WorksheetsIcarus - Practice Assessment
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 30mins
Label the events of the myth in the order in which they happen. The first event will be labeled 1, and the last will be labeled 6.
Daedalus and Icarus become prisoners on the island.
Daedalus decides to build wings for them to use to escape the island.
Icarus gathers feathers, and Daedalus builds two sets of wings.
Daedalus cautions Icarus not to fly too high or too low.
Daedalus escapes but loses his son.
Which statement is a theme of the myth?
People should obey their elders
Wisdom grows with time
Fear is a strong emotion
People can't escape their destinies
How does the setting impact the plot of the myth?
Daedalus sees the air as a means of escape
Daedalus tries to escape but fails
Daedalus is imprisoned in a high tower
Daedalus is a gifted inventor
Read the sentence from paragraph 2.
Daedalus was an ingenious artist and was not discouraged by his failures.
This sentence explains that Daedalus is a —
successful artist but afraid of failure
smart person who persists
smart person but afraid of failure
successful artist who gives up
Reread the last sentence of paragraph 3.
Icarus played about on the beach happily while his father worked, chasing the feathers that blew away in the strong wind that swept the island and sometimes taking bits of the wax and working it into strange shapes with his fingers.
This description of Icarus shows that —
he avoids helping
he is happy to be on the island
he wants to be an artist
he likes to play
The word exaltation comes from the Latin word exaltare, which means “to raise or elevate.” What does exaltation mean in paragraph 9?
flotation
delight
promotion
singing
Which two quotes from the myth best support the theme that reaching beyond your limits can cause problems?
Daedalus managed to escape from the tower... (paragraph 1)
...but he does not control the air... (paragraph 2)
...if you fly too high, the heat will melt the wax... (paragraph 5)
He was bewitched by a sense of freedom and beat his wings frantically... (paragraph 7)
...he mourned for the birdlike son who had thrown caution to the winds in the exaltation of his freedom... (paragraph 9)
Label the events in the order that best summarizes what happens in the poem. The first event will be labeled 1, and the last will be labeled 5.
Icarus flies to escape.
Icarus flies too high and his wings melt.
Icarus finds flying uplifting and continues flying upward, enjoying his freedom.
Icarus learns that taking risks comes with rewards and costs.
Icarus appreciates his freedom after he has lost it.
Which statement best describes the message of the poem?
Icarus flew too far for no good reason
Icarus learned something by flying too far
Icarus had a habit of flying too far
Icarus was pushed into flying too far
Reread the sentence from line 1 of the poem.
What else could the boy have done?
Why does the poet most likely begin the poem this way?
The poet wants to criticize Icarus
The poet wants to establish sympathy for Icarus
The poet wants to emphasize the idea that Icarus was a young boy
The poet wants to suggest that Icarus did not know what he was doing
Which sentence best describes the theme of the poem?
Destiny is unavoidable
Freedom comes with a price
Listen to your parents
Fear should be ignored
The poet’s use of the words liberty (line 9) and freedom (lines 4, 5) creates which tone in the poem?
Cautious
Frightening
Hopeful
Serious
The poet begins a sentence at the end of each stanza and does not finish it until the first line of the next stanza, as in lines 3–5 of the poem. Which statement best describes why the poet uses this structure?
He used it to change the rhythm of ideas throughout the poem
He uses it to make the reader think about what is happening in each stanza
He uses it to maintain the flow of the poem and the feeling of being drawn downward
He uses it to make the reader go back and read the previous stanza to understand the next one
This item has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part A Which phrase from the poem demonstrates the poet’s use of alliteration?
a great uplifting (line 2)
the sun dissolved the wax (line 6)
precisely / to the point (lines 10-11)
was not / upward escape (lines 14-15)
This item has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part B This alliteration emphasizes the idea that —
Icarus failed to gain freedom
Icarus pursued knowledge
Icarus deserved his fate
Icarus enjoyed his flight
