Vocabulary
Which of these people would most likely be described as ruthless? Base your answer on the meaning of 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 dictator who treats his subjects cruelly
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, how does the narrator feel about his upcoming journey?
a. calm
b. thrilled
c. discouraged
d. unconcerned
c. discouraged
What is the time setting of the story?
**not the location**
The Great Depression Era or when the Dust Bowl occured
What is the meaning of the suffix -less in the underlined 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
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.
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
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.
b. The people who owned the junk have lives that now seem worthless.
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, to what sense does the phrase “red dust” appeal?
a. sight
b. taste
c. smell
d. touch
a. sight
If a woman digs through her purse frantically, which of the following is most likely true? Base your answer on the meaning of frantically.
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.
In the excerpt from 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 belongings they cannot carry on their journey and E. horses they hope to get cash for
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.
a. They will suffer a similar fate.
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 impression does the underlined word give about the tenant men in this sentence from the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath?
The tenant men scuffed home to the farms through the red dust.
a. It suggests the men are full of energy.
b. It suggests the men are rushing to get home.
c. It suggests the men have a purposeful stride.
d. It suggests the men move without enthusiasm.
d. It suggests the men move without enthusiasm.
Bitterness can give someone a good feeling.
False
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
**DAILY DOUBLE**
What does the SOAR stand for at American Way?
S-Stay safe
O-Own your actions
A-Act Responsibly
R-Respect ERRRRbody!!! (Everybody)
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.
The base word speech refers to talking. Use this information, as well as your knowledge of the suffix -less, to select the correct definition of speechless.
a. able to talk
b. trying to talk
c. unable to talk
d. starting to talk
C. Unable to talk
Make a sentence using the word doomed and include a context clue.
If it makes sense, you get the points. If it does not, no points.
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
Read this passage from the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath.
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 represent 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
What type(s) of theme is this story?
Read the following passage from the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath.
Those fine bays, matched they are, matched in color, matched the way they walk, stride to stride…. And in the morning, the light on them, bay light. They look over the fence sniffing for us, and the stiff ears swivel to hear us, and the black forelocks! I’ve got a girl. She likes to braid the manes and forelocks, puts little red bows on them…. Off horse is eight, near is ten, but might have been twin colts the way they work together. See? The teeth. Sound all over. Deep lungs. Feet fair and clean…. Take ’em quick, mister. You’re buying a little girl plaiting the forelocks, taking off her hair ribbon to make bows, standing back, head cocked, rubbing the soft noses with her cheek.
What impression of the horses does this imagery create?
a. The horses are beloved by the farmer’s family.
b. The horses are hard workers on the farm.
c. The horses like to have their manes braided.
d. The horses cost a lot of money at the market.
a. The horses are beloved by the farmer’s family.