A Raisin in the Sun 1
Which of the following provides the MOST accurate summary of paragraphs 172–184?
a. Ruth and Mama disagree about the money; Travis takes Mama’s side.
b. Mama defends Travis when Ruth scolds him; then Mama shares her news with Travis.
c. Walter responds angrily to Mama’s news and she tries to explain her reasoning.
d. Ruth responds enthusiastically to Mama’s news and tries to convince Walter to be happy
B. Mama defends Travis when Ruth scolds him; then Mama shares her news with Travis.
What information is provided by the stage directions?
The stage directions provide information about what the characters are feeling.
The stage directions provide information about how the characters move.
The stage directions provide information about how the characters’ voices sound.
Reread paragraph 24. Which statement BEST captures what is unusual about the interaction between Pete and Sucker in this paragraph?
a. Sucker has questions that he wants Pete to answer.
b. Pete is having a real conversation with Sucker.
c. Sucker is behaving toward Pete in a respectful way.
d. Pete’s stories show himself in a favorable light.
b. Pete is having a real conversation with Sucker.
The movie theater setting in paragraph 27 allows readers to see how the characters act in a specific situation.
Which of the following statements describe what this scene reveals about the characters? Mark each statement Yes or No.
a. Readers see how Sucker acts when he’s in a public place.
b. Readers see how Sucker and Pete act when they’re together in public.
c. Readers see how Pete acts when he’s around Maybelle.
d. Readers see how Maybelle acts when she’s around Pete.
Yes: A,C
No: B,D
What is Ms. Nicholson's cat's name?
Sherman
Read paragraphs 198–206. The stage directions in this part of the scene suggest that Mama feels ______ about telling Walter and Ruth her news.
a. proud
b. disappointed
c. confused
d. nervous
d. nervous
Select the choice that BEST describes the effect Travis has on the scene.
a. He interrupts the action at a key moment, and this changes the emotion of the moment.
b. He is the cause of Mama’s news not being told because he has done something wrong.
c. He provides a reason for Mama to change the subject and not tell the family about the house.
d. He tries to distract the adults from their conversation because he is not interested in it
a. He interrupts the action at a key moment, and this changes the emotion of the moment.
Which BEST describes a character trait Sucker displays when he says, “No matter what you did I always knew you liked me” (19)?
a. Indecision
b. Nervousness
c. Faith
d. Helpfulness
e. Doubt
c. Faith
Read paragraph 27. Which of the following BEST describes Pete's feelings when he sees Sucker at the movie theater?
a. Pete is proud of Sucker and wants to show him off to Maybelle.
b. Pete is ashamed of Sucker and hopes that Maybelle doesn't see him.
c. Pete is hurt that Sucker chooses not to sit with him and Maybelle.
d. Pete has conflicted feelings about Sucker and isn't sure what to do.
d. Pete has conflicted feelings about Sucker and isn't sure what to do.
What are Ms. Nicholson's favorite stories to share?
Grandma stories!
Read paragraph 198. As Mama describes the house, she says to Walter: “Walter Lee—it makes a difference in a man when he can walk on floors that belong to him …” Which TWO choices BEST describe what Mama’s words are meant to communicate?
a. Mama is trying to convince Walter that she made the right decision.
b. Mama is trying to change Walter’s mind about an apartment being better than a house.
c. Mama is trying to illustrate to Walter the impact her choice could have on him.
d. Mama is trying to tell Walter that the family needs more space to move around in.
a. Mama is trying to convince Walter that she made the right decision.
c. Mama is trying to illustrate to Walter the impact her choice could have on him.
What is the difference between stage directions and dialogue and how can you tell?
Stage directions tell the characters how to act and move about the set. They are portrayed in parenthesis and italics.
Dialogue tells the characters what to say. The characters name comes first and the following words are what the character is supposed to say.
Read paragraphs 11–21. How does the night setting of this passage impact Pete?
a. The night setting causes Pete to dream that Maybelle is important to him.
b. The night setting causes Pete to dream that Sucker is important to him.
c. The night setting causes Pete to feel united with Sucker.
d. The night setting causes Pete to feel alienated from Sucker.
c. The night setting causes Pete to feel united with Sucker.
By the end of paragraph 27, Pete and Sucker’s relationship undergoes a big change. By the end of this excerpt, Sucker can BEST be described as _____ a. feeling more negative toward Pete than before.
b. feeling less negative toward Pete than before.
c. feeling the same toward Pete but acting more happy and relaxed.
d. feeling different toward Pete and acting more nervous and strange.
c. feeling the same toward Pete but acting more happy and relaxed.
