Free Printable What's So Funny, Mr. Scieszka Short Story Comprehension Quiz

Worksheets

What's So Funny, Mr. Scieszka Short Story Comprehension Quiz

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 8mins

Name

Class

Date

1. Read paragraph 1 of the selection. The voice flew across the room and nailed me to the back of my seat. The author’s use of figurative language in this sentence —

shows the narrator’s mood

creates optimism in the story

conveys the narrator’s purpose

builds tension in the story

2. True or False: The narrator does not regret telling the joke to the class.

True

False

3. True or False: The narrator was sitting in the back row during class.

True

False

4. True or False: At the end of the story, Sister Margaret Mary laughs at the narrator’s joke.

True

False

5. True or False: The narrator was trying to tell the joke to his friend Tim.

True

False

6. What class is the narrator in?

Social Studies

Religion

Science

English

7. What word best describes the narrator?

Timid

Energetic

Mischievous

Obedient

8. What word best describes Sister Margaret Mary?

Understanding

Humorous

Demanding

Strict

9. Nobody in the history of St. Luke’s Elementary School has ever chosen to “__________________________.”

be disrespectful to Sister Margaret Mary

share it with the rest of the class

disrupt the class with a joke

goof around while in Sister Margaret Mary’s class

10.

10. What was the joke about?

A priest forgetting the name of someone

A man with no arms

A man trying to become a bell ringer

All the above

11.

How does the organization of paragraphs 13–16 contribute to the selection?

“Well, there’s this guy who wants to be a bell ringer, “But he doesn’t have any arms.”

Sister Margaret Mary’s eyes pop open wider than I have ever seen them. The whole class turns to look at me and the train wreck about to happen. Even my pal Tim K. is shaking his head. Nobody in the history of St. Luke’s Elementary School has ever chosen to “share it with the rest of the class.” But I feel it. I have to do it. It is my path. “The priest who is looking for a good bell ringer says, ‘You can’t ring the bells. You don’t have any arms.’ ”

A sense of suspense is built as Jon begins to tell his joke.

A comparison is made between potential paths for Jon.

A description is given of each person Jon sees in the classroom.

A realistic argument is provided to prove that Jon made the right decision.

12.

Reread paragraph 25 of the selection. Based on the text, which phrase best describes the author’s point of view?

"I don’t remember the grade I got in fifth-grade religion

class. But I do remember the laugh I got. It was huge. It was

the whole class (except Sister Margaret Mary). It was out-of-

control hysterical. It was glorious. And it set me on my lifelong

path of answering that classic question, “What’s so funny,

Mr. Scieszka?”

An objective point of view that explains the consequences of misbehaving in class

A subjective point of view that describes how the teacher feels toward her student

A subjective point of view that explains the effect of the experience on the life of the author

An objective point of view that describes the response of the classmates to the joke of the author

13.

The author wrote this selection most likely to —

inform readers about an early experience in his life

persuade readers to always be honest when speaking

entertain readers with a story from his childhood

provide readers with evidence of the strict rules at the school

14.

Read the sentence from paragraph 14. "Sister Margaret Mary’s eyes pop open wider than I have ever seen them."

The author uses exaggeration in this sentence to create what voice?

Critical

Humorous

Inspirational

Outraged

15.

Which two quotations from the selection best support the idea that the author made an important decision?

That day I reached a life-choice fork in the road. (paragraph 7)

A good grade in religion class is always a good thing in Catholic school. (paragraph 11)

I chose my life’s path. (paragraph 12)

Sister Margaret Mary’s eyes open impossibly wider. (paragraph 18)

I feel the whole world pause for just a single beat, like it always does before a good punch line. (paragraph 23)

100 %

What's So Funny, Mr. Scieszka Short Story Comprehension Quiz

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 8mins

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