WorksheetsReviewing My Understanding of 'The Leap'
Total questions: 117
Worksheet time: 1hrs 28mins
In paragraph 3, the narrator describes her mother's performance as "a breathtaking blend of skill and grace." What does this description most suggest about her mother's abilities?
Her performance was technically flawless but lacked emotional depth.
Her performance was both impressive in technique and elegant in execution.
Her performance was erratic and unrefined.
Her performance was primarily focused on entertaining the audience.
In paragraph 7, the narrator states that the Flying Avalons moved "with the fluidity of water." What does this comparison suggest about their performance?
Their movements were rigid and mechanical.
They performed with precision and predictability.
Their performance was smooth and seamless.
Their movements were graceful and continuous.
Consider the use of the prefix "un-" in the word "unwavering" in paragraph 10. What does this prefix imply?
Not
Very
Fully
Completely
The phrase "a trade-off between excitement and safety" in paragraph 12 suggests that the narrator's mother -
chose excitement over the safety of her performances.
had to give up safety in exchange for thrilling performances.
accepted a risk-filled lifestyle in exchange for her passion for performing.
maintained safety while still seeking excitement in her career.
Why does the narrator feel compelled to return to her childhood home in the story?
She feels a sense of responsibility to care for her aging mother.
She wants to reconnect with her past.
She is curious about her mother's acrobatic career.
She feels nostalgic about her childhood home.
This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part A: What central theme is explored in "The Leap"?
The struggle to balance career ambitions with personal life
The resilience of the human spirit in the face of danger
The impact of performance arts on family dynamics
The journey from childhood to adulthood
What effect does the use of flashbacks have on the reader's understanding of the narrator's character in "The Leap"?
It deepens the reader's insight into the narrator's past experiences and how they shape her present.
It provides a clear and straightforward chronological account of events.
It shifts focus away from the narrator's personal growth.
It complicates the narrative without adding depth.
Which two characteristics can be inferred about the narrator based on her reflections about her mother's career?
She respects her mother's dedication and bravery.
She feels a personal connection to her mother's performances.
She is indifferent to the legacy of the Flying Avalons.
She resents the danger associated with her mother's career.
She is frustrated with the public attention her mother received.
What makes identifying the climax of "The Leap" challenging for the reader?
The detailed descriptions of acrobatic techniques
The shift between the narrator's childhood and adult perspectives
The intertwining of two significant narrative threads: the trapeze performances and the narrator's later reflections
The ambiguous resolution of the narrator's personal conflicts
In which sentence from "The Leap" does the word "whom" function as a relative pronoun at the beginning of a relative clause?
The narrator recalls the person whom she considers her hero.
The story describes whom the audience admired the most.
Anna, whom the world respected, was a true performer.
It's clear whom the narrator believes has influenced her the most.
Organize these options into the right categories
The narrator moves back home to assist her mother.
The narrator reflects on her mother’s acrobatic achievements.
Anna’s performance is interrupted by a tragic accident.
The narrator describes her mother’s actions during a crisis.
Anna reminisces about her childhood with her mother.
The narrator recalls a special moment with her mother from the past.
A flashback reveals the reason behind the narrator's strained relationship with her mother.
Memories of a family vacation resurface in a flashback.
The narrator revisits a traumatic event from her past in a flashback.
The narrator helps her mother prepare for a family gathering.
The narrator and her mother have a heart-to-heart conversation.
The narrator attends a school event with her mother.
The narrator and her mother go shopping together.
The narrator and her mother cook a meal together.
The narrator surprises her mother with a thoughtful gift.
The narrator and her mother share a moment of laughter.
What does the phrase "the heart of the performance" in paragraph 5 imply about the narrator's view of her mother's act?
It was the most exciting part of the performance.
It was the emotional core that resonated with the audience.
It was the most dangerous aspect of the act.
It was the part that required the least skill.
In paragraph 8, the narrator reflects on the sacrifices made by her mother. What does this reflection reveal about their relationship?
It shows a lack of understanding between them.
It highlights the mother's dedication to her craft and family.
It suggests that the narrator resents her mother's choices.
