire,” what does the speaker think about? Choose three options.I
dying
vacation
her sister
failing a test
wearing braces
In “Translating Grandfather’s House,” what has the speaker most likely been asked to do?
draw a picture of a relative’s home
draw a picture of a made-up house
draw a picture of a favorite movie
draw a picture of a city building
Why does the speaker in “Translating Grandfather’s House” draw a second picture?
The first picture makes him homesick.
He can’t think of a title for the first picture.
The teacher thinks that he didn’t follow directions.
He decides that the first picture has incorrect details.
If you watch the sun set on the horizon, which of the following must be true? Base your answer on the meaning of horizon.
You are observing the sun setting over a body of water.
The sun is setting exactly when you thought it would.
The sunset is so bright that you cannot look at it for long.
You are seeing the sun at the boundary between the earth and sky.
When are awakenings most likely to happen?
at ends of naps
in times of sickness
at moments of great joy
in times of intense stress
What is the most likely meaning of beaming in the following sentence?
Beaming, Marcus accepted the trophy, gave the principal a high-five, and waved in triumph to the cheering crowd.
wondering what was happening
giving a bright smile
feeling unworthy
looking angry
What is the best way to describe the speaker in “Hanging Fire”?
hopeful
determined
lonely and overwhelmed
enthusiastic and outspoken
Which quotation from the poem best supports that the speaker in "Hanging Fire" feels lonely and overwhelmed?
the boy I cannot live without / still sucks his thumb / in secret
I have to learn how to dance / in time for the next party
There is nothing I want to do / and too much / that has to be done
I should have been on the Math Team / my marks were better than his
In “Translating Grandfather’s House,” where is the house in the speaker's first picture?
in a hot, dusty place
in a crowded, noisy place
in a beautiful place with rich soil
in a distant place with imaginary people
Which quotation from "Translating Grandfather's House" best supports that the house in the speaker's first picture was in a beautiful place with rich soil?
Rows of lemon & mango / Trees frame the courtyard
The shadow of a palomino / Gallops on the lip / Of the horizon.
“She was born there— / Right there on the second floor!”
Classmates finish drawings of New York City / Housing projects onNavy Street.
Which detail from “Translating Grandfather’s House” most clearly shows that the speaker’s memories are real?
Memories once certain as rivets / Become confused….
The roof Oscar Jartín / Tumbled from one hot Tuesday….
…[W]ith wild grass / rising from sidewalk cracks like widows
Beaming, the teacher scrawls / an A+ in the corner….
Why is “Hanging Fire” considered a lyric poem?
It tells a true story about the poet.
It is a poem that can easily be set to music.
It shares facts about the life of a modern-day teenager.
It presents a focused, powerful impression of its speaker.
Why is it appropriate to refer to “Translating Grandfather’s House” as a narrative poem?
It has a plot and other traditional story elements.
Its main character is similar to the reader.
Its language sounds musical at times.
It has a realistic setting.
In “Hanging Fire,” the lines “and momma’s in the bedroom / with the door closed” are repeated. How does the repetition serve the purpose of a lyric poem?
It furthers the plot of the poem.
It hides the poet’s powerful feelings.
It creates a vivid and constant impression.
It emphasizes the mother as a strong character.
In "Hanging Fire," the lines "and momma's in the bedroom / with the door closed" are repeated. What does the repetition reveal about the poem’s speaker?
It reveals her true talent.
It emphasizes her loneliness.
It shows how young she really is.
It shows how shallow her worries are.
Read this passage from “Translating Grandfather’s House.” How does this passage help tell a story?
The teacher says
The house is from
Some Zorro
Movie I’ve seen.
“Ask my mom,” I protest.
“She was born there—
Right there on the second floor!”
Crossing her arms she moves on.
It wraps up the plot.
It solves the problem.
It reveals the conflict.
It establishes the setting.
Which statement presents a main way in which “Hanging Fire” and“Translating Grandfather’s House” are similar in theme?
Both poems focus on the absence of a caring mother.
Both poems focus on the frustrations of a teenager’s life.
Both poems focus on the fears that people have about the future.
Both poems focus on the difference between imagination and reality.
Which of the following quotations from “Translating Grandfather’s House” contains the clearest example of figurative language?
Rows of lemon & mango / Trees frame the courtyard….
Crossing her arms she moves on.
I draw one too, with wildgrass / Rising from the sidewalk cracks like widows,
Beaming, the teacher scrawls / An A+ in the corner….
The speaker of “Hanging Fire” begins by saying, “I am fourteen / and my skin has betrayed me.” What does the choice of the word betrayed most likely indicate about the personality of the speaker?
She does not trust people.
She feels that life wants to trouble her.
She cannot understand why she has problems.
She wishes that she were something other than human.
In “Translating Grandfather’s House,” the speaker says that his teacher takes his second drawing “and tapes it / To the green blackboard. / To the green blackboard.” Notice that the author makes the choice to describe the blackboard as green. What does choosing and repeating the word green most likely indicate about the speaker’s situation?
like a green blackboard, the art assignment requires the creative use of color.
like a green blackboard, his teacher wants her students to use their imagination.
Like a green blackboard, the creation of the drawing is part of his school activity.
like a green blackboard, his teacher’s reaction does not make sense to the speaker.
