Question Description

Select the response that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1. In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” why is Granny upset at the doctor's presence?

a. He is old, and she thinks his mind is going.
b. She does not want to admit she is ill. c. She knows that he was a poor student in school.
d. It has taken him too long to come.

2. Which event happened earliest in “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”?

a. Granny married John. b. Granny moved in with Cornelia.
c. Granny's husband John died. d. George jilted Granny at the altar.

3. In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” what is odd about Granny wanting to spank Cornelia?

a. Cornelia ignores Granny. b. Cornelia is not a good daughter.
c. Cornelia is good to her. d. Cornelia whispers about Granny.

4. In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” what does Granny's stream of consciousness reflect?

a. the thoughts in her mind b. the feelings of her heart
c. the words in her letters d. the speech in her mouth

5. In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” what memory still bothers Granny?

a. Her husband John died. b. Cornelia treats her well.
c. She was once very ill. d. George rejected her.

6. Who comes last to see Granny in “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”?

a. her children b. George
c. her husband John d. the nurse

7. In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” why doesn't Hapsy come to see her mother?

a. She lives too far away. b. She is too ill to travel.
c. She is angry at Granny. d. She has died.

8. In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” how does stream of consciousness remind Granny of a sad event when Father Connelly appears?

a. She remembers her children's births. b. She remembers her wasted wedding cake.
c. She remembers when she needed a doctor. d. She remembers her husband John.

9. Which of these is a message of “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”?

a. People in pain welcome death. b. Bad memories last until death.
c. No one can outlive death. d. Old age welcomes death.

10. In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” what first sorrow is Granny's greatest burden?

a. the death of Hapsy b. the death of John
c. the pain of her illness d. her jilting by George

11. Which event happens last in “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall?”

a. John dies. b. The nurse visits.
c. Granny dies. d. George leaves.

12. Which of the following best summarizes what Miriam might say if she were telling the story “The First Seven Years”?

a. I wish Max would ask me out on a date. b. I wish my father would let me live my own life.
c. I wish I could learn how to fix shoes. d. I wish my father would give me advice about my life.

13. Why does Feld want Max to date Miriam?

a. Max is a peddler's son. b. Miriam has said she likes Max.
c. Max is a college student. d. Max has expressed interest in Miriam.

14. Which choice is the best summary of what Miriam might say when she learns that Feld wants Max to ask her out in “The First Seven Years”?

a. Why won’t Father stop meddling! b. Yes, I’d like to go out with Max!
c. I thought Max would never ask! d. I hope Max is rich and handsome!

15. Which word best describes Sobel in “The First Seven Years”?

a. unintelligent b. trustworthy
c. handsome d. charming

16. In "The First Seven Years," what suggests that Feld would not want Miriam to marry Sobel?

a. Sobel has an emotional outburst after he breaks the last. b. Sobel and Miriam both like to read and discuss books.
c. The idea of sending Miriam to Sobel's home is "repugnant" to Feld. d. Feld is at first disappointed by Max's ambition to be an accountant.

17. Which of these best describes Miriam's character in “The First Seven Years”?

a. sad b. funny
c. bitter d. confident

18. Why does Miriam reject Max as a possible suitor in “The First Seven Years?”

a. Max is not rich. b. Max is too educated.
c. Max cares only about things. d. Max is not handsome.

19. After a long time, what is Feld's epiphany, or realization, about Sobel in “The First Seven Years”?

a. Miriam loves Sobel. b. Sobel loves Miriam.
c. Sobel wants his own business. d. Sobel hates working for Feld.

20. How does the title “The First Seven Years” connect to the epiphany, or realization, that Feld has about Sobel?

a. Sobel will work for Feld for seven years before he can court Miriam. b. Sobel will leave Feld's employment after seven years as his assistant.
c. Miriam will date Max for seven years and then marry Sobel. d. Miriam will work for seven years and then go to college.

21. What does Feld understand as a result of his epiphany, or realization?

a. He will have to run the store alone. b. He will have to send Miriam to college.
c. He will have to accept that Miriam won't marry Max. d. He will have to explain to Max.

22. In “A Worn Path,” what can you infer about Phoenix’s personality from her reactions to the obstacles she encounters along the path?

a. She is basically an optimistic and hopeful person. b. She is resilient and takes difficulties in stride.
c. She feels more at home in the city than in the country. d. She has an unrealistic confidence in her strength.

23. In what way does the title “A Worn Path” clearly represent the focus of the story?

a. It symbolizes that Phoenix no longer cares about her grandson. b. It suggests that the hunter with the gun has terrified Phoenix.
c. It suggests that Phoenix is about to embark on a new path in life in the near future. d. It shows Phoenix's sense of resolve because she has made the trip many times.

24. In “A Worn Path,” which of Phoenix’s character traits come most into play in her interaction with the hunter?

a. cunning and resolve b. bitterness and anger
c. embarrassment and distress d. guilt and shame

25. In “A Worn Path,” what do you know that suggests the hunter will not really hurt Phoenix when he points the gun at her?

a. He has chased the black dog off. b. He has been killing bobwhites.
c. He has helped her up. d. He holds his dog on a chain.

26. In “A Worn Path,” Phoenix sees the nickel fall from the hunter’s pocket. She doesn’t tell the hunter, takes the nickel, and chastises herself for stealing. What does this tell you about her character?

a. She is poor but also honorable. b. She is poor and lacks gratitude.
c. She is hungry and has no gratitude. d. She is needy and also confused.

