WorksheetsHouse Taken Over (Keep in Order)
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 40mins
Fill in the blank: Julio Cortázar was born in a suburb of ________, Argentina.
Buenos Aires
Córdoba
Mendoza
Rosario
What historical event had recently ended when Julio Cortázar wrote 'House Taken Over'?
World War I
World War II
The Cold War
The Vietnam War
The house was described as old and ______.
small
cramped
spacious
narrow
What does the word 'unvoiced' mean?
Spoken out loud
Not spoken out loud or expressed
Clearly articulated
Loudly declared.
What does the word 'vestibule' mean?
A type of furniture
An entrance room
A kitchen appliance
A garden tool.
Hesperidin is a substance that comes from the rind of certain citrus fruits and is used for various _______ purposes.
culinary
medicinal
artistic
decorative
What is the meaning of 'irremediably' as used in the passage?
In a way that can be helped
In a way that cannot be helped or corrected
In a way that is temporary
In a way that is reversible.
Fill in the blank: The districts of Eupen-et-Malmédy are located in eastern ________.
France
Germany
Belgium
Netherlands
What did the narrator remember was in the wardrobe?
A watch
Fifteen thousand pesos
A key
A ball of yarn
What is the primary setting of the story 'House Taken Over'?
A small apartment
A large family house
A city park
A school building
The siblings in 'House Taken Over' earn their income from ______.
Farming
A family business
Investments
Writing
Why does the writer give so little detail about the intruders?
To make them seem less important
To make them seem more frightening and mysterious
To focus on the setting
To highlight the narrator's fear.
The writer includes a series of action verbs in one sentence to show the narrator's intense fear. Fill in the blank: Packed into one sentence, this series of urgent actions shows the narrator's _______.
calmness
confusion
intense fear
happiness
Which of the following is NOT an element of Magical Realism?
Recognizable characters
Realistic settings
Unimpressed tone
Historical accuracy
Magical Realism often includes _______ events that coexist with realistic characters and actions.
Historical
Fantastic
Ordinary
Mundane
Which of the following words from the concept vocabulary means 'set back or remote'?
Spacious
Obscure
Recessed
Muffled
Why did the narrator and Irene like the house?
Because it was old and spacious
Because it had memories of their family
Because it was profitable for auction
Because it was a quiet and simple place
What did Irene do after finishing the morning housework?
She went to the kitchen
She went to the library
She went to the bedroom
She went to the dining room
Why did Irene knit so much?
Because it was an excuse to do nothing
Because she enjoyed knitting necessities
Because she wanted to sell the knitted items
Because she wanted to learn new knitting patterns
What did the narrator find in the drawer at the bottom of the chiffonier?
Shawls
Books
Stationery
Slippers
What did the narrator and Irene decide to do after the back part of the house was taken over?
They decided to move to a different house.
They decided to sell the house.
They decided to live on the other side of the house.
They decided to demolish the house.
What did the narrator and Irene do while living on the other side of the house?
They cooked together in the kitchen.
They ate cold supper in Irene's room.
They went out for dinner every evening.
They ordered food delivery.
What did the narrator and Irene hear when they went to the kitchen for a glass of water?
Noises from the kitchen
Noises from the bathroom
Noises from the hallway
Noises from the library
What did the narrator and Irene do when they heard noises from the other side of the oak door?
They ran to the kitchen.
They ran to the bath.
They ran to the living room.
They ran to the front door.
What did the narrator do before leaving the house?
He locked the front door.
He left the front door open.
He hid the key in the bedroom.
He threw the key in the sewer.
What time did the narrator and Irene leave the house?
8 P.M.
9 P.M.
10 P.M.
11 P.M.
How does Irene react when the narrator tells her that the back of the house has been taken over?
She is extremely concerned and calls for help
She screams, faints, has a heart attack, and dies.
She proposes that she and her brother confront the invaders.
She seems relatively unconcerned and abandons the back of the house.
Identify the prepositional phrase in this sentence.
While I was walking in the hallway, I heard a strange noise.
While I was walking
in the hallway
I heard a strange noise
There is no prepositional phrase
Which of these pics shows a vestibule?
What is the narrative tone of “House Taken Over” that contributes to the magical realism of the story?
matter-of-fact (little emotion)
sentimental (emotional)
tense (stressed)
humorous (funny)
How are the houses similar in "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "House Taken Over?" 2 correct answers.
both have lots of plants
both have been owned by families for a long time
both are large and show how rich the owners are.
both are falling apart with cracks
How do the two stories differ in their approach to telling about events, characters, and places?
"The Fall of the House of Usher" is about frightening events.
"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a calm setting with peace and happiness.
"House Taken Over" calmly shows a growing threat.
"House Taken Over" shows characters panicking and running about the house.
The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A
What can you infer about the brother and sister's economic status in "House Taken Over"?
