Semester Review
Short Story
‘Eleven’ by Sandra Cisneros (SpringBoard p.81-83)
1. What type of hook is used in this story?
a. Anecdote
b. Quote
c. Question
d. Statement of Intrigue
2. “Because the way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk…” is
an example of…
a. Analogy
b. Metaphor
c. Simile
d. Alliteration
3. In paragraph 5, what does the word rattling mean.
a. Something that is very good
b. A loud sound
c. Making a series of short, sharp knocking sounds
d. A baby toy
4. Which of the following statements is grammatically correct?
a. “Who’s is this,” Mrs. Price said.
b. “Whos is this?” Mrs. Price said.
c. Who’s is this? “Mrs. Price said.
d. “Who’s is this?” Mrs. Price said.
5. What is a conflict of the story?
a. Mrs. Price accuses Rachel of leaving a sweater in the coatroom.
b. Mrs. Price makes Rachel throw away a sweater which is hers.
c. Rachel does not like her new red sweater.
d. Rachel is unhappy she is turning eleven.
6. What is the resolution to the conflict mentioned in question 5?
a. Rachel tells Mrs. Price ‘Thank You’ for her new sweater.
b. Rachel finds out that the sweater belongs to Phyllis.
c. The conflict is not resolved.
d. Rachel keeps the new sweater.
7. Why are paragraphs 6 and 10 important?
a. They are part of the exposition.
b. They are part of the falling action leading to the resolution.
c. They introduce the conflict.
d. They are not significant to this story.
8. In what way does the author help the reader to understand the character Rachel?
a. The author uses vivid detail to describe Rachel’s feeling about the conflict.
b. The author uses figurative language to paint a picture of the character.
c. The author uses dialogue to demonstrate the author’s reaction to the conflict.
d. All of the above
Folk Tale
Armadillo's Song
A Bolivian Legend
retold by S.E. Schlosser
There once lived an armadillo who loved music more than anything else in the world.
After every rainfall, the armadillo would drag his shell over to the large pond filled with
frogs and he would listen to the big green frogs singing back and forth, back and forth to
each other in the most amazing voices.
"Oh," thought the armadillo, "Oh how I wish I could sing."
The armadillo would creep to the edge of the water and watch the frogs leaping and
swimming in a frantic green ballet, and they would call back and forth, back and forth in
beautiful, musical tones. He loved to listen to the music they made as they spoke,
though he didn't understand their words; which was just as well - for the frogs were
laughing at this funny animal that wanted so badly to sing like a frog.
"Don't be ridiculous," sang the frogs as they played. "Armadillos can't sing."
Then one day a family of crickets moved into a new house near the armadillo, and he
was amazed to hear them chirp and sing as merrily as the frogs. He would creep next to
their house and listen and listen all day, all night for their musical sounds.
"Oh," sighed the armadillo, "Oh how I wish I could sing."
"Don't be ridiculous," sang the crickets in their dulcet tones. "Armadillos can't sing."
But the armadillo could not understand their language, and so he just sighed with
longing and listened to their beautiful voices laughing at him.
Then one day a man came down the road carrying a cage full of canaries. They were
chirping and flittering and singing songs that were more beautiful even than those of the
crickets and the frogs. The armadillo was entranced. He followed the man with the cage
down the road as fast as his little legs would carry him, listening to the canaries singing.
"Oh," gasped the armadillo, "Oh how I wish I could sing."
Inside the cage, the canaries twittered and giggled.
"Don't be ridiculous," sang the canaries as they flapped about. "Armadillos can't sing."
The poor tired armadillo couldn't keep up with the man and the cage, and finally he fell
exhausted at the door of the great wizard who lived in the area. Realizing where he
was, the armadillo decided to beg a boon of the man.
Timidly, the armadillo approached the wizard, who was sitting in front of his house and
said: "Great wizard, it is my deepest desire to learn to sing like the frogs and the crickets
and the canaries."
The wizard's lips twitched a little in amusement, for who had ever heard of an armadillo
that could sing. But he realized that the little animal was serious. He bent low to the
ground and looked the creature in the eye.
"I can make you sing, little armadillo," he said. "But you do not want to pay the price, for
it will mean your death."
