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?

"I said, "That’s right, ma’am, Five Forty-one is just waiting for the executioner to get home. Would you like to stick around and write down his last words?"

A) Someone who shaves others as a punishment.
B) Someone who beats others as a punishment.
C) Someone who kills others as a punishment.
C) Someone who kills others as a punishment.
100
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Troublemaker
"Tough guy"
Defiant
Byron Watson
100
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"Momma had her hand around his throat like it was a baseball bat and was holding him up in the air."

A) Personification to give the baseball bat humanlike characteristics.
B) Metaphor to compare Momma's hand to a baseball bat.
C) Simile to compare Momma's hand to a baseball bat.
C) Simile to compare Momma's hand to a baseball bat.
100
What type of conflict is being described in the following text clues?

"This is what I was afraid of. If I didn’t go get the matches I was going to be in worse trouble then I already was with Momma, and if I did go get the matches I knew Byron would kill me as soon as he got back from the hospital."

A. Character vs. Character (external)
B. Character vs. Self (internal)
C. Character vs.Society
B. Character vs. Self (internal)
100
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"I knew if Momma had stayed and hadn’t gone off mumbling about money we would have been having a lot more fun."

A) screaming
B) rambling
C) talking low
C) talking low
200
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"Joey kept pulling at his hand but it looked like Byron was hypnotized and he wouldn’t move."

A) To scare someone.
B) To hold someone's attention.
C) To put someone to sleep.
B) To hold someone's attention.
200
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Small
Innocent
Kindhearted
Joetta Watson (Joey)
200
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"We listened to the noises of Dad coming home from work, the clump-clump of his boots coming off and being dropped in the closet by the front door, the whoosh his chair made when he sat in it, Dad saying, "Whew, it is sure good to be home..."

A) Personification to show how the chair and boots came to life.
B) Imagery to form mental images of the boots and the chair.
C) Onomatopoeia to describe the noises Dad made when he arrived home.
C) Onomatopoeia to describe the noises Dad made when he arrived home.
200
What can you infer about Kenny Watson from the following text clues?

"I felt kind of sorry for Byron because Momma hadn’t let go of his neck and, even though he was a lot older, we could tell he was just as scared as me and Joetta."

A. Kenny really wants to see Byron get in trouble.
B. Kenny has a good heart and feels bad for Byron.
C. Kenny doesn't want Momma to punish Byron.
B. Kenny has a good heart and feels bad for Byron.
200
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"My eyes, of course, would be sealed. If a bomb exploded under me I’d be standing in the hole with my eyes sealed. Even if my head got blown off they’d have to say, "Here’s that kid’s head, and yup, his eyes are locked tight as a safe!"

A) Hyperbole over exaggerate how Kenny would not open his eyes.
B) Imagery to show the reader how Kenny would not open his eyes.
C) Idiom to emphasize how Kenny would not open his eyes.
A) Hyperbole over exaggerate how Kenny would not open his eyes.
300
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"The girls are constantly glugging large amounts of coffee and talking at an alarming pace."

A) To gulp
B) To taste
C) To sip
A) To gulp
300
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Calm, cool, & collected
Hard working
A good sense of humor
Mr. Watson
300
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"While one hand had been strangling Byron the other hand had been strangling the matches! The matches were soaking wet because whenever Momma got scared or nervous or mad her hands got real sweaty and disgusting."

A) Imagery to paint a picture of the scene for the reader.
B) Repetition to emphasize how scared Byron was.
C) Personification to give the matches humanlike characteristics.
A) Imagery to paint a picture of the scene for the reader.
300
What can you infer about Mr. Watson:

Dad shaved Byron's head until he was bald after he got the "conk" (straightened his hair). Why would Mr. Watson do this?

A. He was afraid the "conk" was toxic and would harm him.
B. He couldn't stand looking at the "conk" because it was ugly.
C. He wanted to teach Byron a lesson because he made a bad decision.
C. He wanted to teach Byron a lesson because he made a bad decision.
300
Which Point of View is being expressed in the following quote?

“Joey squeezed next to me in the back seat?”

A. 3rd Person Omniscient
B. 1st Person
C. 2nd Person
B. 1st Person
400
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"Joey climbed off Momma’s lap and Byron’s eyes got bigger and bigger but his traitor hands kept him pinned to the couch."

A) Someone who is not loyal to others.
B) Something that is large in size.
C) Someone who is friendly with everyone.
A) Someone who is not loyal to others.
400
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Loving
Tough
Crazy
Mrs. Watson
400
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"It was like his hands said, “Fingers? Did she say she was gonna burn someone’s fingers?” Because when they found out it was them that were going to get burned they let go of Byron’s throat and joined the rest of his body in deciding to wait at Buphead’s until Dad got home."

A) Imagery to show how quickly Byron escaped to Buphead's house.
B) Personification to give his fingers humanlike characteristics.
C) Foreshadow to give the reader a hint about what is still to come.
B) Personification to give his fingers humanlike characteristics.
400
What can you infer about Byron Watson from the following text clues?

"When I got to Byron he’d picked up the bird and was holding it in his hands. The bird’s head drooped backward and was rolling from side to side. Dead as a donut...I looked right at By and his face was all twisted up and his eyes were kind of shut."

A. Byron is saying a prayer for the bird's funeral.
B. Byron isn't as tough as he pretends to be.
C. Byron is going to find a way to blame Kenny.
B. Byron isn't as tough as he pretends to be.
400
What can you infer about Byron Watson from the following text clues?

"Byron started walking toward Momma in slow motion, sliding his feet on the linoleum. He pulled off his hat and stood there looking down, like his shoes were all of a sudden real interesting."

A. He really needs new shoes.
B. He wants Momma to see he's sorry.
C. He knows he's in big trouble.
C. He knows he's in big trouble.
500
Which of the words below BEST defines the underlined word in the sentence?

"I can’t believe it. You really gonna start serving welfare food in this house? You really gonna make me go embarass myself by signing a welfare list for some groceries like a blanked peon?"

A) A person who is in charge of others.
B) A person who is of a lot of importance.
C) A person who works for little money.
C) A person who works for little money.
500
Which character most closely depicts the following traits:

Strict
Tough
Old
Grandma Sands
500
Which literary device is being used by the author in the following sentence:

"I tried to go tell on By, but all I could do was sit on the next-to-the-last step and hold my ear as tears jumped out of my eyes."

A) Imagery to paint a picture of the scene for the reader.
B) Cliffhanger to make the reader wonder what will happen next.
C) Personification to give the tears humanlike characteristics.
C) Personification to give the tears humanlike characteristics.
500
What can you infer about Mrs. Watson from the following text clues?

"I guess By hadn’t been counting how many times Momma had repeated herself. She smacked the knife on the kitchen counter and jumped right up in By’s face."

A. Mrs. Watson is going to go to the store herself.
B. Mrs. Watson is angry that Byron cannot hear her.
C. Mrs. Watson does not like to repeat herself.
C. Mrs. Watson does not like to repeat herself.
500
What can you infer about Byron Watson from the following text clues?

"You’ve cut school so much that Mr. Alums has come here three times to see what’s wrong with you, you’ve been lighting fires, you’ve been taking change out of my purse, you’ve been in fights, you had that trouble up at Mitchell’s Food Fair, you had that... that... problem with Mary Ann Hill, you set mousetraps in the backyard for birds, you fell out of that tree when you were trying to see if that poor cat always landed on its feet, you got that conk, you joined that gang...

A. Byron enjoys looking and acting tough.
B. Byron has a serious behavioral problem.
C. Byron doesn't realize how bad he's been.
B. Byron has a serious behavioral problem.
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