Vocabulary In Context
Character Traits
Literary Devices
Inference Skills
Surprise Me
100
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"She would sputter and spit for a while until it sounded like she had dredged up a hair ball from deep inside."

A) dig up
B) swallow
C) eat
A) dig up
100
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Excitable
Mischievous
"Big thinker"
Carter Pigza
100
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"Better get used to his gibber-jabber or he’ll drive you nuts."

A) Idiom to show how Carter would drive Joey crazy.
B) Hyperbole to exaggerate how much Carter talks.
C) Alliteration to emphasize how nuts can drive.
A) Idiom to show how Carter would drive Joey crazy.
100
What can you infer about Carter Pigza from the following text clues?

"This is what works for me." He lit the cigarette and inhaled. "Sometimes the disease is better than the medicine. You know what I mean?"

A. He wants to quit smoking but it's hard.
B. He doesn't really want to quit smoking.
C. He'd rather get sick than take medicine.
B. He doesn't really want to quit smoking.
100
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"That’s right," she said. Put a sock in it." Then she returned to the phone."

A) Personification to give the sock humanlike characteristics.
B) Idiom to show how Leezy wanted Carter to be quiet.
C) Alliteration to emphasize how frustrated Leezy was.
B) Idiom to show how Leezy wanted Carter to be quiet.
200
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"But she was panting so hard from talking too mean and fast that she had to turn and spit it into the sink so she could take a deep breath off her oxygen hose..."

A) to take long, deep breaths
B) to take short, quick breaths
C) to take long, quick breaths
B) to take short, quick breaths
200
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Cruel
Selfish
Heartless
Grandma Pigza
200
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"If you go home with a dent in your precious head your mother will have a cow."

A) Personification to give the cow humanlike characteristics.
B) Idiom to show how Fran would be angry that Joey got hurt.
C) Hyperbole to over-exaggerate the size of the dent on Joey's head.
B) Idiom to show how Fran would be angry that Joey got hurt.
200
What can you infer about Carter Pigza from the following text clues?

"But after my last arrest I had to do community service, and the coaching opportunity was way better than picking trash on the side of the road with a bunch of jittery winos, so now I’m the coach of a team of Police Athletic League kids."

A. Carter thinks he's better than other people who were arrested.
B. Carter has always enjoyed spending time with kids.
C. Carter would have coached regardless of his punishment.
A. Carter thinks he's better than other people who were arrested.
200
If you were going to recommend this book, which is probably NOT a good way to describe it to potential readers?

A) Read it because it will entertain you.
B) Read it to learn about a boy with ADHD.
C) Read it because it will teach you how to play baseball.
C) Read it because it will teach you how to play baseball.
300
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"Her voice was sharp enough to cut through the rattle of the cart on the asphalt."

A) grass
B) blacktop
C) sidewalk
B) blacktop
300
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Friendly
"In Control"
Responsible
Leezy Fiddle
300
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"You have an arm like a cannon, dude."

A) Metaphor to compare Joey's arm to a cannon.
B) Personification to give the cannon humanlike characteristics.
C) Simile to compare Joey's arm to a cannon.
C) Simile to compare Joey's arm to a cannon.
300
What can you infer about Leezy Fiddle from the following text clues?

"Leezy walked over and stood behind him. She was taller than he was and slapped the brim of his cap down over his eyes. He whipped around like he was going to fight, but by then she was trotting into the outfield to catch fly balls."

A. Leezy is a joker and she is always playing pranks on Carter Pigza.
B. Leezy has a strong personality and she can take care of herself.
C. Leezy is a bully and she is always bullying Carter Pigza.
B. Leezy has a strong personality and she can take care of herself.
300
Using your inference skills, you can determine that this book is written from:

A) Carter's Perspective
B) Fran's Perspective
C) Joey's Pespective
C) Joey's Pespective
400
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"Then he reached out and tousled my hair with his hand and I loved it."

A) to brush
B) to cut/trim
C) to mess up
C) to mess up
400
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Careful
Easily amused
Athletic
Joey Pigza
400
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"But there was no picture of me, just one of a tall red haired woman in a baseball uniform."

A) Flashback to explained something that happened in the past.
B) Foreshadowing to give hints as to who the redhead is.
C) Idiom to use figurative language to describe the redhead.
B) Foreshadowing to give hints as to who the redhead is.
400
What can you infer about Grandma Pigza from the following text clues?

"I'm outta cigs... And I'm broke...No cash for me, then no dog for you.. Five bucks and I'll tell you where he is..."

A. Grandma needs money because she was fired for being too old.
B. Grandma only cares about smoking cigarettes, so she's using Pablo as ransom.
C. Grandma is trying to teach Joey a lesson because he hid her peed-on slippers.
B. Grandma only cares about smoking cigarettes, so she's using Pablo as ransom.
400
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"Suddenly he got a mischievous look on his face and began to spin her around and around in circles..."

A) humorous
B) troublemaker
C) athletic
B) troublemaker
500
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"By the way," she said, and stuck out her hand, "I’m Leezy Fiddle, the sports store sponsor for your team..."

A) The person/organization who scouts for the pro teams.
B) The person/organization who funds the team.
C) The person/organization who sells equipment.
B) The person/organization who funds the team.
500
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Hesitant
Concerned
Responsible
Fran Pigza
500
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"Bad things started not too long after school ended and mom was leaving me home alone all day because she had to work..."

A) Idiom to emphasize how bad Joey's summer started.
B) Metaphor to compare the bad things to summer.
C) Flashback to tell us what happened before the car ride to Carter Pigza's house.
C) Flashback to tell us what happened before the car ride to Carter Pigza's house.
500
What can you infer about Pablo from the following text clues?

"Before I could get out of the store I grabbed a can of dog food and a shoe-shaped chew toy for Pablo. He was already up to his old peeing tricks, and I didn’t want him chewing too."

A. Pablo has behaved this way before.
B. Pablo has never done this before.
C. Pablo needs toys so this doesn't happen.
A. Pablo has behaved this way before.
500
What can you infer about Joey from the following text clues?

"I was thinking that being away from Mom made me feel different. Like there was one Joey for Mom and a different Joey for Dad and that I was becoming two Joeys."

A. Joey feels angry because he wants his parents back together.
B. Joey feels conflicted because he has to behave differently around each parent.
C. Joey feels confused because he just wants to be himself.
B. Joey feels conflicted because he has to behave differently around each parent.
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