It indicates that their relationship is primarily based on performance.
How does the use of vivid imagery in the description of the trapeze act enhance the reader's experience in "The Leap"?
It creates a sense of detachment from the performance.
It allows the reader to visualize the act and feel the tension.
It simplifies the complexities of the performance.
It distracts from the emotional themes of the story.
What does the phrase "the essence of her artistry" in paragraph 4 suggest about the narrator's perception of her mother's performances?
It highlights the technical skill involved in her acts.
It emphasizes the emotional connection she has with her audience.
It indicates that her performances were primarily for entertainment.
It suggests that her artistry was often misunderstood.
How does the narrator's relationship with her mother evolve throughout the story?
It becomes more distant as the narrator grows older.
It deepens as the narrator gains a better understanding of her mother's choices.
It remains unchanged despite the passage of time.
It becomes strained due to conflicting ambitions.
In paragraph 9, the narrator reflects on the phrase "the thrill of the fall." What does this phrase imply about her mother's approach to her performances?
She embraced risk as an integral part of her art.
She avoided dangerous stunts to ensure safety.
She preferred predictable routines over risky maneuvers.
She was indifferent to the dangers involved in her acts.
In paragraph 11, the narrator reflects on her mother's legacy. What does this reflection reveal about the narrator's feelings towards her mother's career?
She feels pride in her mother's accomplishments.
She is indifferent to her mother's past.
She wishes her mother had chosen a different path.
She feels burdened by the expectations set by her mother's success.
What does the phrase "the dance of danger" in paragraph 6 suggest about the nature of the trapeze performances?
They were carefully choreographed to avoid risks.
They involved a high level of risk and excitement.
They were primarily focused on audience entertainment.
They lacked any real sense of thrill.
In paragraph 2, the narrator describes the atmosphere during her mother's performances. How does this description contribute to the overall tone of the story?
It creates a sense of nostalgia and warmth.
It establishes a tone of fear and apprehension.
It emphasizes the chaotic nature of the performances.
It highlights the indifference of the audience.
What caused the narrator’s mother to go blind?
Cataracts
Her career as a trapeze artist
A car accident
Why does the narrator believe her mother is so graceful when navigating around the house?
Because she has been blind for a long time and has grown accustomed to her condition
Because she used to be a ballet dancer
Because of her mother's past as a blindfolded trapeze artist
What was special about the way the Flying Avalons began their routines?
They kissed each other
They began their routines blindfolded
They revealed that they were married
Before the Flying Avalons begin their routine, what does the reader already know is going to happen? Check all that apply.
That a storm is going to interfere with the circus
That the storm is going to be responsible for a death
That one of the trapeze artists will die
That the narrator's mother will die
How was the narrator’s mother able to survive the circus accident?
She held onto a wire before being rescued
She was saved by falling on a soft mat
Her husband changed the course of his fall to protect her
Why did the narrator’s mother have to go to the hospital?
An overeager rescuer broke her arm trying to extract her
She was accompanying her husband
She feared for her unborn baby's life
In the hospital, what did the doctor teach the narrator’s mother?
How to sew
How to read and write
How to care for her wounds
As a child, how did the narrator feel about her sister and how does the narrator feel about her now?
She hardly thought about her and now thinks about her often
She disliked her sister and now gets along with her well
She was jealous of her but now is friendly and amicable
Based on the narrator’s actions upon discovering the house was on fire, how can you characterize her?
Rash and careless
Selfish
Calm, brave, and intelligent
How was the narrator rescued from the house fire?
Firefighters rescued her by leaning a ladder against the house.
Her father rescued her by breaking down her door and carrying her to safety.
Her mother climbed a tree to get into the room to rescue the narrator and jumped out of the window with her into the firefighter’s net.
When the narrator says in lines 151-152, "I wonder if my father calculated the exchange he offered: one form of flight for another," she means that...
reading offered her mother a different type of thrill.
once her parents married, they flew frequently.
her father found freedom in his marriage.
her mother never took another flight in her life.
