The Most Dangerous Game
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
"Even so, I rather think they understand one thing—fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death."
What does this line of dialogue reveal about Whitney’s character?
A. He greatly enjoys the thrill of the hunt.
B. He has compassion for the hunted animals.
C. He cares little for the animals he hunts.
D. He is giving up the sport of hunting.
B. He has compassion for the hunted animals.
Read this excerpt from "The Raven."
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
The alliteration in this excerpt helps make the mood
a. lighter.
b. scarier.
c. sillier.
d. quieter.
b. scarier.
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
"Pure imagination," said Rainsford. "One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship's company with his fear."
What does this line of dialogue reveal about Rainsford’s character?
a. He is worried that the sailors may be correct about the island.
b. He is a rational man who is unaffected by superstition.
c. He is familiar with the island and its mysterious inhabitants.
d. He is interested in getting more information from the sailors.
b. He is a rational man who is unaffected by superstition.
In the story "The Most Dangerous Game." General Zaroff is the character foil for
a. Whitney
b. Rainsford
c. Ivan
d. Nielsen
b. Rainsford
Imagery appeals to which of these? Select five responses.
a. sight
b. mood
c. sound
d. suspense
e. touch
f. tone
g. taste
h. smell
a. sight
c. sound
e. touch
g. taste
h. smell
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
He saw no sign of a trail through the closely knit web of weeds and trees; it was easier to go along the shore, and Rainsford floundered along by the water. Not far from where he had landed, he stopped.
Which details from the narration show that Rainsford is an experienced hunter and outdoor enthusiast? Select 3 options.
A. But what kind of men, he wondered, in so forbidding a place.
B. An unbroken front of snarled and ragged jungle fringed the shore.
C. Some wounded thing, by the evidence a large animal, had thrashed about in the underbrush;
D. the jungle weeds were crushed down and the moss was lacerated; one patch of weeds was stained crimson
E. A small, glittering object not far away caught Rainsford's eye and he picked it up. It was an empty cartridge.
C. Some wounded thing, by the evidence a large animal, had thrashed about in the underbrush;
D. the jungle weeds were crushed down and the moss was lacerated; one patch of weeds was stained crimson
E. A small, glittering object not far away caught Rainsford's eye and he picked it up. It was an empty cartridge.
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell.
"Civilized? And you shoot down men?"
A trace of anger was in the general's black eyes, but it was there for but a second, and he said, in his most pleasant manner: "Dear me, what a righteous young man you are! I assure you I do not do the thing you suggest. That would be barbarous. I treat these visitors with every consideration.
What conclusion can readers draw about the general based on a visualization of the excerpt?
a. The general is insulted.
b. The general is amused.
c. The general is nervous.
d. The general is apologetic.
a. The general is insulted.
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
"A twenty-two," he remarked. "That's odd. It must have been a fairly large animal too. The hunter had his nerve with him to tackle it with a light gun. It's clear that the brute put up a fight. I suppose the first three shots I heard was when the hunter flushed his quarry and wounded it. The last shot was when he trailed it here and finished it."
What does this line of dialogue reveal about Rainsford’s character?
a. He worries that the hunters will find him.
b. He is a very experienced hunter.
c. He can identify the animal that was killed.
d. He is unimpressed by the hunter’s skills.
b. He is a very experienced hunter.
A character foil is a character who acts as a
a. comparison
b. parallel
c. companion
d. contrast
by highlighting one of another character’s qualities.
d. contrast
Read this line from "The Raven."
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
What sound devices are used in this excerpt?
a. alliteration and rhyme
b. repetition and rhyme
c. alliteration and repetition
d. rhyme and suspense
a. alliteration and rhyme
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell.
"I hope," said Rainsford, "that you will excuse me tonight, General Zaroff. I'm really not feeling at all well."
"Ah, indeed?" the general inquired solicitously. "Well, I suppose that's only natural, after your long swim. You need a good, restful night's sleep. Tomorrow you'll feel like a new man, I'll wager. Then we'll hunt, eh? I've one rather promising prospect—"
Rainsford was hurrying from the room.
What logical predictions can a reader make based on the excerpt? Check all that apply.
a. The general will retire from hunting in the morning.
b. The general will force Rainsford to participate in the hunt.
c. Rainsford will embrace the general’s ideas as his own.
d. Rainsford will attempt to escape from the island.
b. The general will force Rainsford to participate in the hunt.
d. Rainsford will attempt to escape from the island.