They have few possessions
They rely on friends to support them
They take in boarders to earn extra money.
They have enough money to live comfortably
Part B
Which of the following excerpts from "House Taken Over" best supports the inference made in Part A?
It was pleasant to take lunch and commune with the great hollow, silent house. . . .
One day I found that the drawer at the bottom of the chiffonier, replete with mothballs, was filled with shawls, white, green, lilac
We didn’t have to earn our living, there was plenty coming in from the farms each month, even piling up.
Only a corridor with its massive oak door separated that part from the front wing, where there was a bath, the kitchen, our bedrooms and the hall
The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A
Which option is the best statement of one of the main ideas in “House Taken Over”?
Each time people avoid confronting their fears, they lose a little more of themselves, until finally they have lost everything.
People who live in large homes lose track of how much space they have; the space becomes meaningless and soon they no longer need it at all.
Some people have many belongings and do not seem to care, but when they lose everything, they realize how important those belongings were to them.
People who do not build relationships with outsiders will regret this decision, because eventually they will need the support of others, but it will be too late.
Which excerpt from the story best supports the answer to Part A?
We liked the house because … it kept the memories of great-grandparents, our paternal grandfather, our parents and the whole of childhood.
Irene and I got used to staying in the house by ourselves, which was crazy, eight people could have lived in that place and not have gotten in each other’s way.
Irene never bothered anyone. Once the morning housework was finished, she spent the rest of the day on the sofa in her bedroom, knitting.
“I had to shut the door to the passage. They’ve taken over the back part.” … “In that case,” she said, picking up her needles again, “we’ll have to live on this side.”
Read the following quotation from near the end of "House Taken Over."
We had what we had on. I remembered fifteen thousand pesos in the wardrobe in my bedroom. Too late now.
What does this detail suggest about the force or creature that has invaded the house of the
narrator and his sister?
It is greedy and wants to steal everything it can find in their luxurious home.
It is interested only in people who are rich or greedy.
It is powerful, so they distract its attention by leaving items behind
It is terrifying enough to make them forget valued possessions
Which of the following people would most likely be described as obscure?
a forgotten composer
a talentless celebrity
a famous musician
a popular writer
In which of the following circumstances would a person's voice most likely be muffled?
if the person were singing in a concert
if the person were speaking calmly to a friend
if the person were wearing a scarf over his or her mouth
if the person were making an announcement over a loudspeaker
In "House Taken Over," which of the following details most clearly suggest that the narrator and his sister are nervous and afraid? Choose two options.
They intentionally stop thinking.
They occupy themselves by cleaning.
They prefer to spend time in their rooms
They often cannot fall asleep and have trouble sleeping peacefully.
They collect French literature and reorder their father's stamp collection.
How does the setting reflect the meaning of 'House Taken Over'?
The setting represents a peaceful environment
The setting showcases the aftermath of a war
The setting is a haunted house
The setting is a luxurious mansion
Exactly how does Cortázar describe the sounds that the narrator hears?
Loud and clear
High-pitched and piercing
Soft and soothing
Muted and indistinct
Why do you think Cortázar uses these particular details to describe the sounds? What meaning is he trying to get at here?
To emphasize the importance of silence
To highlight the beauty of everyday sounds
To create a sense of calm
To evoke a feeling of unease
What are the two main elements of Magical Realism?
Everything is mostly false and no deeper lessons are taught.
Everything is supernatural & magic, and when realistic elements are present, they become supernatural.
Everything is realistic (responses, setting, etc), and when magical/unrealistic elements are present, they become normal/logical.
All the characters are predictable, and there are no supernatural elements within the story.
Read the sentence. Tell if the prepositional phrase is modifying an action or a noun.
The woodpecker knocked forcefully on the tree.
Noun
Action
What is the object of the preposition in this sentence?
She walked by the church and felt convicted.
felt
church
walked
by
What is the difference in language between the two stories? (Usher & House Taken Over)
Usher has a humorous, dark tone. House Taken Over uses dramatic, vivid descriptions.
Usher has a dramatic flair. House Taken Over has a humorous tone.
Usher uses calm, straight forward, & understated language. House Taken Over uses vivid descriptions.
Usher uses dramatic, vividly descriptive language. House Taken Over uses very calm, straight-forward, understated language.
How are the houses similar in “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “House Taken Over”?
Both are very ordinary homes.
Both are located in urban areas.
Both have long been in the owners’ families.
Both have several residents who live there.
What is the primary theme explored in 'House Taken Over'?
Isolation and fear
Love and friendship
Adventure and discovery
Wealth and power
What is the significance of the house being described as 'spacious' in the story?
It highlights the wealth of the characters.
It emphasizes the emptiness and isolation felt by the characters.
It shows the historical importance of the house.
It indicates the house's potential for hosting large gatherings.
