Literary Terms
Once there was a peddler who sold caps. But he was not like an ordinary peddler carrying his wares on his back. He carried them on top of his head. First he had on his own checked cap, then a bunch of gray caps, then a bunch of brown caps, then a bunch of blue caps, and on the very top a bunch of red caps. He walked up and down the streets, holding himself very straight so as not to upset his caps. As he went along he called,“Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!”
In the above passage, what does the word "upset" mean?
a. tip over
b. make someone sad or irritated
c. to stand straight up
d. to move fast
"Good God, what is there that is sacred to me?- such things change pretty quickly with us."
What is this passage an example of?
a) allusion
b) tone
c) metaphor
d) external conflict
It is deep autumn
My neighbor
How does he live, I wonder.
What is most likely the meaning of this poem?
a. The narrator worries about how his neighbor is going to make it through the cold nights
b. The narrator is approaching death and is now beginning to concern himself with the welfare of those around him
c. The narrator has just realized he knows nothing about his neighbor's life
d. The narrator cannot understand how the neighbor is still alive.
This is an example of a(n):
a. alliteration
b. pun
c. hyperbole
d. personification
I tried something that my mom made for dinner. It was so awful that before I realized what I was doing, I expectorated it. My mom was furious with me.
The word expectorated as used in the above sentence probably means:
a. threw up
b. spit out
c. swallowed
d. chewed it up
In All Quiet on the Western Front, the company commander is counting how many men are left in the Second Company; "he ceases at thirty-two" men. And has a long pause before asking "anyone else?"
What kind of tone is Remarque using in this?
a. happy
b. angry
c. confused
d. shocked
"Bed 26, amputated thigh."
He sniffs: "How should I know anything about it, I've amputated five legs to-day;" he shoves me away, says to the hospital orderly. "You see to it," and hurries off to the operating room.
Which of the following themes does the quote represent?
a) destruction of nature
b) dehumanization
c) generational responsibility
d) condemnation of warfare
Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.
After you've tried to say this three times fast, what literary term is this an example of (twice even)?
a. hyperbole
b. verbal irony
c. alliteration
d. pun
Based on the context in the sentence, what does compassion mean?
a. freedom
b. knowledge
c. confidence
d. sympathy
Pakhom went on running, his soaking shirt and trousers stuck to him and his mouth parched. His breast was working like a blacksmith's bellows, his heart was beating like a hammer, and his legs were giving way as if they did not belong to him. Pakhom was seized with terror lest he should die of the strain.
What is the mood of this passage?
a. joyful
b. panicked
c. exhuberated
d. exasperated
What theme is being represented in this passage?
a) comradeship
b) dehumanization
c) loss of innocence
d) oneness of man
In this sentence, what two literary devices does the author use?
a. simile and personification
b. simile and metaphor
c. irony and internal conflict
d. symbolism and indirect characterization
With all the bombilation of the students yelling, alarms ringing, and teachers crying, I could not hear the intercom tell us what we were supposed to be doing.
As used in the above passage, what does bombilation mean?
a. an explosion
b. large crowds
c. mass chaos
d. loud noises
Latverian Dictator Masacres Three Peace Protesters
Based only on this headline, which of the following words best expresses the tone of the news reporter:
a. supportive
b. vindictive
c. apathetic
d. disapproving
The Bundle of Sticks
An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a bundle of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it." The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. "Untie the bundle," said the father, "and each of you take a stick." When they had done so, he called out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken. "You see my meaning," said their father.
What is his meaning?
a. together you are stronger
b. you will all die like me one day no matter how strong you are
c. life stinks
d. it is a shame to break good things
"I open my eyes- my fingers grasp a sleeve, an arm. A wounded man? I yell at him- no answer- a dead man. My hand gropes farther, splinters of wood- now I remember again that we are lying in the graveyard....I crawl still farther under the coffin, it shall protect me; though Death himself lies in it."
What literary device is used to show the speaker's determination?
a. alliteration
b. irony
c. metaphor
d. personification
Presently she saw upright seals coming along the shore. They were rather rare creatures, these, and dangerous for all they were so weak. The places they lived had light and noise, and smelled of good food. The she-bear often drew near the places, attracted by those smells. She hunted these land-seals too, and ate them when she could. They were not like the sea-seals, though. They wore seal fur, and their skins were rubbed with seal blubber, but there was a different taste inside.
Based on this passage, the term "land-seal" probably means:
a. sea lions
b. leopard seals
c. some unknown animals
d. humans
A old man was sitting in the front row at a town meeting, heckling the mayor as he delivered a long speech. Finally the mayor could stand it no longer, so he pointed to the heckler and said, "Will that gentleman please stand up and tell the audience what he has ever done for the good of the city?"
"Well Mr. Mayor," the man said in a firm voice. "I voted against you in the last election."
Which word best describes the tone of the mayor?
a. whimsical
b. indignant
c. amused
d. scathing
Plum petals falling
I look up...the sky,
a clear crisp moon.
This haiku is primarily about:
a. global warming
b. death
c. autumn
d. love
Who is smarter, males or females? Well if you go by EOC scores then the answer is clear. Year after year the scores pile up and more 4s are achieved by . . .
What is the purpose of the first sentence?
a. to set the mood of the passage
b. to set the tone of the passage
c. to give the setting
d. to interest the reader