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell.
He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coast line, and his first thought was that he had come upon a village, for there were many lights. But as he forged along he saw to his great astonishment that all the lights were in one enormous building—a lofty structure with pointed towers plunging upward into the gloom. His eyes made out the shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked greedy lips in the shadows.
Which details from the excerpt help the reader to visualize the general’s mansion?
a. phrases such as “crook in the coast line” and “a village”
b. phrases such as “lofty structure,” “pointed towers,” and “palatial chateau”
c. phrases such as “first thought,” “great astonishment,” and “into the gloom”
d. phrases such as “dived down,” “sea licked,” and “greedy lips”
b. phrases such as “lofty structure,” “pointed towers,” and “palatial chateau”
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
"Perhaps," said General Zaroff, "you were surprised that I recognized your name. You see, I read all books on hunting published in English, French, and Russian. I have but one passion in my life, Mr. Rainsford, and it is the hunt."
What does this piece of dialogue reveal about Zaroff’s character?
a. He is unimpressed by Rainsford.
b. He is either English, French, or Russian.
c. He is a very well-educated man.
d. He is an inexperienced hunter.
c. He is a very well-educated man.
Which excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game" best portrays Zaroff as Rainsford’s foil?
a. "But no animal can reason," objected Rainsford.
"My dear fellow," said the general, "there is one that can."
b. "But you can't mean—" gasped Rainsford.
"And why not?"
c. "Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting."
"Hunting? General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder.”
d. "And if they win?"
The smile on the general's face widened. "To date I have not lost," he said.
c. "Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting."
"Hunting? General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder.”
Read this stanza from "The Raven."
Then the ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore–
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
In this stanza, the poet uses imagery that appeals to the reader’s senses of
a. sight and sound.
b. smell and taste.
c. sight and touch.
d. sound and touch.
a. sight and sound.
Read this excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell.
In a cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness, he said: "It is a very great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home."
Now read the second excerpt.
"Watch! Out there!" exclaimed the general, pointing into the night. Rainsford's eyes saw only blackness, and then, as the general pressed a button, far out to sea Rainsford saw the flash of lights.
The general chuckled. "They indicate a channel," he said, "where there's none: giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush a ship as easily as I crush this nut."
Readers must revise their predictions about the general after reading the second excerpt because initially he seems to be a gracious host, but then it is revealed that he
a. has lured and trapped his guests.
b. designs nautical gadgets.
c. believes in mythical gods.
d. has been unable to leave the island.
a. has lured and trapped his guests.
Read the excerpt from Part 2 of "The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell.
Night found him leg-weary, with hands and face lashed by the branches, on a thickly wooded ridge. He knew it would be insane to blunder on through the dark, even if he had the strength. His need for rest was imperative and he thought, "I have played the fox, now I must play the cat of the fable." A big tree with a thick trunk and outspread branches was near by, and, taking care to leave not the slightest mark, he climbed up into the crotch, and, stretching out on one of the broad limbs, after a fashion, rested. Rest brought him new confidence and almost a feeling of security. Even so zealous a hunter as General Zaroff could not trace him there, he told himself; only the devil himself could follow that complicated trail through the jungle after dark. But perhaps the general was a devil—
Which details from the excerpt help the reader to visualize Rainsford’s hiding spot?
a. phrases such as “leg-weary,” “face lashed,” and “need for rest”
b. phrases such as “lashed by the branches,” and “through the dark”
c. phrases such as “thick trunk,” “outspread branches,” and “broad limbs”
d. phrases such as “new confidence,” “feeling of security,” and “trace him there”
c. phrases such as “thick trunk,” “outspread branches,” and “broad limbs”
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
"Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not? I hunt the scum of the earth—sailors from tramp ships—lascars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels—a thoroughbred horse or hound is worth more than a score of them."
What does this piece of dialogue reveal about Zaroff’s character?
a. He feels he is entitled to practice his cruel sport.
b. He would never hunt another member of the upper class.
c. He is getting bored with the idea of hunting people.
d. He believes that Rainsford feels the same way he does.
a. He feels he is entitled to practice his cruel sport.
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
"Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if needs be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure. I am strong. Why should I not use my gift? If I wish to hunt, why should I not? I hunt the scum of the earth—sailors from tramp ships—lascars, blacks, Chinese, whites, mongrels—a thoroughbred horse or hound is worth more than a score of them."