27. Why may Phoenix have been unafraid when the hunter pointed the gun at her in “A Worn Path”?

a. She had known the man since he was a boy and regarded him as a friend whom she did not have to fear. b. She was not aware of what the man was doing because she could not see him clearly.
c. She has endured many hardships, meaning she is not easily frightened. d. She was exhausted and despairing and the threat of the gun held no fear for her.

28. Why does Phoenix ask a woman to tie her shoelaces?

a. She doesn’t want to trip on her laces. b. She is testing the woman to see if she is kind.
c. She needs to pause and catch her breath. d. She wants to be presentable in the city.

29. When Phoenix finally reaches the doctor’s office, why doesn’t she answer the attendant’s questions?

a. She thinks the attendant is being disrespectful. b. She has become confused and forgotten why she is there.
c. She is waiting to talk to someone she knows. d. She isn’t aware that the attendant is speaking to her.

30. When the attendant offers Phoenix a few pennies from her purse, why does Phoenix reply by saying that “five pennies is a nickel”?

a. She wants to prove that she can count. b. She is too proud to take less than a nickel.
c. She wants the woman to give her more than just a few pennies. d. She is thinking out loud to remind herself how many pennies equal a nickel.

31. Which detail best supports the interpretation that Phoenix’s grandson is dead?

a. Phoenix expects him to be surprised by a paper windmill. b. Phoenix takes a long time to respond to the nurse’s question about him.
c. The nurse’s records say he swallowed lye two or three years ago. d. The nurse asks Phoenix whether the boy is dead.

32. Considering “The Worn Path” as an archetypal journey, what might Phoenix’s journey symbolize?

a. the quest for adventure b. the journey of life
c. a lost opportunity d. a search for redemption

33. In what way is Mr. Shiftlet grotesque in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”?

a. in his view of the world b. in the way he talks
c. in how his farm looks d. in how hard he works

34. In “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” why is Mr. Shiftlet's statement that he has a “moral intelligence” odd?

a. He does not show any intelligence at all. b. The daughter cannot hear him say this.
c. He shows no morality in the entire story. d. The mother sees through his behavior.

35. What is Mrs. Crater's obsession in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”?

a. to move to a tropical island and escape her worries b. a husband for her daughter who can help with the chores
c. a mechanic who can repair the car d. to marry Mr. Shiftlet so she won't have to die alone

36. What does Mrs. Crater think of Mr. Shiftlet when she first meets him in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”?

a. He is a possible hired hand. b. He is a traveling salesman.
c. He is missing an arm. d. He is no one to be afraid of.

37. How does Mr. Shiftlet gain Mrs. Crater's trust in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”?

a. by speaking of his background b. by admiring the sunset
c. by buying a new fan belt for the car d. by teaching Lucynell to say “bird”

38. In “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” what can you conclude about Mrs. Crater’s intentions toward Mr. Shiftlet when she asks him, “Are you married or are you single”?

a. She will try to marry him herself. b. She will protect Lucynell from him.
c. She will try to get him to marry Lucynell. d. She will introduce him to her friends.

39. How are Mrs. Crater and Mr. Shiftlet alike in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”?

a. They are both protective of Lucynell. b. They are both obsessed with an idea.
c. They both want the car to work. d. They both want to improve the farm.

40. In “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” what can you predict, based on Mr. Shiftlet's statement that a person's spirit is always “on the move”?

a. He will stay and work on the farm. b. He and Lucynell will live in the house.
c. He will continue to try to fix the car. d. He will leave after he fixes the car.

41. Why is Mrs. Crater upset when she says goodbye to her daughter in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”?

a. She knows Mr. Shiftlet will abandon Lucynell. b. She fears Lucynell will not like being married.
c. She has never been apart from her daughter. d. She hates to lose Mr. Shiftlet's work on the farm.

42. To whose life does the title of “The Life You Save May Be Your Own?” refer?

a. Mrs. Crater’s b. Lucynell’s
c. Mr. Shiftlet’s d. the boy behind the counter’s

43. What is the main conflict in the speaker's mind in “Birches”?

a. between friends and neighbors b. between fun and duty
c. between winter and summer d. between farming and logging

44. In “Mending Wall,” what is it that doesn't love a wall that often grows around it or under it?

a. elves b. cows
c. nature d. neighbors

45. Where does the accident with the saw take place in the poem “Out, Out—”?

a. a farm b. a doctor's office
c. a kitchen d. a city

46. How does the family react to the boy's death in “Out, Out—”?

a. They are grief-stricken. b. They accept it quietly.
c. They blame the doctor. d. They plan his funeral.

47. How does Sandburg show that he thinks Chicago is strong in “Chicago”?

a. He compares it to hunger. b. He compares it to a powerful young man.
c. He compares it to hogs that are killed. d. He compares it to a tool factory.

48. What does Sandburg suggest in “Chicago” when he says that he has seen hunger “on the faces of women and children”?

a. The city is filled with violence. b. The city is filled with families.
c. The city is filled with poverty. d. The city is filled with people.

49. What response might a reader have after reading “Grass”?

a. Losses will never be forgotten. b. Nature can erase suffering over time.
c. It is better to live one day bravely than to live one hundred years as a coward. d. People tend to remember tragic events more vividly than happy ones.

50. “The Life You Save May be Your Own” differs from “Grass” because

a. the suffering Mr. Shiftlet has caused will not be erased or forgotten. b. Lucynell reflects the human ability to forget suffering.
c. Mr. Shiftlet shows what one can accomplish when one is not afraid. d. Mrs. Crater is to be admired because she does not fear Mr. Shiftlet.