What motivates the narrator to return home?
pity for her mother's inability to cope with her blindness
the desire to help her mother as her mother has helped her
the need for financial security
disillusionment with her own life
At the end of the story, why does the narrator mention twice that she was embarrassed by her mother's lack of clothing?
She feels ashamed now of her feelings then.
She still wishes her mother hadn't removed her dress.
She now realizes how cold her mother was.
She has vowed never to be like her mother.
The narrator's mother deals with the past in an unusual way. She...
keeps old photos, posters, and clippings
tells highly exaggerated stories about her youth
hardly talks about it and has kept very few souvenirs
still believes that she is living in the time when she was young
Which line in the story most clearly foreshadows the fire?
"My mother is the surviving half of a blindfold trapeze act..."
"She has never upset an object or as much as brushed a magazine onto the floor."
"Suddenly the room goes dark, the stitches burn beneath my fingers..."
"Not hot sun beat upon the striped tent..."
Which of the following events happens earliest in TIME?
The narrator's mother and father meet
Harold Avalon is killed by lightening
The narrator goes to live with her mother
The narrator's mother saves the narrator's life
Which event in the story is NOT told in a flashback?
The narrator remembers events that happened in her youth
The Flying Avalon's act is destroyed by an accident
The narrator's sister is buried
The narrator's mother goes blind
Which detail from the story helps create suspense?
"It was during her confinement in the hospital that my mother met my father."
"She used the phone, then ran outside to stand beneath my window."
"I owe her my existence three times."
"They sat. They ate caramelized popcorn and roasted peanuts."
When the narrator says in lines 151-152, "I wonder if my father calculated the exchange he offered: one form of flight for another," she means that...
reading offered her mother a different type of thrill.
once her parents married, they flew frequently.
her father found freedom in his marriage.
her mother never took another flight in her life.
What attracted the narrator's father to Anna?
She was a trapeze artist.
She wanted to live in New Hampshire.
She could not read.
She had traveled the world.
What motivates the narrator to return home?
pity for her mother's inability to cope with her blindness
the desire to help her mother as her mother has helped her
the need for financial security
disillusionment with her own life
Which detail helps you visualize the difficulty of Anna's rescue of her daughter?
"Outside, my mother stood below my dark window and saw clearly that there was no rescue."
"Flames had pierced one side wall, and the glare of the fire lighted the massive limbs and trunk of the vigorous old elm..."
"She was hanging by the backs of her heels from the new gutter we had put in that year..."
"The wind roared and beat its hot breath at our back, the flames whistled."
At the end of the story, why does the narrator mention twice that she was embarrassed by her mother's lack of clothing?
She feels ashamed now of her feelings then.
She still wishes her mother hadn't removed her dress.
She now realizes how cold her mother was.
She has vowed never to be like her mother.
Which statement lists the events in the correct sequence?
Anna rescues the narrator; the narrator returns home; the narrator's father dies.
Anna marries a second time; the narrator returns home; Anna becomes blind.
The narrator returns home; the narrator's father dies; Anna rescues the narrator from a fire.
Anna survives her circus fall; Anna rescues the narrator; the narrator returns home.
A tentative reply is...
correct.
uncertain.
assertive.
quiet.
To comply with regulations is to...
change them.
argue about them.
ignore them.
carry them out.
Which word or phrase is related to extricate?
overflow
run away
untangle
ask nicely
surrendered
to hand over something
to reject or refuse
calibrated
to make a guess
to plan or devise carefully
extricating
taking extra steps
to free or release from entanglement
hemorrhaged
an inheritance
uncontrolled internal bleeding
egocentrism
unable to see beyond one's self
something that stays the same
idle
meaningless or without purpose
being active
illiterate
a prolonged story
unable to read or write
constricting
the outcome of an event
feeling closed in by the smallness of something
perpetually
powerless
never ending
creosote
oily black soot buildup from a fire
a place where milk is sold
culprit
someone or something that is responsible for a fault
plastic container
superannuated
to replace in power
something too old to be useful
vigorous
powerful and energetic
uncomfortably harsh
ascended
to move or rise upward
to depart secretly
tentative
to be reckless
unsure; doing something as a trial
Which of these is true about Harold Avalon?
