Literary Texts
How does Nord feel about having lost all communication?
a. puzzled
b. delighted
c. calm
d. lonesome
C. Calm
Which meaning of the word "conduct" is used in the first paragraph?
a. To transmit heat energy
b. To behave in a certain way
c. To lead a vocal group
d. To carry out
d. To carry out
According to the text, who was born on March 27, 1950?
Julia Alvarez
What Caterpillars Do
What, oh what do caterpillars do?
They don't do much but chew and chew.
What, oh what do caterpillars know?
They don't know much but how to grow.
They can’t watch TV, go fishing, or cry,
But they can turn into a butterfly.
That is more than I can do,
No matter how much I chew, chew, chew.
Which word best describes the mood of the speaker?
a. gloomy
b. mysterious
c. frustrating
d. cheerful
d. cheerful
In the second paragraph, the phrase "hung his head" shows that Nord is...
a. frightened
b. disappointed
c. freezing
d. famished
b. disappointed
Why does the author begin the passage with a question?
a. To get readers interested in the topic of the passage
b. To show that Dr. Thomas Harvey did the wrong thing
c. To suggest that readers should research the topic
d. To explain how scientists learn by asking questions
a. To get readers interested in the topic of the passage
What was the cause of Julia developing a heightened awareness of language?
Julia's English improved with hard work and effort.
Which literary device is used in the poem?
a. flashback
b. repetition
c. similes
d. personification
b. repetition
In the first sentence, Nord says "Do you Copy?" What does this phrase help readers understand?
a. He is speaking on the radio.
b. He is a scientist.
c. He is stuck somewhere alone.
d. He is writing a report.
a. He is speaking on the radio.
What is the passage mainly about?
a. How Einstein's brain was kept
b. How scientists conduct research
c. Why doctors should follow rules
d. Why Einstein was a genius
a. How Einstein's brain was kept
When Julia was a child, her family was in danger in the Dominican Republic.
What evidence from the text best supports this conclusion?
a. "Julia’s parents . . . did not enjoy living in the United States. When Julia was three months old, her family moved back to the Dominican Republic."
b. "During this time, Trujillo was a dictator in the Dominican Republic and Julia’s father became involved in the resistance effort."
c. "When the government discovered [Julia's father's] resistance efforts, Julia’s family had to flee back to the United States in 1960."
d. "At the age of ten, Julia struggled to speak English in school but soon enough, her English improved with hard work and effort."
c. "When the government discovered [Julia's father's] resistance efforts, Julia’s family had to flee back to the United States in 1960."
What is the rhyme pattern of each stanza of the poem?
a. every line rhymes
b. the second and fourth lines rhyme
c. the first and last lines rhyme
d. there are two sets of rhyming lines
d. there are two sets of rhyming lines
What is the most likely setting of the passage?
a. The Arctic
b. The Sahara Desert
c. The Amazon rainforest
d. The Florida wetlands
a. The Arctic
Which sentence best summarizes both the negative and positive aspects of what Harvey did?
a. Harvey removed Einstein's brain without permission from Einstein's family.
b. It was an unethical thing to do, but it has provided valuable information to scientists.
c. It remains controversial to this day.
d. There are now at least three published papers relating to the study of Einstein's brain.
b. It was an unethical thing to do, but it has provided valuable information to scientists.
Read these sentences from the text.
When Julia was three months old, her family moved back to the Dominican Republic. During this time, Trujillo was a dictator in the Dominican Republic and Julia’s father became involved in the resistance effort. When the government discovered his resistance efforts, Julia’s family had to flee back to the United States in 1960.
[. . .]
[One of Julia's] novel is about the Garcia family and the danger they face after the dictator of the Dominican Republic finds out about the Garcia father’s involvement in the resistance movement.
Based on the text, how can you compare the Garcia family in Julia's novel to Julia's family?
a. The Garcia family in Julia's novel has similar experiences to Julia's family.
b. The Garcia family in Julia's novel has different experiences from Julia's family.
c. The Garcia family in Julia's novel has safer experiences than Julia's family.
d. The Garcia family in Julia's novel has more dangerous experiences than Julia's family.
a. The Garcia family in Julia's novel has similar experiences to Julia's family.
In the poem, what does turning into a butterfly represent?
a. a goal the poet wishes that she could achieve
b. a change that the poet has to accept
c. something special that only a caterpillar can do
d. a way the caterpillar entertains itself
c. something special that only a caterpillar can do
Many stories involve cause and effect. The cause is the reason for something. The effect is what happens.
What effect does the storm have on Dr. Nord?
The storm caused the loss of the communication tower, which caused Dr. Nord to be stuck in the research bunker waiting for rescue.
Scientists contrasted Einstein's brain with those of other people. Describe two differences that scientists found.
The partial lobe was larger than normal.
The parietal lobe was not separated into two compartments.
What is the main idea of the text?
a. Julia Alvarez and her parents moved to the Dominican Republic when she was three years old because her parents didn't like living in the United States, and they lived there for about ten years before moving back to the United States.
b. Julia Alvarez worked hard to improve her English, developing a heightened awareness of language, and she has written multiple novels, including her best-known novel relating to her childhood experiences.
c. Julia Alvarez struggled with English in school when she was ten years old, but she was able to improve her English with hard work and effort, which led to her developing a heightened awareness of language.
d. Julia Alvarez's best-known novel is about the fictional Garcia family and how they faced danger when the dictator of the Dominican Republic found out about the Garcia father being involved in the resistance movement.
b. Julia Alvarez worked hard to improve her English, developing a heightened awareness of language, and she has written multiple novels, including her best-known novel relating to her childhood experiences.
What is the main theme of the poem? How does the poet communicate the theme?
The theme is about the way that living things have special abilities or as being about accepting the special things that you can do. The poet communicates the theme by describing how little caterpillars can do, but then describing how they have the unique ability to turn into a butterfly.