Comprehension Quiz January 30
Name: ____________________
Instructions: Choose the best answer by writing the letter in the answer column.
Answer
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Question
Circle the choice that best describes the following excerpt from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry:
“When mama asked me’bout me goin’ up to the Wallace store dancin’ room, I jus’ said ole Claude was
always sneakin’ up there to get some of that free candy . . . “ (Taylor 11).
A. This is an example of direct characterization, which shows that T.J. can’t be trusted.
B. This is an example of indirect characterization, which shows that T.J. can’t be trusted.
C. The many grammatical mistakes show that Mildred Taylor needs to follow in T.J.’s footsteps and repeat
seventh grade.
D. The constant use of dialect in this passage shows that T.J. in not very smart.
Circle the type of figurative language that is most accurately represented in the following sentence: “A knot
of anger swelled in my throat” (26).
A. Simile
B. Personification
C. Hyperbole
D. Metaphor
Circle the type of figurative language that is most accurately represented in the following sentence:
“'Biting the hand that feeds you. That’s what you’re doing, Mary Logan, biting the hand that feeds you’” (30).
A. Idiom
B. Personification
C. Simile
D. Metaphor
When Daisy says that Mrs. Logan is “Biting the hand that feeds you,” Mrs. Logan responds, “I don’t think I
need that little bit of food” (30). Which choice best describes the meaning of Mrs. Logan’s response?
A. The “little bit of food” is an example of personification—as if the food is hungry.
B. The “little bit of food” is a metaphor for Little Man’s and Cassie’s actions toward the textbooks.
C. The “little bit of food” is a metaphor for the torn-up textbooks that the school has received.
D. The “little bit of food” shows how hungry Mrs. Logan is because she barely has enough money to afford
food.
Circle the choice that best describes the tenses/forms of hastened.
A. hastened = past tense (irregular verb); hastens = present; hastening = present participle; will hasten =
future; haste = noun; hastily = adverb
B. hastened = past tense (regular verb); hastens = present; hastening = present participle; will hasten = future; haste =
noun; hastily = adverb
C. hastened = past tense (irregular verb); hastens = present; hastening = present participle; will hasten = future; haste
= noun; hastily = adjective
D. hastened = past tense (regular verb); hastens = present; hastening = present participle; will hasten = future; haste =
noun; hastily = adjective
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In Roll of Thunder, why did the children feel that they could get away with digging a hole in order to cause
the school bus to crash?
A. Nobody would suspect that the children of Mrs. Logan, a teacher, would do such a thing.
B. Everybody would assume that only T.J. would pull such a stunt.
C. They knew that the rain would explain why their clothes were dirty.
D. They knew that the rain would cause puddles, which would disguise and provide a reason for the holes.
In Roll of Thunder, what key thing did the children forget about whenever they dug the trap for the bus?
A. They forgot to put the tools back into the shed.
B. They forgot that their mother could possibly stumble into the trap on her way back home from school.
C. They forgot that Big Ma would be expecting them to be home earlier.
D. They forgot that Jeremy might be watching them.
Which of the following best represents the key elements of an argumentative essay?
A. thesis statement, support for your argument; support for a counterargument; refutation of the
counterargument
B. thesis statement; evidence; analysis; summary
C. thesis statement; support for your argument; support for a counterargument; conclusion
D. thesis statement; support for your argument; support for a counterargument; summary
What is most likely the author’s purpose for the graph projected on the Smart Board screen ?
A. To persuade the audience that certain ethnic groups take education more seriously
B. To entertain the audience by revealing some interesting statistics
C.
To inform the audience about different rates of high-school dropouts and college enrollment among whites, blacks,
and Hispanics during a thirty-year span
D. To inform the audience about the disturbing trends of high-school dropouts and college enrollment among whites,
blacks, and Hispanics during a thirty-year span
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Which choice is most accurately depicted by the graph projected on the Smart Board screen?
A. High-school dropout rates are least among whites and highest among Hispanics, while college enrollment
rates are least among blacks and highest among whites.
B. High-school dropout rates are least among whites and highest among Hispanics, while college enrollment
rates are least among Hispanics and highest among whites.
C. High-school dropout rates are least among blacks and highest among Hispanics, while college enrollment
rates are least among blacks and highest among whites.
D. College enrollment has changed dramatically among all ethnic groups during the time period.
Which choice is most accurately depicted by the chart on the Smart Board screen?
A. The high-school dropout rate and college enrollment have grown more similar among the three groups.
B. The high-school dropout rate and college enrollment have grown more different among the three groups.
C. The high-school dropout rate has grown more different among these three groups, while the college
enrollment rate has grown more similar.
D. The high-school dropout rate has grown more similar among these three groups, while the college
enrollment rate has grown more sharply different.
Which choice represents the necessary revisions for the following sentence?
Because he needed a brake from traffic he hit the cars break and drived off the road.
A. Because he needed a brake from traffic, he hit the car’s break and drove off the road.
B. Because he needed a break from traffic, he hit the car’s brake and drove off the road.
C. Because he needed a break from traffic, he hit the cars break and drove off the road.
D. Because he needed a break from traffic, he hit the car’s brake and drived off the road.
In Roll of Thunder, who could be considered as an antagonist?
A. Harlan Granger B. Big Ma C. Mr. Morrison D. Stacey
Which choice represents the necessary revisions for the following sentence?
“None of the passengers was seriously hurt, but that didn’t mean they were out of danger” (Murphy 21).
A. “None of the passengers were seriously hurt, but that didn’t mean they were out of danger” (Murphy 21).
B. “None of the passengers was seriously hurt but that didn’t mean they were out of danger” (Murphy 21).
C. “None of the passenger was seriously hurt, but that didn’t mean they were out of danger.” (Murphy 21).
D. No revision needed; the sentence is correct as written.
Which of the following would most significantly change the meaning of the underlined word?
“The sailor scrutinized the treasure map so thoroughly that he remembered every detail.
A. inspected B. studied C. glanced D. analyzed
*Bonus
1. List at least 3 specific Jim Crow laws.
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2. List another form of “emphatic” and the word part that makes “emphatic” an adjective.
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3. Define the word “oracle.”
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4. Identify the subgenre for Roll of Thunder and explain why it falls into this category.
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http://stanford.edu/group/scspi/cgi-bin/fact7.php
Answer Key:
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