A-He is the narrator’s father.
B-He is killed in combat.
C-He is buried near his uncle, founder of the Flying Avalons.
D-He is a doctor who specializes in setting broken bones.
Chronologically, which of these events happens first?
A-Anna Avalon’s first child is stillborn.
B-The narrator moves back into her childhood home in New Hampshire.
C-The narrator’s father dies.
D-Ashes ignite a fire in the New Hampshire farmhouse.
Which of these statements is true about a character in “The Leap”?
A The father achieves a daring act of bravery
B The mother achieves a daring act of bravery
C The narrator loses her eyesight
D The narrator does not get along with her mother
What does the word encroaching mean?
A-intruding on
B-setting free
C-honors a memory
D-flash back
What is the narrator's mother's name?
A-Anna
B-Leah
C-Jill
D-Shona
Throughout the story the author uses_____ to paint a picture in the story
A-Foreshadowing
B-forecasting
C-simile
D-Imagery
What choice did Anna have to make when she was falling from the top of the circus tent?
A-saving herself or saving her husband
B-saving herself or her child
C-saving her husband or saving her dog
D-saving herself or her child or saving her child
How does the narrator's mother and father first meet?
A-At the circus
B-on a blind date
C-at the hospital
D-In the Market
How does the narrator survive the fire?
A-She climbs down from the house
B-a firefighter saves her
C-her mother saves her
D-she Jumped down
What is the main conflict in the story?
A-the narrator was trapped in her house by the fire
B-Anna and her new husband join the circus again
C-Anna and her husband die
Which detail from the story helps create suspense?
A-"It was during her confinement in the hospital that my mother met my father."
B-"She used the phone, then ran outside to stand beneath my window."
C-"I owe her my existence three times."
D-"They sat. They ate caramelized popcorn and roasted peanuts."
SHOW ANSWER
Which statement lists the events in the correct sequence?
A-Anna rescues the narrator; the narrator returns home; the narrator's father dies
B-Anna marries a second time; the narrator returns home; Anna becomes blind.
C-The narrator returns home; the narrator's father dies; Anna rescues the narrator from a fire.
D-Anna survives her circus fall; Anna rescues the narrator; the narrator returns home.
What is wrong with the mother?
A-She is blind
B-She has a broken leg
C-She is in a coma
D-she is deaf
What attracted the narrator's father to Anna?
A-She was a trapeze
B-She wanted to live in New Hampshire
C-She could not read
D-She had traveled the world
What was the mother's job before the narrator was born?
Nurse
Trapeze artist
Rodeo clown
Writer
Why has the narrator returned to her mother's house?
Her mother needs someone to read to her
The narrator's marriage has recently ended
The narrator has not been able to earn her own living
Her mother needs help going up and down stairs
The narrator's mother deals with the past in an unusual way. She...
keeps old photos, posters, and clippings
tells highly exaggerated stories about her youth
hardly talks about it and has kept very few souvenirs
still believes that she is living in the time when she was young
How did the narrator's mother and father meet?
They performed together in a circus
Father was a doctor; the mother his patient
They traveled in the same tour group all over the world
They met when the house caught on fire
Another word for foreshadowing is...
guess
inference
hint
device
Which line in the story most clearly foreshadows the fire?
"My mother is the surviving half of a blindfold trapeze act..."
"She has never upset an object or as much as brushed a magazine onto the floor."
"Suddenly the room goes dark, the stitches burn beneath my fingers..."
"Not hot sun beat upon the striped tent..."
Which of the following events happens earliest in TIME?
The narrator's mother and father meet
Harold Avalon is killed by lightening
The narrator goes to live with her mother
The narrator's mother saves the narrator's life
The prefix il- and Latin root word litteratus tell you that word illiterate means...
sick; diseased
not legal; not permitted
expert in the Latin language
unable to read and write
Which event in the story is NOT told in a flashback?
The narrator remembers events that happened in her youth
The Flying Avalon's act is destroyed by an accident
The narrator's sister is buried
The narrator's mother goes blind
"I owe here my existence three times," the narrator says. Which of the following is NOT one of those times?
