The Scarlet Ibis
Who is the most likely intended audience for this story?
A. Children who enjoy animal stories
B. Teen readers who can understand themes of guilt and responsibility
C. Historians studying early-1900s Southern life
D. Scientists researching the ibis' behavior
B. Teen readers who can understand themes of guilt and responsibility
Which word BEST describes the overall tone of the story?
A. Playful and silly
B. Triumphant
C. Ironic and sinister
D. Regretful
C. Ironic and sinister
Which description BEST identifies the speaker of the story?
A. An unbiased narrator observing a couple play Scrabble
B. A neighbor who overhears the couple arguing
C. The wife, recalling the events years later
D. The husband, narrating his thoughts and frustrations in real time
D. The husband, narrating his thoughts and frustrations in real time
Which option BEST describes the speaker of the story?
A. An anonymous police officer recounting a crime scene
B. The narrator, attempting to justify his sanity while explaining a murder
C. The old man speaking from beyond the grave
D. A reporter describing a historical event
B. The narrator, attempting to justify his sanity while explaining a murde
Which word BEST describes Jackson’s tone throughout the story?
A. Warm and nostalgic
B. Calm and unsettling
C. Joyful and playful
D. Cynical and comedic
B. Calm and unsettling
Which option BEST describes the speaker in the allegory?
A. Socrates, telling the allegory to Glaucon as part of a larger philosophical discussion
B. Plato, directly lecturing a classroom of students
C. A nameless prisoner who has escaped the cave
D. A historian explaining Greek educational practices
A. Socrates, telling the allegory to Glaucon as part of a larger philosophical discussion
Which option BEST describes the speaker of the story?
A. A villager who witnessed the Whites’ tragedy
B. An objective third-person omniscient narrator who reports events without commentary
C. Sgt. Major Morris retelling the events long after they happened
D. Herbert White describing the story from beyond the grave
B. An objective third-person omniscient narrator who reports events without commentary
What is the primary purpose of “The Scarlet Ibis”?
A. To persuade readers to appreciate nature
B. To inform readers about disabilities
C. To express remembrance of a dead relative
D. To entertain readers with a humorous childhood memory
C. To express remembrance of a dead relative
Which description BEST identifies the speaker of the story?
A. A judge recounting a past crime
B. Montresor, narrating an event from many years later
C. Fortunato, telling the story shortly before his death
D. An unnamed servant observing the events
B. Montresor, narrating an event from many years later
What is the author’s primary purpose in telling this story?
A. To warn readers about the dangers of board games
B. To entertain through dark humor and an unexpected twist
C. To persuade readers to communicate better with their spouses
D. To teach new strategies for winning Scrabble
B. To entertain through dark humor and an unexpected twist
What is the narrator’s primary purpose in telling the story?
A. To confess his guilt and beg for forgiveness
B. To warn the audience about the danger of sleep disorders
C. To persuade the audience that he is sane despite his actions
D. To provide instructions on how to commit a perfect crime
C. To persuade the audience that he is sane despite his actions
Which option BEST describes the speaker of the story?
A. An objective, third-person omniscient narrator who reports events without judgment
B. A town historian recording a true event
C. Tessie Hutchinson recounting the events years later
D. A government official explaining the rules of the lottery
A. An objective, third-person omniscient narrator who reports events without judgment
Which word BEST describes the tone of the allegory?
A. Playful
B. Contemplative
C. Angry
D. Lighthearted
B. Contemplative
Who is the most likely intended audience for the story?
A. Readers who enjoy suspense, moral lessons, and supernatural tales
B. Young children learning about magical objects
C. Historians studying British colonial artifacts
D. Students trying to understand probability and chance
A. Readers who enjoy suspense, moral lessons, and supernatural tales
Which rhetorical appeal is MOST strongly used in the story?
A. Logos, through logical arguments about disability
B. Ethos, through the narrator presenting himself as knowledgeable
C. Pathos, through vivid descriptions that evoke sympathy and sadness
D. Logos, through statistics about storms and wildlife
C. Pathos, through vivid descriptions that evoke sympathy and sadness
Based on the story’s purpose and structure, who is the most likely intended audience Montresor is addressing?
A. Children who enjoy spooky stories
B. A close confidant or someone from his past
C. A group of wine experts
D. A crowd of strangers at a carnival
B. A close confidant or someone from his past
Who is the most likely intended audience for this piece?
A. Young children learning how to play Scrabble
B. Historians researching the origins of word games
C. Linguists analyzing vocabulary development
D. Readers who enjoy suspense, irony, and satirical storytelling
D. Readers who enjoy suspense, irony, and satirical storytelling
Based on the narrator’s tone and language, who is the most likely intended audience?
