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Literary Allusions

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 15mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

By allowing the baby not to finish eating before leaving the table, the mom opened Pandora’s box and soon was sitting alone at the table. 

a)

literature/mythology

b)

religious

c)

historical

2.

What is the meaning of the allusion in the sentence below? The headline read: "Smart Phones Becoming Big Brother."

a)

a benevolent government that takes care of its people

b)

a democratic society with laws protecting privacy

c)

a ruler that allows freedom of speech

d)

a threatening power that monitors all aspects of people's lives

3.

In one of Aesop's fables, four animals go hunting under the assumption that they will split their prize equally, but the lion, the most powerful animal, takes more than the other members of the group. What is the meaning of the allusion in the sentence below? My older brother takes the lion's share of the space in our bedroom.

a)

an equal amount

b)

a tiny bit

c)

an even split

d)

the largest portion

4.

From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet which of these lines contains an allusion?

a)

And therefore have I little talked of love

b)

Immoderately she weeps for Tybalt's death

c)

For Venus smiles not in a house of tears

d)

All of the above

5.

My diet was going well until the new chocolate store went in down the street, chocolate is my Achilles’ heel.

a)

literature/mythology

b)

religious

c)

historical

6.

WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST POPULARLY ALLUDED WORKS?

a)

The Bible, Shakespeare, and Medieval Mythology

b)

Shakespeare, Greek/Roman Mythology, and African Mythology.

c)

The Bible, Shakespeare, and Greek/Roman Mythology

d)

The Bible, Medieval Mythology, and Shakespeare

7.

Peter Pan was the  leader of the Lost Boys who interacted with fairies, pirates, mermaids, and Native Americans. This free-spirited young boy frequently got into  trouble and never grows up. From the following sentence, determine the context definition of the underlined word: "Jim won’t go out and look for a job. It’s the  Peter Pan Syndrome to the extreme." What is Peter Pan Syndrome?

(a)  

8.

Which of the following is true about allusions?

a)

allusions are written in quotation marks

b)

allusions are always started as a comparison, as in 'He was as strong as Hercules.'

c)

allusions are indicated references that may sometimes be obvious and sometimes obscure

d)

all of the above

9.

What is the purpose of this allusion?

a)

to provide meaningful connections between texts

b)

both A and D

c)

to give more insight to the character

d)

to engage the reader in an inside joke

10.

How would allusion be defined?

a)

a reference to a famous person, place, or event

b)

words that involve one of the five senses

c)

two lines working as a unit

d)

a form or wordplay with similar sounding sounds

11.

What is the allusion commonly used for Cinderella?

a)

being ignored

b)

hard work

c)

hard work and bad treatment

d)

all of the above

12.

How is the allusion Adman and Eve commonly used?

a)

committing a sin

b)

being lazy

c)

being in love

d)

all of the above

13.

What is the meaning of the allusion in the sentence below? "He met his Waterloo when he failed the final exam."

a)

A) A great victory

b)

B) A significant defeat

c)

C) A minor setback

d)

D) An unexpected success

14.

In literature, what does the allusion 'Pandora's box' typically refer to?

a)

A) A source of endless opportunities

b)

B) A container of valuable treasures

c)

C) A source of unforeseen troubles

d)

D) A symbol of hope and renewal

15.

Which literary work is the phrase 'Catch-22' an allusion to, and what does it mean?

a)

A) A novel by George Orwell, meaning a dystopian society

b)

B) A novel by Joseph Heller, meaning a no-win situation

c)

C) A play by William Shakespeare, meaning a tragic flaw

d)

D) A poem by T.S. Eliot, meaning a lost paradise