Comprehension
In the selection from Tales From the Odyssey, who is Odysseus?
a. an ancient god
b. an excellent sailor
c. a famous Trojan warrior
d. a leader of Greek soldiers
d. a leader of Greek soldiers
Read these sentences from Tales From the Odyssey.
Who lives there? Who stokes those fires? Odysseus wondered silently. Are they friendly or lawless men? What do Odysseus’ thoughts reveal about his journey?
a. The journey is poorly planned.
b. The journey is full of unknowns.
c. The journey makes Odysseus lonely.
d. The journey will result in new friends.
b. The journey is full of unknowns.
Read the following sentence.
Waiting for a reply is exciting if you expect a positive result. Which group of words in the sentence is a gerund phrase?
a. waiting for a reply
b. is exciting
c. if you expect
d. a positive result
a. waiting for a reply
The coach JUMPED for joy.
a. adjective
b. conjunction
c. preposition
d. verb
d. verb
Which of these words means difficult or impossible to understand, explain, or identify?
a. Mysterious
b. Complicated
c. Intelligent
g. Frustrate
a. Mysterious
At the beginning of the selection from Tales From the Odyssey, what challenge do the warriors face?
a. intense hunger
b. a powerful storm
c. extreme tiredness
d. another enemy attack
b. a powerful storm
Read the final sentences from the selection from Tales From the Odyssey.
“Ah, the shepherd returns,” Odysseus said. “Let us step forward and meet this man.” But when they peered out of the cave, the Greeks gasped with horror—for the shepherd was no man at all. He was a monster. How do these sentences contribute to the development of the story?
a. They provide a final example of unexpected danger.
b. They prove that Odysseus and his men will never get home.
c. They remind the reader that Odysseus is an unskilled leader.
d. They give structure to the story by ending it in an expected way.
a. They provide a final example of unexpected danger.
Which of the following sentences contains a participial phrase?
a. The students are entering the cafeteria.
b. Today there are many options on the menu.
c. Bao orders pasta, salad, and a drink for lunch.
d. Sitting at the table, Melinda eats her sandwich.
d. Sitting at the table, Melinda eats her sandwich.
SILENTLY read your book.
a. adjective
b. adverb
c. preposition
d. verb
b. adverb
If a person showed wrath toward an enemy, which of the following must be true? Base your answer on the meaning of wrath.
a. He showed intense fear.
b. He showed good manners.
c. He showed extreme anger.
d. He showed poor judgment.
c. He showed extreme anger.
In the selection from Tales From the Odyssey, what effect do the lotus flowers have on the missing men?
a. The flowers cause the men to become lost.
b. The flowers cause the men to weep with joy.
c. The flowers cause the men to forget the past.
d. The flowers cause the men to distrust Odysseus.
c. The flowers cause the men to forget the past.
Which of the following are universal themes in the selection from Tales From the Odyssey? Choose TWO options.
a. Life presents many challenges.
b. journeys offer many surprises.
c. Revenge is always worthwhile.
d. Failure is the best way to learn.
e. Some mistakes are unforgivable.
a & b
Read the following sentence.
Barking at squirrels keeps my dog Sparky entertained. The phrase barking at squirrels is which of the following?
a. a gerund phrase that modifies a verb
b. a gerund phrase that acts as a subject
c. a participial phrase that acts as a subject
d. a participial phrase that modifies a noun
b. a gerund phrase that acts as a subject
Fathers AND sons enjoy taking long fishing trips to the lake.
a. adverb
b. conjunction
c. noun
d. preposition
b. conjunction
Someone who is violent is likely to be which of the following?
a. happy and laughing
b. furious and forceful
c. angry and sour
d. sad and frustrated
b. furious and forceful
In the selection from Tales From the Odyssey, why does Odysseus sail to the faraway mysterious shore?
a. He believes it will be safer there.
b. He thinks he will find food there.
c. He wants to know who lives there.
d. He hopes to capture a monster there.
c. He wants to know who lives there.
The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
PART A In the selection from Tales From the Odyssey, three of Odysseus’ men eat the lotus flowers. Which of the following is most likely true about the flowers?
a. The flowers create a pleasant reaction.
b. The flowers are rare and hard to grow.
c. The flowers have an unusual but mild flavor.
d. The flowers can quickly satisfy a person’s hunger.
a. The flowers create a pleasant reaction.
The word evaded contains the Latin root -vad-. The prefix e- means “out” or “away.” Based on this information and your knowledge of the root -vad-, choose the situation that most clearly illustrates the meaning of evaded.
a. The rivals held a final boxing match to determine which fighter would be the champion.
b. The puppy ran from the room to avoid being scolded for ripping the newspaper.
c. The computer expert is using new equipment to analyze traffic patterns in the community.
d. The soldier returned from fighting overseas several months before he was expected home.
b. The puppy ran from the room to avoid being scolded for ripping the newspaper.
Suzy was SITTING at the kitchen table EATING her breakfast.
a. Participial phrase
b. Gerund
c. Adverb
d. Adjective
b. Gerund
Which of the following situations best illustrates the meaning of invaded?
a. Kings signed a treaty to end their war.
b. A family left home to avoid a hurricane.
c. Students volunteered to help people in need.
d. An army entered a country to take control of it.
d. An army entered a country to take control of it.
According to the selection from Tales From the Odyssey, what do the men find after climbing the cliffs at the mysterious shore?
a. a cave filled with food and drink
b. a dense forest of trees and vines
c. a harbor occupied by enemy ships
d. a group of vines that hides a shepherd
a. a cave filled with food and drink
Part B Which sentence from the selection best supports the answer to Part A?
a. But just as he was about to eat the flowers, he caught sight of his
missing men.
b. The three were lying on the ground with dreamy smiles on their faces.
c. Odysseus called each man by name, but none of them answered.
d. “We have given them our flowers to eat,” an islander answered.
b. The three were lying on the ground with dreamy smiles on their faces.
How many prepositional phrases are in the following sentence?
Jane went to the store and found three oranges in a bin, then she picked them up and placed them beside her purse in her basket.
a. one
b. two
c. three
d. four
e. five
d. four
FRENCH onion soup is on the lunch menu.
a. adjective
b. adverb
c. conjunction
d. noun
a. adjective
What is the most likely meaning of offended in the following sentence? Use context clues to help you.
Miles offended his grandfather by forgetting to thank him for the birthday gift.
a. worried
b. sorrowful
c. delighted
d. displeased
d. displeased