Third Quarter Final - English 9

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

(The Gift of the Magi)

____ 1. At the beginning of the story, which of the following is most upsetting to Della?
a. the thought of parting with her hair c. the idea of not having a present good
enough for Jim
b. the thought that short hair may be d. the possibility that Jim would not be able
unattractive to buy her a gift
____ 2. Della's hair and Jim's watch have always made them feel
a. proud. c. worthy of each other.
b. nervous. d. ashamed of their other possessions.
____ 3. Della chooses the gift she gets for Jim because it
a. costs just the right amount. c. will make his old watch look like new.
b. seems to have been made for him. d. is surely nicer than what he has bought for
her.
____ 4. Why does Jim react so strangely when Della tells him she has sold her hair?
a. He thinks she looks like a chorus girl. c. He is ashamed of not being an adequate
provider.
b. He is upset that she didn't consult him. d. He has bought a gift for her that is no
longer usable.
____ 5. When Jim and Della realize the full extent of what they have done, they
a. refuse to believe it. c. look for someone else to blame.
b. try to make the best of it. d. make plans to undo what they have done.
____ 6. At the beginning of the story, Della is counting the money she got from
a. working. c. penny-pinching.
b. selling her hair. d. emptying a bank account.
____ 7. Where does the money for Jim's fob chain come from?
a. Jim's savings c. the sale of Della's hair
b. Della's savings d. the sale of Jim's watch
____ 8. Where does the money for Della's hair combs come from?
a. Jim's savings c. the sale of Della's hair
b. Della's savings d. the sale of Jim's watch
____ 9. After Della got her idea, she "faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red
carpet." Why?
a. She is afraid her hair will bring too low a c. She will have to make a great sacrifice to
price. carry out her plan.
b. She is unsure about whether her plan will d. She remembers the embarrassment she
work. suffered to save $1.87.
____ 10. Jim's initial reaction to Della when he gets home is one of
a. guilt. c. shock.
b. anger. d. delight.

(Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird)

____ 11. Which of the following is revealed in the passage describing the ladle Granny uses to pour rum over the
cakes?
a. The family has moved quite often. c. The family has survived many tragedies.
b. The family has never taken charity. d. The family was once quite a bit wealthier.
____ 12. The story suggests that Granny's negative reaction to the photographers is based on her dislike of
a. strangers. c. the government.
b. invasions of privacy. d. the food stamp program.
____ 13. Granny's story about the man on the bridge is meant to be a lesson about
a. sensitivity. c. not giving up.
b. trespassing. d. the problems of poverty.
____ 14. Granny's approach to dealing with the filmmakers could best be described as
a. rude. c. meek.
b. cold. d. hot-tempered.
____ 15. Granddaddy's approach to dealing with the filmmakers could best be described as
a. firm. c. hesitant.
b. violent. d. gracious.
____ 16. According to the narrator, people often react negatively to Granddaddy because of his
a. great dignity. c. use of his hammer.
b. style of dress. d. background on the railroads.
____ 17. The story suggests that Granny reacts to Granddaddy's behavior with
a. surprise. c. satisfaction.
b. embarrassment. d. disappointment.
____ 18. Which of the following sentences from the story uses dialect?
a. "A sort of weird spider, I guess, with c. "What they do, the folks, when they come
many mental problems." in to all this mess?"
b. "I said to tell that man to get away from d. "Then Granddaddy picks up the hammer
here with that camera." and jams it into the oilskin pocket, scrapes
his boots, and goes into the house."
____ 19. In Granny's story about the man on the bridge, the villain is
a. the man on the bridge. c. the photographer recording the event.
b. the crowd of observers. d. a person who "messed with" the victim.
____ 20. How does Granny respond when the man with the camera calls her "aunty"?
a. She ignores him. c. She puts him in his place.
b. She calls him a name. d. She physically threatens him.

(The Cask of Amontillado)

