The Grandfather Gary Soto
COMPREHENSION Shade the letter of the best answer to each of the following items. (25 points)
1. This essay discusses events that take place over a period of—
A) a few years
B) five years
C) ten years
D) more than twenty years
2. What does the narrator mean when he says, “Grandfather believed that a well-rooted tree was the color of
money”?
A) A tree provides a family with food.
B) You have to spend money to keep trees healthy.
C) Trees must have strong roots.
D) Money is the root of most family problems.
3. By its third year, the avocado tree becomes very important to Gary Soto because it—
A) has become a safe place where he can think
B) provides him with physical challenges
C) helps him understand his grandfather
D) has become a source of family pride
4. Grandfather calls the narrator hijo because—
A) hijo is the author’s nickname
B) hijo is a term of endearment
C) the grandfather calls him “son” in Spanish
D) the grandfather does not speak English very well
5. What part does the avocado tree play in the boyhood of Gary Soto?
A) It symbolizes Soto’s childhood and transition into adulthood.
B) It symbolizes the growth of the Soto family.
C) It is where daily life took place.
D) It teaches him to respect his elders.
6.The essay is about the growth of the avocado tree, but the selection is also about—
A) working at the Sun Maid Raisin company
B) the rewards of hard work and patience
C) growing up in Fresno, California
D) the narrator’s brothers and sisters
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT Match the definition on the left with the vocabulary word on the right. You
may use each word more than once.
7.scanty
8.pouted
A) meager
B) hovered
C) gurgle
9.floated
D) sulked
10.babble
11.suspended
VOCABULARY SKILL Shade the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
12. In this selection, the word horizon denotes—
A) the seashore
B) the location of Mexico
C) where the earth meets the sky
D) a person’s outlook on life
13. In the phrase, “laced it with a river of chile,” the word laced connotes that—
A) chiles had been mixed in with the avocado
B) the green avocado was decorated with red chiles
C) avocados had been tied together with chiles
D) chiles had been grown at the base of the avocado tree
LITERARY FOCUS Shade the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
14. Which of the following best illustrates the author’s style and use of imagery?
A) “I ate fruit to keep my strength up…”
B) “…quarreling jays with liquid eyes and cool, pulsating throats”
C) “After twenty years, the tree began to bear fruit.”
D) “His yard was neat: five trees, seven rosebushes, whose fruit were the…”
15. Grandfather’s pockets are described as “tight-lipped” because—
A) Grandfather tried to save, not spend, his money
B) Grandfather’s clothes were too small for him
C) the suits worn by the grandfather were very old-fashioned
D) the pockets were ragged and had been sewn shut
16. Imagery appeals to your senses. Which of following is the best example of imagery?
A) “His money he kept hidden behind portraits of sons and daughters…”
B) “After work, he sat…watching the water gurgle in the rosebushes…”
C) “He said that in Mexico buildings only grew so tall.”
D) “And winter brought oranges, juicy and large as softballs.”
17.The description “bicycling legs” is an example of imagery involving—
A) a generalization
B) our sense of vision
C) our sense of hearing
D) our sense of touch
READING FOCUS Shade the letter of the best answer to each of the following items. (10 points; 5 points each)
18. Which statement provides the best generalization of the character of Grandfather?
A) Able to tell a good joke in order to keep the family laughing
B) A hard-working, devoted family man
C) Strict only when it comes to following rules about his yard
D) Believes that luck creates a healthy garden and a good family
19. Generalizations—
A) can help us understand life
B) are rarely true
C) require us to use imagery
D) have little meaning outside of literature
20. About how long does it take for the avocado tree to start bearing fruit?
A) five years
B) ten years
C) one year
D) twenty years
21. What is one reason that the grandfather likes to grow fruit trees?
A) He thinks that meat is bad for you.
B) He thinks that fruit is good for you.
C) He thinks that he can save money by growing his own fruit.
D) He thinks that he can make a lot of money by selling the fruit.
22. The following example of imagery in the story appeals to which sense?
“A lemon tree hovered over the clothesline.”
A) taste
B) hearing
C) sight
D) touch
23.Which sentence below is an accurate generalization about the narrator’s grandfather?
A) He is a patient, thrifty man.
B) He is impatient and unhappy in California.
C) He cares more about fruit trees than he cares about his family.
D) He doesn’t work hard, but spends time in the backyard instead.
24. Which of the following is the best example of someone who sulked?
A) After she won the game, she did a little dance.
B) After she lost the game, she pouted in a corner.
C) After she tied for first place, she shook hands with her teammates.
D) After she lost the game, she stomped off the field angrily.