"You mean if I die I will be able to sing?" asked the armadillo in amazement.
"Yes, this is so," said the wizard.
"Then I want to die right now!" said the armadillo. "I would do anything to be able to
sing!"
The wizard and the armadillo discussed the matter for many hours, for the wizard was
reluctant to take the life of such a fine armadillo. But the creature insisted, and so the
wizard finally killed the armadillo, made a wonderful musical instrument from his shell,
and gave it to the finest musician in the town to play.
Sometimes the musician would play his instrument by the pond where the frogs lived,
and they would stare at him with big eyes and say: "Ai! Ai! The armadillo has learned to
sing."
Sometimes the musician would play his instrument by the house where the crickets
lived, and they would creep outside to stare at him with big eyes and say: "Ai! Ai! The
armadillo has learned to sing."
And often the musician would visit the home of his friend who owned the cage full of
canaries - who was also a musician - and the two men would play their instruments
together while the little birds watched with fluttering wings and twittered in amazement:
"Ai! Ai! The armadillo has learned to sing."
And so it was. The armadillo had learned to sing at last, and his voice was the finest in
the land. But like the very best musicians in the world, the armadillo sacrificed his Life
for his Art.
1. What is the conflict of this story?
a. The armadillo hates the frogs
b. The armadillo want to sing like the frogs
c. The armadillo wants the frogs to stop singing.
2. What is the resolution to the conflict of this story?
a. The armadillo gives up his life to sing like the frogs
b. The armadillo becomes friends with the frogs.
c. There is no resolution to the conflict.
3. What s the implied theme of this story?
a. Artists devote their lives to their craft.
b. Be careful what you wish for.
c. Do not be jealous of what other people have.
4. "Don't be ridiculous," sang the crickets in their dulcet tones. "Armadillos can't
sing." What does the word dulcet mean in this sentence.
a. Bitter
b. Sour
c. Sweet
5. What textual evidence supports this statement: The armadillo would give
anything, even his life, to sing like the frogs.
6. What is “frogs leaping and swimming in a frantic green ballet” an example of?
a. Simile
b. Metaphor
c. Analogy
7. Read the following sentence. Use context clues to determine the meaning of the
phrase ‘beg a boon of a man’.
“Realizing where he was, the armadillo decided to beg a boon of the man.”
8. What is the author’s purpose for writing this folktale?
a. To persuade
b. To entertain
c. To inform
d. None of the above
Expository Essay
Taking Big Steps
Thirty years from now, it wont matter what shoes you bought, the jeans you wore
or how you did your hair. What will matter is what you learned and how you use it. Since
I was a little kid I always enjoyed my days back then. But once I began to grow older I
had to take on more responsibilities. I wish I never had to work! I was lazy and relaxed,
but now I'm always busy and worn out.
When I was 5 years old I was always carefree. Mostly every day I would play with
my toys or find something to watch on television. My mother and father would clean and
polish up the house. But even though they were weary from the continuous work I would
have never lend a hand since then. Soon I was growing tremendously taller and older
and now I was going to face the challenge of responsibilities.
Now that I am 12, every day is outrageous! I have to work all day cleaning my
room or go to school with seven classes each day and I never get enough time to rest! If
I ever got off task I would not achieve my future. One of my big responsibilities that I still
am proud about is my cat. Even though I have to put work into it I still have fun caring
for my pet. I was not who I used to be back then. I still miss my previous years of having
time to play. But I understand that everyone must move on, and so that's exactly what I
did.
With all the hardships I had to face, I discovered that with more success put in
my daily life, I would have a greater chance of better opportunities coming in my future.
These changes have made a big difference in my life.
1. Identify the hook:
2. What type of hook is used in this story?
 Anecdote
 Quote
 Question
 Statement of Intrigue
3. What is the thesis statement?
4. What is the main idea (topic sentence) of paragraph 2?
5. List supporting detail for the main idea in paragraph 2?
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6. What is the main idea (topic sentence) of paragraph 3?
7. List supporting detail for the main idea in paragraph 3?
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8. Where does the author restate the thesis sentence?
a. The introduction
b. Paragraph 2
c. Paragraph 3
d. The conclusion