Vocabulary
Read the following sentence.
If you were a boy it was something you started dreaming about in Grade 1, even though there was not the remotest chance it could ever happen to you before at least Grade 5, and only then if the teacher thought you were big and strong enough.
What is the meaning of the word remote?
A. a very likely chance of something happening.
B. a very convenient chance of something happening
C. a very small chance of something happening.
D. a very good chance of something happening
C. a very small chance of something happening.
Why do the students like to get a drink from the water bucket?
A. The water is always cold.
B. The days are hot and long.
C. They can briefly leave the classroom.
D. They get a different perspective on the classroom.
D. They get a different perspective on the classroom.
Which two words describe Miss Ralston?
A. mean and rude
B. strict and reasonable
C. quiet and soft spoken
D. unconcerned and reckless
B. strict and reasonable
Read the following sentence.
Miss Ralston storms out of the schoolhouse to play softball and ends up doing better than the boys.
The sentence is an example of
A. alliteration
B. assonance
C. irony
D. a flashback
C. irony
Who gets to carry the water bucket?
Read the following sentence.
And Miss Ralston, instead of saying, “Whoever heard of girls going for the water?” or, “ Are you trying to be saucy,7 Alma?
What is the definition of saucy?
A. quiet
B. shy
C. boldly smart
D. aggressive
C. boldly smart
Why does Miss Ralston's response surprise the students?
Why did the boys carry the bucket?
A. They wanted to
B. It was tradition
C. They were stronger
D. They were faster
B. It was tradition
What does the bucket symbolize?
A. strength
B. courage
C. equal rights
D. penmanship
C. equal rights
How are the girls affected by the bullying?
Read the following sentences.
And Miss Ralston, instead of saying, “Whoever heard of girls going for the water?” or, “ Are you trying to be saucy, Alma?” like any other teacher would, said nothing at all for a moment but just looked very hard at Alma, who had gone quite white with the shock of dropping such a bombshell.
What is the meaning of bombshell?
A. shocking
B. detailed
C. irrelevant
D. questionable
A. shocking
Why do the other girls come to Alma's aid?
Which piece of evidence best reveals why the girls want to be able to carry the water bucket?
A. "from the moment Miss Ralston had spoken, [the boys knew] that something of theirs was being threatened and that, as long as there was the remotest chance that any girl might get to carry the water, they had to do everything in their power to stop it." (Paragraph 11)
B. "in the second place we all had seen, as clearly as the boys, what our carrying the water might mean; that, incredibly, we, too… might get to do something real." (Paragraph 12)
C. "If we'd tried to go out to field they'd have picked us off one by one. We couldn't even play softball on our own. None of us owned a bat and ball." (Paragraph 20)
D. "And looking back on that week — when there were so many bad feelings and so many new feelings in the air — it was kind of nice, too, because for the first time us girls found ourselves telling each other our troubles and even our thoughts without worrying about being laughed at." (Paragraph 22)
B. "in the second place we all had seen, as clearly as the boys, what our carrying the water might mean; that, incredibly, we, too… might get to do something real." (Paragraph 12)
Which description is not a character trait of Alma Niles?
A. determined
B. courageous
C. inconsiderate
D. thoughtful
C. inconsiderate
The narrator believes that Miss Ralston…
Read the following sentence.
The first thing, clearly evident by recess on Monday morning, was that the boys had decided not to let us girls field at softball any more.
What is the definition of the word evident?
A. concerning
B. questionable
C. interesting
D. obvious
D. obvious
Why won't Ernie allow the girls to play softball?
What does the resolution reveal about the story's theme?
A. Boys are stronger than girls.
B. Boys and girls should be afforded the same rights.
C. Girls cannot play softball.
D. Boys are better at sports.
Boys and girls should be afforded the same rights.
Which statement best expresses the main theme of the story?
A. One must know when to ask others for assistance in achieving a goal.
B. One must learn to fight for what they want, even if they must fight alone.
C. A group fighting for a common goal must remain courageous, even in the face of consequences.
D. A group requires a leader who can give advice on overcoming obstacles to achieve a common goal.
C. A group fighting for a common goal must remain courageous, even in the face of consequences.
When Miss Ralston hits the ball into the ox pasture, she…
Read the following sentences.
Then Ernie and Junior laddered the bat again to see which side would get up first and the losing side took to the field to be joined by the little boys who hadn’t been picked and us older girls who were allowed to act as sort of permanent supplementary fielders.
What is the definition of supplementary?
A. new
B. extra
C. ordinary
D. untrained
B. extra
What can the reader infer about Alma from her conversation with Arnold? (Paragraphs 23-29)
A. She is terrified of all the ways the boys plan to continue punishing her.
B. She is determined to continue fighting for the right to carry the water bucket.
C. She values Arnold's opinion and will follow whatever course of action he recommends.
D. She is irritated with Arnold because he and the boys have taken every opportunity to hurt the girls.
B. She is determined to continue fighting for the right to carry the water bucket.
Who is the protagonist?
A. Elton
B. Miss Ralston
C. Minnie
D. Alma
D. Alma
When does the story take place?
A. 1940's
B. 1980's
C. 2000's
D. 1890's
A. 1940's
How does the dialogue in paragraph 21 affect the girls?
A. It establishes the girls' decision to remain united.
B. It establishes Alma as the leader of the group of girls.
C. It establishes the moment the girls decide to stop caring about softball.
D. It establishes that the girls' ultimate goal is to have a girls' softball team.
A. It establishes the girls' decision to remain united.