A. A judge or authority figure he wants to convince
B. A group of children learning about bravery
C. Scientists studying heartbeat patterns
D. Neighbors who witnessed the crime
A. A judge or authority figure he wants to convince
Based on tone and structure, who is the most likely intended audience?
A. Young children who enjoy community stories
B. Readers who are willing to question social norms and examine human behavior
C. Scholars studying agricultural festivals
D. Townspeople who participated in the lottery
B. Readers who are willing to question social norms and examine human behavior
What is Plato’s primary purpose in presenting this allegory?
A. To entertain readers with a dramatic rescue story
B. To persuade readers that physical strength leads to enlightenment
C. To illustrate how education moves the mind from ignorance to understanding
D. To warn about the dangers of exploring the outside world
C. To illustrate how education moves the mind from ignorance to understanding
What is the author’s primary purpose in writing this story?
A. To entertain readers with humor about a dysfunctional family
B. To warn readers about the dangers of interfering with fate
C. To persuade readers to be skeptical about soldiers’ stories
D. To teach a moral lesson about wise financial planning
B. To warn readers about the dangers of interfering with fate
Which word BEST describes the narrator’s tone throughout the story?
A. Regretful
B. Joyful
C. Detached
D. Confident
A. Regretful
Which option best describes the exigency behind Montresor’s decision to narrate the event?
A. He is finally revealing a long-kept secret
B. A recent argument has reminded him of the old insult
C. He is teaching a class about revenge
D. He has discovered that Fortunato survived
A. He is finally revealing a long-kept secret
Which word BEST describes the tone of the story?
A. Warm
B. Hopeful
C. Dark humor
D. Detached
C. Dark humor
Which word BEST describes the speaker’s tone in the story?
A. Warm and comforting
B. Detached and scholarly
C. Suspenseful and feverish
D. Optimistic and calm
C. Suspenseful and feverish
What is Jackson’s primary purpose in writing “The Lottery”?
A. To persuade readers to value small-town traditions
B. To inform readers about historical lotteries in New England
C. To expose the dangers of blindly following tradition and conformity
D. To entertain readers with a lighthearted summer gathering
C. To expose the dangers of blindly following tradition and conformity
In the allegory, what does the cave symbolize?
A. A place of physical shelter and safety
B. The material world where people pursue wealth
C. Human ignorance and the limitations of unexamined beliefs
D. A school where students learn basic knowledge
C. Human ignorance and the limitations of unexamined beliefs
Which rhetorical appeal does Jacobs rely on MOST to shape the reader’s emotional reaction?
A. Pathos, through Mrs. White’s grief and desperation after Herbert’s death
B. Logos, through detailed explanations about how the paw works
C. Ethos, by having Morris present himself as a reliable storyteller
D. Logos, through logical arguments about fate vs. free will
A. Pathos, through Mrs. White’s grief and desperation after Herbert’s death
Which description BEST identifies the speaker of “The Scarlet Ibis”?
A. An older Doodle looking back on his childhood
B. The narrator, as an adult, reflecting on memories of his brother
C. A neutral, unnamed observer who watches the boys from afar
D. The author, James Hurst, speaking directly to the reader
B. The narrator, as an adult, reflecting on memories of his brother
What appears to be Montresor’s primary purpose in telling the story?
A. To defend himself legally
B. To entertain with a lighthearted Halloween tale
C. To confess his guilt and seek forgiveness
D. To persuade the reader that Fortunato deserved punishment
D. To persuade the reader that Fortunato deserved punishment
Which authorial choice most reinforces the story’s use of irony?
A. The husband’s constant complaints about the heat
B. The fact that each Scrabble word physically comes true
C. The detailed explanation of Scrabble rules
D. The neutral tone of the narrator when describing his wife
B. The fact that each Scrabble word physically comes true
How does the narrator attempt to use logos to achieve his purpose of proving he is sane?
A. He carefully explains each step of his plan to show how logical and precise his actions were
B. He provides emotional descriptions of how frightened he felt each night
C. He cites scientific evidence about the human heartbeat
D. He repeats that the police admired his intelligence
A. He carefully explains each step of his plan to show how logical and precise his actions were
Which authorial choice creates the strongest foreshadowing of the story’s violent conclusion?
A. The detailed description of the sunny summer morning
B. The children collecting stones at the very beginning
C. The townspeople talking about planting corn
D. Old Man Warner complaining about other towns
B. The children collecting stones at the very beginning
What does the world outside the cave symbolize?
