Comprehension
In “Feathered Friend,” when does the narrator first realize that Claribel is aboard the space station?
a. when Sven runs in with a tiny bundle of feathers
b. when Sven informs the whole crew
c. when a flash of yellow flies past
d. when he hears the bird singing
d. when he hears the bird singing
In "Feathered Friend," what TWO reasons does Sven sneak Claribel aboard the space station?
a. He wanted to save her to have as a tasty snack later.
b. He wanted a companion.
c. He didn't realize she was in his belongings.
d. He wanted the rest of the crew to meet her.
e. He was curious how she might function in zero gravity.
b & e
"Feathered Friend" is written from which point of view?
a. first person
b. second person
c. third person
d. fourth person
c. third person
Neighborhood children are gathering outside to play.
a. adjective
b. adverb
c. preposition
d. interjection
c. preposition
Why would a person most likely feel distressed after reading an email? Base your answer on the meaning of distressed.
a. if the message contains bad news
b. if the message is from an old friend
c. if the message responds to a request
d. if the message is a meeting reminder
a. if the message contains bad news
What happens after the crew revives Claribel in “Feathered Friend”?
a. The crew waits in hushed silence.
b. She flies around the space station.
c. She chirps but then keels over again.
d. The crew goes back to eating breakfast.
c. She chirps but then keels over again.
When the narrator of “Feathered Friend” says, “Half a million dollars’ worth of chemical and electronic engineering had let us down completely,” what does he most likely mean?
a. Engineering is never an exact science.
b. No one should trust his or her life to scientists.
c. Despite costly technology, systems still do fail.
d. The entire space program is expensive but flawed.
c. Despite costly technology, systems still do fail.
How does the title of “Feathered Friend” hint at one theme of the story?
a. It suggests that Claribel’s existence is important to the crew.
b. It points out one key difference between birds and humans.
c. It reminds the reader of the delicate nature of animals.
d. It compares bird flight to human flight.
a. It suggests that Claribel’s existence is important to the crew.
Which words are the verb and the modifying adverb in the following sentence?
The frightened cat hid in the corner and mewed pathetically.
a. frightened, mewed
b. mewed, hid
c. frightened, pathetically
d. mewed, pathetically
d. mewed, pathetically
If a puppy is described as whimpering pathetically, which of the following is most likely true? Base your answer on the meaning of pathetically.
a. The sound is quiet and mostly unnoticed.
b. The noise causes people to feel pity or sorrow.
c. The puppy seems energetic and eager to please.
d. Other dogs around it are howling or whimpering, too.
b. The noise causes people to feel pity or sorrow.
In “Feathered Friend,” why do crew members pass around an oxygen bottle?
a. to celebrate Claribel’s recovery
b. to keep themselves from losing consciousness
c. to determine how much oxygen each person needs
d. to remind each other of their loyalty and friendship
b. to keep themselves from losing consciousness
In “Feathered Friend,” why is Claribel said to be like a hummingbird?
a. She is able to hover in midair.
b. She loves to sing.
c. She drinks from the plants in the spacecraft.
d. She moves her wings in a back-and-forth motion.
a. She is able to hover in midair.
How does this excerpt from “Feathered Friend” connect most clearly to one of the themes of the story?
It was one of those accidents that couldn’t possibly happen; we’d had one of our rare eclipses by Earth’s shadow that night: Part of the air purifier had frozen up, and the single alarm in the circuit had failed to go off.
a. It refers to an unexpected natural event.
b. It shows the excitement of manned space travel.
c. It explores the narrator’s concerns about bad air.
d. It reveals that technology is not always dependable.
d. It reveals that technology is not always dependable.
Which part of speech is the underlined word in the following sentence?
Ouch! You are hurting me.
a. conjunction
b. interjection
c. pronoun
d. verb
b. interjection
If a group of people lamented in public, which of the following events was most likely taking place? Base your answer on the meaning of lamented.
a. a concert
b. a funeral
c. a graduation
d. a holiday party
b. a funeral
As the narrator awakens on the morning described in “Feathered Friend,” he has a headache. What is the most likely reason for that headache?
a. a night of bad dreams
b. confusion between day and night
c. lack of oxygen in the space station
d. zero gravity
c. lack of oxygen in the space station
Think about the setting of “Feathered Friend.” What is the most likely reason that “early spacers” were “wiry little fellow[s]”?
a. Small people have a special love for adventure.
b. Construction is a job for small but muscular people.
c. Large people have difficulty adjusting to zero gravity.
d. Both space and supplies on the space station are limited.
d. Both space and supplies on the space station are limited.
Part A Which of the following statements best expresses one of the themes of “Feathered Friend”?
a. Humans are meant to explore and discover new worlds.
b. Sometimes the oldest, simplest solution is the most valuable.
c. One should always choose teamwork over personal ambition.
d. A bird does not change its feathers because the weather is bad.
b. Sometimes the oldest, simplest solution is the most valuable.
In which of these sentences is a compound word used as an adjective?
a. The story featured the adventures of a chemical engineer.
b. It was a lighthearted story with an interesting moral.
c. Early on, the author foreshadowed some key events.
d. Throughout the story, the narrator was never named.
b. It was a lighthearted story with an interesting moral.
Which of the following are synonyms of Mournfully? Select THREE answers.
a. happily
b. sorrowfully
c. sadly
d. joyfully
e. painfully
b, c, e
In the opinion of the narrator in “Feathered Friend,” why is Claribel a “sensible” choice as a pet for Sven? Choose two options.
a. She weighs very little.
b. She sings quite beautifully.
c. She is good company for Sven.
d. Lack of gravity does not affect her.
e. She gets a bit noisy when she is upset.
a & d
Which of these quotations from “Feathered Friend” best supports the answer to Part A?
a. [T]here’s never been a regulation that forbids one to keep pets in a space station.
b. [A] space suit is not the most convenient of garbs in which to work.
c. [I] was sitting in the little cubbyhole laughingly called my office….
d. A space station has more hiding places than you can count….
c. [I] was sitting in the little cubbyhole laughingly called my office….
Part B Which of these sentences from “Feathered Friend” best supports the answer to Part A?
a. To the best of my knowledge, there’s never been a regulation that forbids
one to keep pets in a space station.
b. I’m not a psychologist, but I must admit that his selection was very
sensible.
c. It was quite obvious that she’d already learned how to operate in the
absence of gravity, and did not believe in doing unnecessary work.
d. “I’ve just remembered that miners used to carry canaries down to warn them of gas.”
d. “I’ve just remembered that miners used to carry canaries down to warn them of gas.”
Which part of speech is the compound word in the following sentence?
When the paper company downsized, Mr. Porter lost his accounting job.
a. adjective
b. adverb
c. noun
d. verb
d. verb
What does it mean to declare something?
a. to make a statement.
b. to announce or express something.
c. to address a crowd of people.
d. to make a promise to yourself.
b. to announce or express something.