Comprehension
According to the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath, where is the narrator planning to travel?
a. the St. Louis Fair
b. the East Coast
c. his hometown
d. California
D. California
Which of these people would most likely be described as ruthless?
a. a dictator who treats his subjects cruelly
b. a teacher who knows little about instruction
c. a politician who raises money for a campaign
d. an employer who always encourages her workers
a. a dictator who treats his subjects cruelly
In the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath, how does the narrator feel about his upcoming journey?
a. calm
b. thrilled
c. discouraged
d. unconcerned
c. discouraged
What is the meaning of the suffix -less in the italicized word?
The worker turned an expressionless face to us; he showed no reaction at all.
a. able to be
b. not having
c. starting up
d. seeming to
b. not having
In the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath, how does the narrator mainly feel toward those he interacts with in town?
a. bitter
b. grateful
c. satisfied
d. indifferent
A. bitter
When the narrator of the selection from The Grapes of Wrath says, "You're not buying only junk, you're buying junked lives," what does he mean?
a. Those who buy others' junk have little meaning in their lives.
b. The people who owned the junk have lives that now seem worthless.
c. Only people with bad taste would accumulate and sell such rubbish.
d. The value of junk is only clear to those who learn to appreciate it.
d. The value of junk is only clear to those who learn to appreciate it.
What theme is suggested by this passage from the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath?
To California or any place--every one a drum major leading a parade of hurts, marching with our bitterness.
a. Bitterness is never the answer to one's troubles.
b. We can escape bitterness if we go to new places.
c. People need to rise above their petty problems.
d. Everybody carries personal pain throughout life.
d. Everybody carries personal pain throughout life.
What information is portrayed in both excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath and the video "The Dust Bowl?"
a. People were unable to farm the lands due to sever drought.
b. Farmers contributed to the Dust Bowl by overusing the soil.
c. People made hard decisions about what to leave behind.
d. The Dust Bowl lasted for several years during the 1930s.
a. People were unable to farm the lands due to sever drought.
In the Grapes of Wrath, what are the characters selling? (Choose two options).
a. belongings they cannot carry on their journey
b. the house they no longer plan to live in
c. extra food they have in their pantry
d. assistance for people moving away
e. horses they hope to get cash for
A & E
If a woman digs through her purse frantically, which of the following is most likely true?
a. She behaves in a way meant to amuse her companions.
b. She suggests that the purse does not really belong to her.
c. She searches for her belongings in a slow, careful way.
d. She panics when she does not find what she seeks.
d. She panics when she does not find what she seeks.
What does this passage from the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath most likely reveal about the cultural context of the story?
Maybe we can start again, in the new rich land...We'll start over.
a. People hoped they could find a better life.
b. People preferred the safety of staying put.
c. People made suggestions but never acted.
d. People loved embarking on new adventures.
a. People hoped they could find a better life.
In the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath, why do the characters decide to move away?
a. They want to live closer to their extended family
b. They can no longer survive on their dry farmlands
c. They know that they can make more money elsewhere
d. They heard rumors that a destructive storm is approaching
b. They can no longer survive on their dry farmlands
In the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath, what does the narrator think will happen to the characters who buy his belongings?
a. They will suffer a similar fate.
b. They will regret their cheapness.
c. They will never use what they buy.
d. They will have better luck in life.
What does this passage from the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath show about the setting of the story?
Can't sell a hand plow any more. Fifty cents for the weight of the metal. Disks and tractors, that's the stuff now.
a. It is set during a time when most people plow the land by hand.
b. It is set in a place where it is easy to make money restoring tools.
c. It is set during a time when farming equipment is not worth much.
d. It is set in a place that sells affordable farming equipment and tools.
c. It is set during a time when farming equipment is not worth much.
What do the characters in the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath do with the belongings that they cannot sell or take with them?
a. drop them by the road
b. leave them for others
c. give them away
d. burn them
d. burn them
Which of the following situations best illustrates the word toil?
a. The spring runoff made the narrow river unusually high, whirling, and murky.
b. Unless you have exact change, you will need a special card to drive over the bridge
c. We bought a new shower curtain and mat to liven up the dark, dingy bathroom
d. All day long, the landscapers dug holes, planted bushes, and scattered mulch.
d. All day long, the landscapers dug holes, planted bushes, and scattered mulch.
Read the passage:
How'll it be not to know what land's outside the door? How if you wake up in the night and know--and know the willow tree's not there? Can you live without the willow tree? Well, no you can't. The willow tree is you.
What does the willow tree present to the narrator?
a. his lost childhood dreams
b. a new life in another place
c. a love of the outdoors
d. his personal history
d. his personal history