English 10 FINAL EXAM - Reading Comprehension Practice
Name:
PART I: Reading Fiction
This story is about a family waiting for the father to return home with important news. Read the story and answer
the questions that follow.
Home by Gwendolyn Brooks
What had been wanted was this always, this always to last, the talking softly on this porch, with the snake plant in
the jardiniere1 in the southwest corner, and the obstinate slip from Aunt Eppie’s magnificent Michigan fern at the
left side of the friendly door. Mama, Maud Martha, and Helen rocked slowly in their rocking chairs, and looked at
the late afternoon light on the lawn and at the emphatic iron of the fence and at the poplar tree. These things might
soon be theirs no longer. Those shafts and pools of light, the tree, the graceful iron, might soon be viewed
possessively by different eyes.
Papa was to have gone that noon, during his lunch hour, to the office of the Home Owners’ Loan. If he had
not succeeded in getting another extension, they would be leaving this house in which they had lived for more
than fourteen years. There was little hope. The Home Owners’ Loan was hard. They sat, making their plans.
“We’ll be moving into a nice flat2 somewhere,” said Mama. “Somewhere on South Park, or Michigan, or in
Washington Park Court.” Those flats, as the girls and Mama knew well, were burdens on wages twice the size of
Papa’s. This was not mentioned now.
“They’re much prettier than this old house,” said Helen. “I have friends I’d just as soon not bring here. And I
have other friends that wouldn’t come down this far for anything, unless they were in a taxi.”
Yesterday, Maud Martha would have attacked her. Tomorrow she might. Today she said nothing. She merely
gazed at a little hopping robin in the tree, her tree, and tried to keep the fronts of her eyes dry.
“Well, I do know,” said Mama, turning her hands over and over, “that I’ve been getting tireder and tireder of
doing that firing.3 From October to April, there’s firing to be done.”
“But lately we’ve been helping, Harry and I,” said Maud Martha. “And sometimes in March and April and in
October, and even in November, we could build a little fire in the fireplace. Sometimes the weather was just right
for that.”
She knew, from the way they looked at her, that this had been a mistake. They did not want to cry.
But she felt that the little line of white, sometimes ridged with smoked purple, and all that cream-shot saffron4
would never drift across any western sky except that in back of this house. The rain would drum with as sweet a
dullness nowhere but here. The birds on South Park were mechanical birds, no better than the poor caught
canaries in those “rich” women’s sun parlors.
“It’s just going to kill Papa!” burst out Maud Martha. “He loves this house! He lives for this house!”
“He lives for us,” said Helen. “It’s us he loves. He wouldn’t want the house, except for us.”
“And he’ll have us,” added Mama, “wherever.”
“You know,” Helen sighed, “if you want to know the truth, this is a relief. If this hadn’t come up, we would
have gone on, just dragged on, hanging out here forever.”
“It might,” allowed Mama, “be an act of God. God may just have reached down and picked up the reins.”
“Yes,” Maud Martha cracked in, “that’s what you always say—that God knows best.”
Her mother looked at her quickly, decided the statement was not suspect, looked away.
Helen saw Papa coming. “There’s Papa,” said Helen.
They could not tell a thing from the way Papa was walking. It was the same dear little staccato walk,5 one
shoulder down, then the other, then repeat, and repeat. They watched his progress. He passed the Kennedys’, he
passed the vacant lot, he passed Mrs. Blakemore’s. They wanted to hurl themselves over the fence, into the street,
and shake the truth out of his collar. He opened his gate—the gate—and still his stride and face told them nothing.
“Hello,” he said.
Mama got up and followed him through the front door. The girls knew better than to go in too.
Presently Mama’s head emerged. Her eyes were lamps turned on.
“It’s all right,” she exclaimed. “He got it. It’s all over. Everything is all right.”
The door slammed shut. Mama’s footsteps hurried away.
“I think,” said Helen, rocking rapidly, “I think I’ll give a party. I haven’t given a party since I was eleven. I’d
like some of my friends to just casually see that we’re homeowners.”
1. jardiniere (jär´d · nir´): An ornamental pot or stand for plants.
2. flat: An apartment.
3. firing: Starting a coal fire.
4. saffron: A yellow-orange color.
5. staccato (st · kät´ ) walk: A walk of short, abrupt steps.
“Home” from Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks. Copyright © 1993 by Gwendolyn Brooks. Published by Third World Press, Chicago.
Reprinted by permission of The Estate of Gwendolyn Brooks.
____
1. This selection is BEST described as a —
a. myth
b. satire
c. story
d. legend
____
2. What is the conflict in this selection?
a. Two sisters cannot get along with their parents.
b. A family is trying to keep their home.
c. A mother is too tired to manage the family home.
d. Members of a family have a dispute with their neighbors.
