VOCAB/PASSAGES
What is the best definition of theme in literature?
A. The order in which events happen in a story
B. The overall message or life lesson the author conveys
C. The way an author describes characters’ traits
D. The specific details that explain the setting
B. The overall message or life lesson the author conveys
If you were to view a photograph of a ballerina in a glittering pink tutu, which aspect of Michaela’s experience would it best help you understand?
A. Why she felt frightened by the Aunties’ treatment of her.
B. How she recognized her talent in spotting dancers’ mistakes.
C. Why she ripped out and saved the magazine picture of the ballerina.
D. How Elaine DePrince decided to adopt both girls.
C. Why she ripped out and saved the magazine picture of the ballerina.
What is the best theme statement supported by this passage?
A. Hiding one’s talents can make them lose value over time.
B. True friends always encourage you to pursue your passions.
C. Sports are more important than academics for many children.
D. People sometimes conceal what they enjoy in order to fit in with others.
D. People sometimes conceal what they enjoy in order to fit in with others.
How do lines 46–51 contribute to the meaning of the poem?
A. They show the lady’s suspicion of the boy, highlighting his embarrassment.
B. They prove that the boy would rather eat chocolate than an orange.
C. They explain why the boy never spoke to the girl again.
D. They describe the girl enjoying the chocolate, showing the boy’s sacrifice created happiness.
D. They describe the girl enjoying the chocolate, showing the boy’s sacrifice created happiness.
Which line from the poem contains a simile, and what does it suggest?
A. “A dog barked at me, until / She came out” – compares barking to shouting, showing fear.
B. “I fingered a nickel in my pocket” – compares money to power, showing control.
C. “Fog hanging like old / Coats between the trees” – compares fog to clothing, suggesting heaviness.
D. “The porch light burned yellow / Night and day” – compares the light to fire, showing danger.
C. “Fog hanging like old / Coats between the trees” – compares fog to clothing, suggesting heaviness.
What is the author’s point of view on Michaela’s journey?
A. The author is critical of Michaela for being too focused on ballet.
B. The author is neutral, listing events without emotion.
C. The author admires Michaela’s resilience and portrays her story as inspirational.
D. The author believes Michaela’s success is mainly due to luck.
C. The author admires Michaela’s resilience and portrays her story as inspirational.
Read the sentence from paragraph 3:
“Away from books I was, at times, almost desperate to fill up the spaces of my life.”
What is the meaning of the word desperate as it is used in this sentence?
A. hopeful
B. eager
C. hopeless
D. anxious
C. hopeless
Which idea from the poem best reflects a common or universal experience of teenage years?
A. The joy of having plenty of money to spend
B. The nervousness and excitement of a first date
C. The difficulty of choosing between family and friends
D. The disappointment of losing at sports
B. The nervousness and excitement of a first date
How does the speaker’s experience in the drugstore compare with his walk outside afterward?
A. In the drugstore, he is distracted by the dog; outside, he feels nervous about losing his money.
B. In the drugstore, he feels shy and uncertain; outside, he feels proud and full of warmth.
C. In the drugstore, he wants to leave quickly; outside, he regrets not speaking more to the girl.
B. In the drugstore, he feels shy and uncertain; outside, he feels proud and full of warmth.
Read the sentence from paragraph 6:
“She still recalls the fierce antagonism of the women.”
What is the meaning of the word antagonism as used in this sentence?
A. friendship
B. hostility
C. advice
D. competition
B. hostility
What can the reader infer about Myers’ attitude toward reading?
A. He viewed it as a special comfort even though others teased him.
B. He thought of it as a weakness that he needed to hide from adults.
C. He enjoyed it when he had nothing else to do, but sports were more important.
D. He believed it made him more popular with his peers.
A. He viewed it as a special comfort even though others teased him.
Choose a word for each blank to complete the sentence:
Based on lines 35–41, the narrator feels ______ as he interacts with the girl in the drugstore.
A. anxious
B. proud
C. hopeful
D. desperate
C. hopeful
Which best describes the plot of the poem “Oranges”?
A. A boy nervously walks with a girl, buys her chocolate with an orange and nickel, and feels pride in his sacrifice.
B. A boy struggles to decide whether to buy himself chocolate or give it to his friend.
C. A girl and boy go on several dates until she loses interest in him.
D. A boy watches a girl from afar, wishing he could be brave enough to speak to her.
A. A boy nervously walks with a girl, buys her chocolate with an orange and nickel, and feels pride in his sacrifice.
Which paragraph best develops the idea that Michaela first discovered her dream of becoming a ballerina?
A. Paragraph 2
B. Paragraph 9
C. Paragraph 18
D. Paragraph 22
B. Paragraph 9
What is the author’s point of view about his childhood experiences with reading and dancing?
A. He regrets spending so much time on secret interests.
B. He recognizes that both interests gave him joy, even though he felt pressure to hide them.
C. He criticizes the community for forcing boys to read in secret.
D. He believes sports were a better outlet than books or dance.
B. He recognizes that both interests gave him joy, even though he felt pressure to hide them.
Read these lines from the poem:
“I peeled my orange / That was so bright against / The gray of December / That, from some distance, / Someone might have thought / I was making a fire in my hands.”
What does the word fire most likely symbolize in this context?
A. Warmth and hope in a cold setting
B. Actual flames sparking from the fruit
C. Anger the boy feels toward his situation
D. Light that scares away the saleslady
A. Warmth and hope in a cold setting
In literature, what does point of view refer to?
A. The author’s opinion about a topic
B. The narrator’s position in relation to the story being told
C. The main conflict between characters
D. The emotional mood of the story
B. The narrator’s position in relation to the story being told
How does Michaela’s early life in Sierra Leone compare with her life after adoption in the U.S.?
A. In Sierra Leone she experienced support, while in the U.S. she faced rejection.
B. In Sierra Leone she was surrounded by beauty, while in the U.S. she longed for it.
C. In Sierra Leone she endured neglect and fear, while in the U.S. she found opportunity and hope.
D. In Sierra Leone she studied dance every day, while in the U.S. she abandoned her dream.
C. In Sierra Leone she endured neglect and fear, while in the U.S. she found opportunity and hope.
Choose a word for each blank to complete the sentence.
Based on the evidence from paragraph 11, the narrator feels both ______ and ______ about dancing.
A. alarmed, confident
B. amused, embarrassed
C. desperate, grateful
D. patient, frustrated
B. amused, embarrassed
Which two phrases best support the inference that the boy values the girl’s happiness more than his own needs?
A. “I fingered a nickel in my pocket”
B. “When she lifted a chocolate / That cost a dime”
C. “I took the nickel from / My pocket, then an orange”
D. “The lady’s eyes met mine, / And held them, knowing / Very well what it was all / About”
E. “I peeled my orange / That was so bright against / The gray of December”
C. “I took the nickel from / My pocket, then an orange”
D. “The lady’s eyes met mine, / And held them, knowing / Very well what it was all / About”