"But they are men," said Rainsford hotly.
This excerpt shows that unlike Zaroff, Rainsford has still retained his sense of
a. fairness.
b. humanity.
c. humor.
d. entitlement.
b. humanity.
Read the first stanza from "The Raven."
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore–
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door–
Only this and nothing more."
Which best describes the scene that the author is setting through the use of imagery in the stanza?
a. The speaker is up late at night reading and hears a knocking sound.
b. The speaker is sleeping and is awakened by someone calling to him.
c. The speaker is reading a ghost story and imagines that he sees a ghost.
d. The speaker is napping and does not hear a visitor who taps on the door.
a. The speaker is up late at night reading and hears a knocking sound.
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
The lights of the chateau were out now, and it was dark and silent, but there was a fragment of sallow moon, and by its wan light he could see, dimly, the courtyard. There, weaving in and out in the pattern of shadow, were black, noiseless forms; the hounds heard him at the window and looked up, expectantly, with their green eyes. Rainsford went back to the bed and lay down. By many methods he tried to put himself to sleep. He had achieved a doze when, just as morning began to come, he heard, far off in the jungle, the faint report of a pistol.
The details of the excerpt show that Rainsford knows he
a. will join the hunt the next day.
b. will become Zaroff’s prey.
c. is trapped in dangerous place.
d. is able to escape from the island.
c. is trapped in dangerous place.
Read the excerpt from Part 2 of "The Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell.
Then, wet with sweat and aching with tiredness, he crouched behind the stump of a lightning-charred tree.
He knew his pursuer was coming; he heard the padding sound of feet on the soft earth, and the night breeze brought him the perfume of the general's cigarette. It seemed to Rainsford that the general was coming with unusual swiftness; he was not feeling his way along, foot by foot. Rainsford, crouching there, could not see the general, nor could he see the pit. He lived a year in a minute.
What conclusion can a reader draw about Rainsford based on a visualization of the excerpt?
a. He is relieved.
b. He is lost.
c. He is frightened.
d. He is confused
c. He is frightened.
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
"I wanted the ideal animal to hunt," explained the general. "So I said: 'What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?' And the answer was, of course, 'It must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason.'"
"But no animal can reason," objected Rainsford.
"My dear fellow," said the general, "there is one that can."
"But you can't mean—" gasped Rainsford.
"And why not?"
"I can't believe you are serious, General Zaroff. This is a grisly joke."
"Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting."
"Hunting? General Zaroff, what you speak of is murder."
Rainsford’s response to Zaroff indicates that
a. he is opposed to the idea of hunting humans.
b. he does not understand that Zaroff is hunting humans.
c. he will soon be joining Zaroff in the hunt for humans.
d. he thinks Zaroff has the right to hunt humans.
a. he is opposed to the idea of hunting humans.
Read the excerpt from "The Most Dangerous Game."
Laughter shook the general. "How extraordinarily droll you are!" he said. "One does not expect nowadays to find a young man of the educated class, even in America, with such a naive, and, if I may say so, mid-Victorian point of view. It's like finding a snuff-box in a limousine. Ah, well, doubtless you had Puritan ancestors. So many Americans appear to have had. I'll wager you'll forget your notions when you go hunting with me. You've a genuine new thrill in store for you, Mr. Rainsford."
"Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer."
"Dear me," said the general, quite unruffled, "again that unpleasant word. But I think I can show you that your scruples are quite ill founded."
Which detail best reveals that Rainsford opposes Zaroff’s idea of the ideal prey?
a. "How extraordinarily droll you are!" he said.
b. “You've a genuine new thrill in store for you, Mr. Rainsford.”
c. "Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer."
d. “But I think I can show you that your scruples are quite ill founded.”
c. "Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer."
Read this stanza from "The Raven.'
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
How does the imagery in this stanza appeal to the reader’s senses? Select four responses.
a. The feel of the dense air appeals to the sense of touch.
b. The aroma of perfume appeals to the sense of smell.
c. The memory of past shared meals appeals to the sense of taste.
d. The sound of footsteps on the carpet appeals to the sense of sound.
e. The surprising voice of the bird appeals to the sense of sound.
f. The description of the bird’s appearance appeals to the sense of sight.
a. The feel of the dense air appeals to the sense of touch.
b. The aroma of perfume appeals to the sense of smell.
d. The sound of footsteps on the carpet appeals to the sense of sound.
e. The surprising voice of the bird appeals to the sense of sound.