____
3. The setting for this selection is —
a. the Home Owners’ Loan office
b. a party hosted by Helen
c. the front porch of a house
d. a flat on South Park
____
4. What does the phrase “turning her hands over and over” reveal about Mama?
a. She gestures a lot as she talks.
c. She has pain in her hands.
b. She waves excitedly at her husband.
d. She is worried or nervous.
____
5. The tone of this passage could BEST be described as —
a. tender
c. bitter
b. mocking
d. critical
____
6. What does the word extension mean in this sentence from the passage?
If he had not succeeded in getting another extension, they would be leaving this house in
which they had lived for more than fourteen years.
a. an outward movement of the leg
b. a structural addition to a house
c. a larger amount of space
d. extra time to repay a debt
____
7. The sentence “Her eyes were lamps turned on” is an example of —
a. metaphor
c. allegory
b. simile
d. irony
____
8. Which statement BEST describes how the two sisters and the mother feel about the problem they face?
a. Mama and Helen are worried, but Maud Martha doesn’t care.
b. All three are equally concerned but show it in different ways.
c. Mama and Maud Martha are worried, but Helen is ready to leave.
d. Maud Martha and Helen are unconcerned, but their mother is worried.
____
9. When the passage says that Maud Martha “tried to keep the fronts of her eyes dry,” it means that she —
a. struggled to keep from crying
b. reacted to the effects of the afternoon sun
c. tried to keep from arguing with her sister
d. concentrated on watching the robin in the tree
____ 10. The climax of the story occurs when —
a. Helen sees Papa coming up the street toward the house
b. Papa opens the gate and tells them nothing
c. Mama exclaims, “It’s all right . . . He got it.”
d. the door slams and Mama walks away
____ 11. Which of these sentences from the story BEST reflects the sense of security Helen feels at the end of the story?
a. They could not tell a thing.
c. The door slammed shut.
b. Presently Mama’s head emerged.
d. “I think I’ll give a party.”
____ 12. Which sentence BEST expresses the theme of this story?
a. There is no place like home.
b. Everyone should be a homeowner.
c. Home loan associations can be cruel.
d. People are often judged by where they live.
PART II: Reading Nonfiction
Henna Body Painting
Henna? Isn’t that what your great-grandmother put on her hair to hide the gray? Yes, until recently, henna was
considered a color from the past. It was associated mostly with hair dye, but that was true only in the United
States and Europe. In other cultures around the world, the henna shades of brown, russet, and crimson have
glowed for five thousand years, most often decorating the hands and feet of people from Africa, India, and the
Middle East. Now people in Western countries have become interested in decorating the skin with henna.
Henna dye is made from the dried leaves, flowers, and twigs of the henna shrub, which are ground into a fine
powder. Mixing the powder with water and an oil forms a paste, which is the basis for the paint that outlines the
intricate designs.
Henna painting varies from country to country and spans different cultures and religious traditions. African
henna designs have geometric-patterned angles that are large and striking. Arabic henna painting features broad,
floral patterns on hands and feet, whereas Indian henna painting uses fine, lacelike floral and paisley designs that
cover the entire hands, forearms, and feet.
Often the painting is done to celebrate special occasions. In North Africa, red palms signal a young person’s
passage to a new chapter in life. In Morocco, a soldier’s right hand might be painted with henna designs to protect
him in battle. In the north and western parts of India, henna painting is an important part of the wedding ritual and
ceremony. There is a romantic notion that the deeper the color obtained on the skin, the longer the love in the
marriage will last.
If the custom of painting the body with henna has existed in other cultures for so long, why is it just now
receiving new attention in the United States and Europe? For one thing, its developing popularity coincides with
the renewed interest in tattooing. However, it enjoys a prime advantage over tattooing—it doesn’t hurt!
Composed of harmless ingredients, the henna dye washes away after a period of time, and the application of a
simple design takes less than thirty minutes. Henna painting also allows those who seek decoration to avoid the
health risks and social attitudes connected with tattooing.
Whether awash in a geometric design or merely dotted with flowers and stars, present-day henna patrons
share a bond with their great-grandmothers. Across time and cultures, they all sampled from nature’s palette.
____ 13. What is the author’s purpose in writing this selection?
a. to warn people about using henna to dye hair
b. to criticize those who use henna
c. to persuade readers to try henna
d. to inform readers about henna painting
____ 14. The selection states that “henna was considered a color from the past.” That statement means that —
a. henna fell from popularity years ago
c. henna was used to paint various designs
b. henna paint fades over time
d. henna is no longer used as a dye
____ 15. When the writer says that henna painting uses “floral patterns,” this means these designs look like —
a. bushes
c. paisley designs
b. flowers
d. angled lines
____ 16. According to the passage, the main advantage henna painting has over tattooing is that it is —
a. permanent
c. painless
b. colorful
d. less expensive
____ 17. Which conclusion below is BEST supported by information from the passage?
a. The peoples of India, Africa, and the Middle East strongly oppose the art of henna body
painting.
b. There is revived interest in the use of henna in the United States and Europe.
c. Although painting with henna spans many cultures and countries, the painting patterns are
the same.
d. Henna has completely replaced tattoos as the body decoration of choice.