A. A harsh environment where survival is difficult
B. The world of appearances
C. The realm of truth, knowledge, and intellectual enlightenment
D. A peaceful escape from all responsibility
C. The realm of truth, knowledge, and intellectual enlightenment
Which word BEST describes the overall tone of the story?
A. Lighthearted
B. Detached and clinical
C. Joyful and optimistic
D. Eerie and suspenseful
D. Eerie and suspenseful
Which option BEST describes the context that shapes the narrator’s storytelling?
A. He wants to prove that he was a perfect older brother.
B. He feels a need to confess painful memories from his past.
C. He is preparing a speech for a school assignment.
D. He is warning readers about dangerous birds.
B. He feels a need to confess painful memories from his past.
Which rhetorical appeal does Poe rely on MOST to shape the reader’s reaction?
A. Logos, by proving Montresor’s reasons for revenge
B. Logos, by walking readers through Montresor’s precise plan
C. Pathos, by creating horror and fear through sensory detail
D. Ethos, by showing Montresor as a credible narrator
C. Pathos, by creating horror and fear through sensory detail
Which authorial choice creates the strongest sense of foreshadowing throughout the story?
A. The wife’s polite silence during most of the game
B. The detailed description of the living room setting
C. The husband’s habit of calculating how many points each word earns
D. The pattern in which the husband’s words begin to come true one by one
D. The pattern in which the husband’s words begin to come true one by one
Which detail BEST reflects the exigency—the urgency compelling the narrator to speak?
A. He wishes to teach others about caregiving
B. He wants to explain the meaning behind the old man’s “vulture eye”
C. He is completing a formal written confession
D. He feels compelled to insist on his sanity after hearing the imagined heartbeat
D. He feels compelled to insist on his sanity after hearing the imagined heartbeat
Which detail BEST reflects the exigency behind the story—what pushed Jackson to write it?
A. The rise in popularity of modern lottery games
B. Concerns about unquestioned obedience in society
C. Curiosity about small-town farming rituals
D. A desire to celebrate June harvest traditions
B. Concerns about unquestioned obedience in society
What do the shadows represent in the allegory?
A. Clear and accurate truth
B. Partial truths or illusions mistaken for reality
C. Natural phenomena that can be easily explained
D. Moral lessons taught by Greek educators
B. Partial truths or illusions mistaken for reality
Which type of irony is most strongly used in the story to emphasize the danger of the Whites’ wishes?
A. Dramatic irony, because the reader knows Herbert will return safely
B. Verbal irony, because characters constantly say the opposite of what they mean
C. Situational irony, because the Whites’ wishes bring tragedy instead of happiness
D. Cosmic irony, because nature itself works against the family
C. Situational irony, because the Whites’ wishes bring tragedy instead of happiness
Which authorial choice most strengthens the emotional impact of Doodle’s death?
A. The use of precise scientific terminology
B. The comparison between Doodle and the scarlet ibis
C. The frequent use of dialogue between the brothers
D. The inclusion of detailed information about storms
B. The comparison between Doodle and the scarlet ibis
How does the author strengthen the dark humor and tension in the story through irony?
A. Montresor’s use of formal, polite language when speaking to Fortunato
B. Detailed descriptions of wine varieties throughout the story
C. The historical background of the Montresor family
D. The shift from first-person narration to third-person during key scenes
A. Montresor’s use of formal, polite language when speaking to Fortunato
Which detail from the beginning of the story BEST foreshadows the dark turn the plot will take?
A. The husband describes the heat as unbearable and says he “could kill” for some relief.
B. The husband mentions that it is a “perfect day to play Scrabble.”
C. The wife sits quietly and calmly selecting her tiles.
D. The couple’s Scrabble board is described as worn and old.
A. The husband describes the heat as unbearable and says he “could kill” for some relief.
How did the author use repetition to intensify the narrator’s nervous, frantic state throughout the story?
A. The repeated descriptions of the dark, quiet bedroom
B. The narrator’s constant repetition of phrases insisting he is “not mad”
C. The repeated appearances of the police throughout the plot
D. The narrator’s habit of repeating the old man’s physical features
B. The narrator’s constant repetition of phrases insisting he is “not mad”
Which aspect of the lottery’s tradition has not been altered, even though many other parts of the ritual have changed over the years?
A. The recital of chants and official salutes
B. The use of wooden chips
C. The June 27th gathering
D. The black box
C. The June 27th gathering
What does the sun represent within the allegory?
A. Physical warmth and comfort
B. The ultimate truth
C. The power of the Greek gods
D. The brightness of personal success
B. The ultimate truth
What does the monkey’s paw most clearly symbolize in the story?
A. Wisdom and patience
B. Temptation
C. Supernatural protection
D. A harmless souvenir from India
B. Temptation