What is Ms. Nicholson's favorite holiday?
Christmas
Read paragraphs 162–190.In this scene, each character is worried about someone or something.
1.Who whether or not he or she will be punished?
2. Who is worried what action his or her parent might have taken?
3. Who is worried where his or her child has been for so long?
4. Who is worried how others might react to his or her words?
2. Walter
3. Ruth
4.Mama
Which BEST describes how the setting of this scene affects Mama’s interaction with Walter?
a. The fact that Mama had to climb stairs to get to the apartment keeps her from having to talk to Walter.
b. The noise of conversation in the room makes it so Walter can’t really understand Mama’s words.
c. The presence of Ruth and Travis makes it possible for Mama to avoid speaking directly to Walter most of the time.
d. The location in which they are having the conversation is not private so Mama has to keep her feelings to herself.
c. The presence of Ruth and Travis makes it possible for Mama to avoid speaking directly to Walter most of the time.
Read paragraphs 11–15. Which BEST explains why Sucker’s voice “was a shock” to Pete?
a. Sucker usually slept soundly whether Pete was awake or not.
b. Pete had told Sucker not to talk when he was trying to sleep.
c. Sucker’s voice did not sound the same as it usually did.
d. Pete had been thinking and dreaming so forgot where he was.
d. Pete had been thinking and dreaming so forgot where he was.
Select TWO sentences from paragraph 24 that BEST support the inference that it has been a long time since someone listened to Sucker.
a. We talked for a good while that night.
b. His voice was fast and it was like he had been saving up these things to tell me for a long time.
c. He mentioned that he was going to try to build a canoe and that the kids down the block wouldn’t let him in on their football team and I don’t know what all.
d. He asked questions about high school and so forth.
e. His voice was excited and he kept on talking fast like he could never get the words out in time.
b. His voice was fast and it was like he had been saving up these things to tell me for a long time.
e. His voice was excited and he kept on talking fast like he could never get the words out in time.
When is Ms. Nicholson's birthday?
September 13
Read paragraphs 189–198. Which TWO lines best show Mama’s feelings about Walter’s reaction as she tells the news about the house?
a. MAMA (Quietly, looking at her son with pain) Yes, I did. (190)
b. MAMA (Smiling at her) First of the month. (194)
c. MAMA ...And there’s a yard with a little patch of dirt where I could maybe get to grow me a few flowers … And a nice big basement... (196)
d. MAMA (Still to his back, fingering things on the table) ’Course I don’t want to make it sound fancier than it is... (198)
a. MAMA (Quietly, looking at her son with pain) Yes, I did. (190)
d. MAMA (Still to his back, fingering things on the table) ’Course I don’t want to make it sound fancier than it is... (198)
Which sentence BEST describes Ruth’s reaction to Mama’s news about the house?
a. Ruth is disappointed about this news, but acts happy about it for Walter’s and Mama’s benefit.
b. Ruth is convinced this is not the right choice, but is worried about hurting Mama’s feelings.
c. Ruth is worried that Mama has spent too much money, but is excited for Travis’s sake.
d. Ruth is overjoyed about this news, but is concerned about Walter’s reaction to it.
d. Ruth is overjoyed about this news, but is concerned about Walter’s reaction to it.
Read paragraph 20. Select the TWO choices that BEST describe what the line “That was just one of the things I remembered” implies about Pete’s thoughts regarding Sucker.
a. Pete is starting to feel guilty for being less than nice to Sucker.
b. Pete has forgotten many things about Sucker because of Maybelle.
c. Pete is proud of himself for noticing so many details about Sucker.
d. Pete knows he has acted badly toward Sucker more than once.
e. Pete doesn’t think Sucker appreciates how well he remembers things.
a. Pete is starting to feel guilty for being less than nice to Sucker.
d. Pete knows he has acted badly toward Sucker more than once.
Read the sentence from paragraph 23. “I felt good all over and it was like when they play sad music in the movies.” With the phrase, “…it was like when they play sad music at the movies…” the author is most likely trying to imply that _____
a. the story’s rising action is reaching its climax.
b. Pete is feeling a strong emotion but can’t put it into words.
c. there is a record player in the room the boys share.
d. Pete spends a lot of time imagining things that aren’t real
b. Pete is feeling a strong emotion but can’t put it into words.
What is Ms. Nicholson's #1 rule?
If you wouldn't say it to your grandma in a church you shouldn't say it at all.