A Poison Tree
Read this dictionary entry:
stole \stohl\ v past tense 1. to take the property of another without permission, especially secretly or forcefully 2. to win or get by chance 3. to move or bring quietly or secretly 4. to gain extra attention, as by giving a tremendous performance
Which definition best matches the use of the word stole in line 13 of the attached poem?
A. definition 3
B. definition 1
C. definition 2
D. definition 4
Which definition best matches the use of the word stole in line 13 of the attached poem?
A. definition 3
In the passage, the author describes a conflict or misunderstanding he has with the woman of the house with regard to _.
A. where he should wander on his walk
B. what kind of brown paper he would like
C. what color chalks he should take
D. what breakfast food should be served
In the passage, the author describes a conflict or misunderstanding he has with the woman of the house with regard to _.
B. what kind of brown paper he would like
Read the sentence from paragraph 1.
"Check, check, and check. Jameel grinned as he climbed in the driver's seat of his mom's car."
What word could the author substitute for the word check and retain the meaning and tone of the sentence?
A. mark B. examine C. halt D. done
Read the sentence from paragraph 1.
"Check, check, and check. Jameel grinned as he climbed in the driver's seat of his mom's car."
What word could the author substitute for the word check and retain the meaning and tone of the sentence?
D. Done
Which of these best describes the main idea of this poem?
A. If you talk about your anger or frustrations with people in your life, the anger or frustration will dissipate and you’ll feel better. If you don’t talk about your emotions and they remain bottled up inside, they will fester and lead to bad consequences.
B. It is important to not be angry at other people. When you feel slighted or wronged, just turn the other cheek and ignore the negativity.
C. If you don’t talk about your feelings with others, it’s not a big deal. Eventually you will get over it and learn to move past the hurt or frustration that other person caused.
D. It is important to make friends you can trust with your innermost thoughts and feelings. Those friends will support you in times of sadness or uncertainty and anybody who doesn’t should not be considered a friend.
Which of these best describes the main idea of this poem?
A. If you talk about your anger or frustrations with people in your life, the anger or frustration will dissipate and you’ll feel better. If you don’t talk about your emotions and they remain bottled up inside, they will fester and lead to bad consequences.
The reader can infer that the author of the passage heads out into nature to draw because ____.
A. nature provides artistic inspiration for him, just as it has for artists throughout the centuries, even those who didn’t base their art on nature
B. it is a bright, sunny day and he wants to enjoy the nice weather in the often cold and rainy English countryside
C. he is bored sitting inside all day and wants to get some fresh air
D. he plans to draw natural scenes, like landscapes or plants, so he wants to see his subjects directly
The reader can infer that the author of the passage heads out into nature to draw because ____.
A. nature provides artistic inspiration for him, just as it has for artists throughout the centuries, even those who didn’t base their art on nature
How does Jameel's interaction with the other drama club members in paragraph 15 illustrate a change in his style of leadership?
A. When the cast members ask him to hold an audition, he finally agrees.
B. He demonstrates that he is now willing to allow input from others.
C. When he finds himself failing, he decides to pass the responsibility to others.
D. He goes from asking for club members' input to making decisions himself.
How does Jameel's interaction with the other drama club members in paragraph 15 illustrate a change in his style of leadership?
B. He demonstrates that he is now willing to allow input from others.
The rhyme scheme of this poem is ____.
A. couplets consisting of rhyming quatrains
B. quatrains consisting of rhyming couplets
C. quatrains consisting of free verse
D. couplets consisting of free verse
The rhyme scheme of this poem is ____.
B. quatrains consisting of rhyming couplets
This simile in the last paragraph of the passage, “[t]he inspiration went in like sunbeams and came out like Apollo” also contains ____.
A. an archetype
B. meter
C. an allusion
D. personification
This simile in the last paragraph of the passage, “[t]he inspiration went in like sunbeams and came out like Apollo” also contains ____.
C. an allusion
What detail from the text suggests that Jameel's leadership of the drama club is ineffective at first?
A. The cast members forget their lines and do not give effort during rehearsals.
B. Jameel confides in Thomas about his frustration with the other cast members.
C. Jameel stays up late several nights planning parts to assign to everyone.
D. Time seems to be flying by and Jameel is feeling forgetful and exhausted.
What detail from the text suggests that Jameel's leadership of the drama club is ineffective at first?
A. The cast members forget their lines and do not give effort during rehearsals.
The overall tone of the attached poem would best be described as ____.
A. melancholy and sorrowful
B. happy and optimistic
C. ominous and warning
D. mischievous and silly
The overall tone of the attached poem would best be described as ____.
C. ominous and warning
What does the description in paragraph 2 of this passage reveal about the author’s character?
A. He is friendly, outgoing, and personable.
B. He is compassionate, understanding, and patient.
C. He is thoughtful, observant, and reflective.
D. He is impulsive, unrestrained, and reckless.
What does the description in paragraph 2 of this passage reveal about the author’s character?
C. He is thoughtful, observant, and reflective.
Which line from the text foreshadows Jameel's need to change how he runs the drama club?
A. “This year we are going to be performing The Lion Queen, and I went ahead and picked the best roles for everyone according to their talents.”
B. Jameel mentally congratulated himself for a list well made—but almost immediately, the students assigned to Pumbo and Rafaka started complaining.
C. "Oh, no—the money I laid out for the eggs is still here on the table, did you forget to get them?”
D. Jameel turned the word balance over and over in his mind all evening and decided to spend one more night using his planning skills.
Which line from the text foreshadows Jameel's need to change how he runs the drama club?
B. Jameel mentally congratulated himself for a list well made—but almost immediately, the students assigned to Pumbo and Rafaka started complaining.
The apple in this poem symbolizes ____.
A. the speaker’s anger and frustration with his foe
B. the speaker’s foe’s delight in tormenting the speaker
C. the blossoming friendship with the speaker’s friend
D. the new beginning possible when you put negativity behind you
The apple in this poem symbolizes ____.
A. the speaker’s anger and frustration with his foe
Read this sentence from paragraph 3 of the attached passage.
“The villages in the immense valley were safe, one could see, for centuries; yet the lifting of the whole land was like the lifting of one enormous wave to wash them all away.”
Here, the author uses a simile to describe the ____.
A. quaint country life: here in this valley are nestled quiet country villages, protected from the waves of evil and corruption of the outside world
B. pride of country: looking out over the villages in the valley, the author feels nostalgic and a deep love for his home country
C. power of nature: even in its rolling hills, there is the sense that everything man-made could be wiped out by nature’s power
D. concern for safety: there is a danger to nature in that you never know when it might “come alive” and a disaster destroy all of the villages
Read this sentence from paragraph 3 of the attached passage.
“The villages in the immense valley were safe, one could see, for centuries; yet the lifting of the whole land was like the lifting of one enormous wave to wash them all away.”
Here, the author uses a simile to describe the ____.
C. power of nature: even in its rolling hills, there is the sense that everything man-made could be wiped out by nature’s power
What is the effect of the time jumps in the story?
A. They help readers to understand changes in Jameel's family over time.
B. They provide insight into how the drama club is run over the years.
C. They serve as a distraction, creating confusion about the timeline.
D. They allow the readers to witness Jameel's growth as a character.
What is the effect of the time jumps in the story?
D. They allow the readers to witness Jameel's growth as a character.