____ 18. Which of the following statements is based more on opinion than on fact?
a. “In other cultures . . . the henna shades of brown, russet, and crimson have glowed for five
thousand years.”
b. “Henna dye is made from the dried leaves, flowers, and twigs of the henna shrub.”
c. “[T]he deeper the color obtained on the skin, the longer the love in the marriage will last.”
d. “[I]ts developing popularity coincides with the renewed interest in tattooing.”
____ 19. If you were doing research about painting hands and feet with henna, which would be your BEST source for
information?
a. an atlas with maps of the United States and Europe
b. do-it-yourself directions for tattooing
c. a romance novel set in India
d. an encyclopedia with an entry for “henna”
____ 20. Which research question would BEST lead to more information about the topic of the selection?
a. What types of traditional henna painting are used today?
b. What is the typical age when people marry in India?
c. When do the flowers on the henna shrub bloom?
d. How many people in the United States dye their hair with henna?
____ 21. Which is the BEST reference to include in a bibliography of sources about henna body painting?
a. Walter, Cindy, and Jennifer Priestly. The Basic Guide to Dyeing and Painting Fabric.
Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 2002.
b. Patrick, Diane. Family Celebrations. New York: Silver Moon Press, 1993.
c. Weinberg, Norma Pasekoff. Henna from Head to Toe! North Adams, Massachusetts:
Storey Books, 1999.
d. Smith, Olivia. Aging in America. New York: H. W. Wilson, 2000.
Part III: Reading Poetry
Courage
by Anne Sexton
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It is in the small things we see it.
The child’s first step,
as awesome as an earthquake.
The first time you rode a bike,
wallowing up the sidewalk.
The first spanking when your heart
went on a journey all alone.
When they called you crybaby
or poor or fatty or crazy
and made you into an alien,
you drank their acid
and concealed it.
Later,
if you faced the death of bombs and bullets
you did not do it with a banner,
you did it with only a hat to
cover your heart.
You did not fondle the weakness inside you
though it was there.
Your courage was a small coal
that you kept swallowing.
If your buddy saved you
and died himself in so doing,
then his courage was not courage,
it was love: love as simple as shaving soap.
Later,
if you have endured a great despair,
then you did it alone,
getting a transfusion from the fire,
picking the scabs off your heart,
then wringing it out like a sock.
Next, my kinsman, you powdered your sorrow,
you gave it a back rub
and then you covered it with a blanket
and after it had slept a while
it woke to the wings of the roses
and was transformed.
Later,
when you face old age and its natural conclusion
your courage will still be shown in the little ways,
each spring will be a sword you’ll sharpen,
those you love will live in a fever of love,
and you’ll bargain with the calendar
and at the last moment
when death opens the back door
you’ll put on your carpet slippers
and stride out.
“Courage” from The Awful Rowing Toward God by Anne Sexton. Copyright © 1975 by Loring Connant, Jr.,
Executor of the Estate of Anne Sexton. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin
Company.
____ 22. “Courage” can best be described as a —
a. ballad
b. sonnet
c. haiku
d. lyric poem
____ 23. The mood of the poem can BEST be described as —
a. upbeat and lively
c. innocent and joyous
b. serious and thoughtful
d. tragic and sorrowful
____ 24. The poet expresses the view that one shows courage in life MAINLY by —
a. standing up to bullies
c. demonstrating physical skill
b. bravely rescuing others
d. dealing with challenges
____ 25. The poet compares a child’s first step to —
a. a major, life-changing event
b. a shaky, uncertain beginning
c. backward movement
d. a natural transition
____ 26. The poet uses the word wallowing to describe a first-time bike ride. The word wallowing means moving —
a. clumsily
c. directly
b. self-consciously
d. fearlessly
____ 27. Read these lines from the poem.
you drank their acid
and concealed it.
This statement means that the person responded courageously by —
a. swallowing poisonous liquid
c. being hurt but not showing a reaction
b. saying an equally insulting remark
d. laughing at what was said
____ 28. In line 20 “Your courage was a small coal” is an example of —
a. a simile
c. an allusion
b. a metaphor
d. personification
____ 29. What is the “natural conclusion” the poet says you face in old age?
a. death
c. wisdom
b. rebirth
d. sickness
____ 30. Read the lines from the poem.
when death opens the back door
you’ll put on your carpet slippers
and stride out.
A courageous person wearing carpet slippers at the end of life implies that the person is —
a. comfortable and unafraid
c. weak and diseased
b. able to silently slip by death
d. concerned about appearance