____ 21. According to Montresor, in order for an act of revenge to be meaningful, it must
a. result in the victim's death. c. match the original injury that is being
avenged.
b. result in the victim's plea for forgiveness. d. allow the person taking revenge to escape
punishment.
____ 22. Montresor tells Fortunato that he plans to have Luchesi judge the Amontillado because Montresor
a. wants to test Fortunato's friendship. c. is too angry with Fortunato to invite him
to his home.
b. believes that Luchesi and Fortunato would d. hopes to inspire Fortunato to insist on
agree. doing it himself.
____ 23. As Montresor leads Fortunato through the vaults, Montresor behaves as if his main concern is
a. his family's honor. c. the cask of Amontillado.
 b. Fortunato's health. d. getting back to the carnival festivities.
____ 24. According to Montresor, he takes revenge on Fortunato for
a. lying to him. c. stealing from him.
b. insulting him. d. no reason at all.
____ 25. What characteristic of both men leads to Montresor's actions and to Fortunato's destruction?
a. pride c. cleverness
b. cruelty d. dishonesty
____ 26. Montresor tells his servants that he will be gone all night because he
a. wants to catch them disobeying him. c. needs to establish an alibi for his planned
activities.
b. knows this will make them leave the d. needs someone to protect his property
house. while he is busy.
____ 27. At the carnival, Fortunato reacts to Montresor by being
a. friendly. c. apologetic.
b. insulting. d. suspicious.
____ 28. Fortunato goes into the Montresor family vaults in order to
a. defend his family honor. c. take advantage of Montresor's trust in him.
b. avoid arguing with Montresor in public. d. determine whether the Amontillado is
genuine.
____ 29. When Fortunato is first chained up, he reacts with
a. rage and threats. c. shocked disbelief.
b. terrified pleading. d. phony amusement.
____ 30. When Fortunato rattles his chains, Montresor stops working because he
a. has become tired from his work. c. feels a momentary doubt about his actions.
b. is afraid that someone will overhear. d. gets pleasure from listening to the
struggle.

(The Lady, or the Tiger?)

____ 31. In the king's arena, guilt and innocence are determined by
a. reason. c. the onlookers.
b. chance. d. the king's mood.
____ 32. The king's method of administering justice is popular with his subjects mainly because
a. it promotes law and order. c. it usually involves a bloody slaughter.
b. it involves suspense and spectacle. d. the results are always pleasing to the
audience.
____ 33. According to the story, what could bring about the young man's marriage to the princess?
a. nothing c. the young man's defeat of the tiger in
combat
b. the young man's admission of guilt d. the young man's refusal to marry the lady
behind the door
____ 34. The young man looks at the princess in order to
a. defy the king. c. prove his courage.
b. get information. d. try to influence her.
____ 35. In choosing the door that he opens, the young man mainly displays his
a. innocence of the charges against him. c. preference for the lady over the princess.
b. preference for the princess over the lady. d. willingness to let the princess decide his
fate.
____ 36. Before making any important decision, the king consults
a. the gods. c. his daughter.
b. his court. d. no one but himself.
____ 37. The king's barbaric attitudes are clearly shown by
a. his attitude toward his daughter. c. his method of putting criminals on trial.
b. his reaction to any kind of upset. d. what he considers to be against the law.
____ 38. One can conclude from the story that every accused criminal put on trial in the arena is
a. male. c. innocent.
b. young. d. attractive.
____ 39. What brings the young man into the king's arena?
a. He is accused of a crime. c. He wishes to win the princess's love.
b. He has been found guilty of a crime. d. He wishes to win the princess's hand in
marriage.
____ 40. The young man opens the door with a great deal of
a. anger. c. hesitation.
b. dread. d. confidence.

(The Leap)

____ 41. The narrator has returned home because her mother has a problem with
a. loneliness. c. her balance.
b. her vision. d. her energy level.
____ 42. Where did the narrator get the details of the circus performance and the lightning strike that hit the tent?
a. Her mother told her. c. She read about them in an old newspaper.
b. A witness to the tragedy told her. d. She has made them up from bits of
information.
____ 43. The narrator suggests that her father was initially attracted to her mother by her mother's
a. beauty. c. talent on the trapeze.
b. sense of drama. d. stories of her adventures.
____ 44. The trading of "one form of flight for another" that the narrator's father offered her mother involved replacing
a. danger with physical safety. c. excitement with love and stability.
b. the trapeze act with reading. d. one beloved husband with another.
____ 45. During the fire, why does the mother risk her life instead of letting trained firefighters attempt a rescue?
a. She knows they cannot succeed. c. They do not know where the child is
located.
b. She thinks that strangers would frighten d. They are not moving quickly enough to
the child. satisfy her.
____ 46. Which of the following embarrassed the narrator during the fire?
a. her own actions c. her mother's appearance
b. her mother's actions d. her father's inability to act
____ 47. All of the following events take place in a flashback EXCEPT for the
a. circus tent disaster. c. death of the narrator's mother's first child.
b. death of the narrator's father. d. fire that destroyed much of the family's
home.
____ 48. The narrator's father had a career as a
a. doctor. c. teacher.
b. farmer. d. trapeze artist.
____ 49. The narrator believes that the fire that burned her house was accidentally started by
 a. herself. c. lightning.
b. her father. d. the babysitter.
____ 50. The narrator did not jump into the net by herself because she
a. was too frightened to do so. c. was confused about what to do.
b. could not get the window open. d. had been taught to wait for rescue.