The time her mother survived a circus accident
The time her mother rescued her from a fire
The time her mother and father met
The fact that the narrator's sister died
What is the main setting of 'The Leap'?
Urban city
Small town in North Dakota
Desert landscape
Coastal village
What is the main setting of 'The Leap'?
Urban city
Small town in North Dakota
Desert landscape
Coastal village
Who is the narrator of the story?
Anna
The Father
Anna's Daughter
A family friend
What profession did Anna have before becoming a mother?
Nurse
Teacher
Trapeze artist
Dancer
What event drastically changes Anna's life?
A family reunion
A trapeze accident
A flood
A wedding
What does the trapeze symbolize in the story?
Fear
Stability
Freedom and risk
Confusion
How does the narrator feel about her mother's past?
Disappointed
Proud
Indifferent
Angry
What role does the father play in the story?
The main character
A tragic figure
A source of comfort
An obstacle
What major theme is explored in 'The Leap'?
Love and sacrifice
Isolation
Technology vs. nature
Wealth and poverty
Which literary device is heavily used to convey Anna's past?
Foreshadowing
Flashbacks
Irony
Allegory
What significant action does Anna take in the climax of the story?
Performs again
Leaves her family
Saves her daughter
Relives her memories
How does Anna's past as a trapeze artist affect her motherhood?
It makes her neglectful
It inspires her bravery
It has no effect
It makes her fearful
What does the fire in the story symbolize?
Destruction and rebirth
Comfort
Safety
Routine
Why does the narrator reflect on her mother's past?
To criticize her choices
To understand her character
To promote her own career
To forget the past
How does Anna's personality evolve throughout the story?
She becomes more reckless
She shows increased strength and resilience
She becomes bitter
She grows distant
What does the story suggest about the nature of risk?
It should always be avoided
It is essential for growth
It leads to failure
It is purely negative
How does Anna's memory of trapeze performances contrast with her life as a mother?
They are similar experiences
One is full of joy, the other sorrow
They are both mundane
They are completely disconnected
What does the narrator learn about her mother by the end of the story?
She was never happy
She was a complex and brave individual
She regretted her choices
She was indifferent to her family
What is the significance of Anna's decision to continue performing after her husband's death?
It shows her recklessness
It illustrates her strength and dedication
It is a sign of her desperation
It represents her abandonment of family
How does the author use imagery to enhance the story?
By providing mundane details
By creating vivid scenes of Anna's past
By focusing solely on dialogue
By avoiding descriptive language
What does the relationship between the narrator and Anna reveal about family dynamics?
They are entirely disconnected
They share a deep bond influenced by shared history
They are constantly at odds
They are only superficially connected
What emotion does the narrator primarily feel toward her mother?
Resentment
Admiration
Indifference
Jealousy
How is the theme of sacrifice illustrated in 'The Leap'?
Through Anna's career choices
Through her actions to protect her daughter
Through the father's influence
Through the narrator's decisions
What effect does the use of flashbacks have on the reader's understanding of Anna?
They confuse the timeline
They provide depth to her character
They are irrelevant
They are overly detailed
How does the story address the concept of identity?
Through material success
Through Anna's past experiences and current roles
Through superficial traits
Through societal expectations
What does the ending of the story suggest about the future?
It is bleak and uncertain
It is filled with hope and continuity
It is irrelevant to the characters
It is only focused on the past
How does Anna's past affect her relationship with her daughter?
It creates distance
It fosters understanding and admiration
It leads to conflict
It has no impact
What narrative technique does Erdrich primarily use in 'The Leap'?
Stream of consciousness
Non-linear storytelling
First-person narration
Third-person omniscient
How does the story explore the idea of courage?
Through reckless behavior
Through Anna's performances and her decision to save her daughter
Through avoidance of risk
Through cowardice
What internal struggle does Anna face throughout the story?
The desire to return to performing
The conflict between her past identity and her role as a mother
The need for financial stability
The quest for social acceptance
How does Anna's character exemplify the theme of resilience?
By giving up after her husband's death
By refusing to face her past
By continuing to care for her daughter despite her losses
By ignoring her daughter's needs
