Breaking the Cycles of Violence
1. What is the author’s primary argument in this article?
A. Violence is an unavoidable part of certain communities.
B. Grief naturally transforms into anger and revenge.
C. Cycles of violence can be broken through conscious choices and support.
D. Mentorship programs alone can eliminate community violence.
C. Cycles of violence can be broken through conscious choices and support.
1. Which statement best expresses a central theme of the poem?
A. Personal memories fade with time, making it difficult to stay connected to the past.
B. Grief and revenge can create cycles that limit a person’s ability to choose a different path.
C. Communities are often dangerous places that require constant vigilance.
D. People are naturally inclined to follow traditions without questioning them.
B. Grief and revenge can create cycles that limit a person’s ability to choose a different path.
Which change, if any, is needed to the underlined text?
Fireflies also known as lightning bugs are responsible for this light show.
A. Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs — are responsible for this light show.
B. Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are responsible for this light show.
C. Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs are responsible for this light show.
D. No change
B. Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are responsible for this light show.
What is the difference between a metaphor and a simile?
A metaphor directly says something is something else, while a simile uses “like” or “as” to show a comparison.
1. The mayor’s speech was full of rhetoric, but few concrete plans were mentioned. “Rhetoric” most nearly means:
A. Persuasive or fancy language
B. Lies or deception
C. Silence or avoidance
D. Humor
A. Persuasive or fancy language
2. Which of the following best explains the meaning of “a chain reaction that seems impossible to stop” in the first paragraph?
A. Violence spreads unpredictably and uncontrollably through communities.
B. People plan their violent acts carefully over time.
C. Revenge is easily forgivable and forgotten.
D. Community programs cannot interfere with the spread of violence.
A. Violence spreads unpredictably and uncontrollably through communities.
2. Which line from the poem best supports the theme that violence repeats across generations?
A. “He watches the world move without him—”
B. “Here, pain lingers like smoke that refuses to rise.”
C. “Get revenge. / Keep the cycle spinning / even if it grinds you down / to dust.”
D. “The street is quiet at sunrise.”
C. “Get revenge. / Keep the cycle spinning / even if it grinds you down / to dust.”
2. Which change, if any, is needed to the underlined text?
Called bioluminescence, this feature is found in other animals, such as plankton and lantern fish.
A. Called bioluminescence, other animals have this feature, such as plankton and lantern fish.
B. Called bioluminescence, other animals, such as plankton and lantern fish, have this feature.
C. Called bioluminescence, plankton and other animals, such as lantern fish, have this feature.
D. No change
D. No change
What is theme?
2. After the argument, her tone became acerbic, making the room tense. “Acerbic” most nearly means:
A. Sweet and comforting
B. Sharp or bitter
C. Friendly and casual
D. Confusing
B. Sharp or bitter
3. How does the author develop the idea of personal choice affecting the community?
A. By describing the psychological effects of witnessing violence
B. By explaining how mentorship programs teach conflict resolution
C. By emphasizing that decisions to act or restrain have consequences beyond the individual
D. By stating that grief always leads to retaliation
C. By emphasizing that decisions to act or restrain have consequences beyond the individual
3. How does the imagery of “something cold, heavy, inherited” contribute to the poem’s meaning?
A. It shows the boy is afraid to face the cold weather.
B. It suggests the object reminds him of happier times.
C. It symbolizes a burden passed down, such as expectations of revenge.
D. It describes an item the boy plans to return to its rightful owner.
C. It symbolizes a burden passed down, such as expectations of revenge.
3. Which change, if any, is needed to the underlined text?
unusual blink of the fireflies are related
A. unusual blink of the fireflies is related
B. unusual blink of the fireflies is being related
C. unusual blinks of the firefly is related
D. No change
A. unusual blink of the fireflies is related
What is central idea?
What a story or article is mostly about. The big point of the entire text. This is specific to each story or article.
3. The novel’s ending was ambiguous, leaving readers unsure of the character’s fate. “Ambiguous” most nearly means:
A. Clear and definite
B. Open to more than one interpretation
C. Long and detailed
D. Sad or depressing
B. Open to more than one interpretation
4. Which statement provides the strongest evidence that cycles of violence affect people who were not originally involved?
A. “Even those who never directly experienced the original harm may become victims simply because they are connected to someone who did.”
B. “Forgiveness is rarely simple, but choosing not to respond violently can interrupt the chain and prevent further loss.”
C. “Sociologists describe these patterns as cycles of violence.”
D. “Communities that support healing, rather than vengeance, provide paths for grief that do not end in more tragedy.”
A. “Even those who never directly experienced the original harm may become victims simply because they are connected to someone who did.”
4. What is the effect of the brother’s appearance “whole again in the morning light” near the end of the poem?
A. It reveals that the brother was never actually harmed.
B. It foreshadows the boy’s internal struggle about what choice to make.
C. It distracts the boy from completing his task.
D. It warns him of an immediate danger.
B. It foreshadows the boy’s internal struggle about what choice to make.
4. Which change, if any, is needed to the underlined text?
These synchronous fireflies were discovered in the Smoky Mountains in 1995, scientists located other groups in South Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains.
A. After these synchronous fireflies were discovered in the Smoky Mountains in 1995, scientists located other groups in South Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains.
B. These synchronous fireflies were discovered in the Smoky Mountains in 1995, while scientists located other groups in South Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains.
C. These synchronous fireflies were discovered in the Smoky Mountains in 1995, so scientists located other groups in South Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains.
D. No change
A. After these synchronous fireflies were discovered in the Smoky Mountains in 1995, scientists located other groups in South Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains.
What is an inference?
An educated guess that can be backed up with text evidence
4. The detective noticed a subtle clue that others had overlooked. “Subtle” most nearly means:
A. Obvious and bold
B. Small but important
C. Misleading or false
D. Unnecessary
B. Small but important
5. Which of the following best describes the tone of the article?
A. Hopeful, because it emphasizes intervention and conscious choices
B. Pessimistic, because it claims violence is inevitable
C. Neutral, because it simply reports facts without judgment
D. Sarcastic, because it mocks community efforts to reduce violence
A. Hopeful, because it emphasizes intervention and conscious choices
5. Which statement best compares a shared theme between the poem and Long Way Down?
A. Both show that following community rules guarantees safety.
B. Both reveal how young people seek revenge to earn respect.
C. Both explore how grief pressures individuals to follow violent cycles, even when they question them internally.
D. Both portray characters who ultimately reject all expectations from their families.
C. Both explore how grief pressures individuals to follow violent cycles, even when they question them internally.
5. Which change, if any, is needed to the underlined text?
the fireflys mating season
A. the firefly’s mating season
B. the fireflies’ mating season
C. the fireflies’s mating season
D. No change
B. the fireflies’ mating season
Which of these is an example of a theme?
A. If you do not make wise choices, life will teach you a lesson.
B. Oedipus learns that avoiding the gods will not lead to a happy life.
C. Creon is determined to be a good king, but he learns pride does not make a good king.
D. Antigone is loyal and loving to her family, and it was not enough to save her.
A. If you do not make wise choices, life will teach you a lesson.
5. He was praised for his pragmatic approach to solving the problem, focusing on what worked rather than what was ideal. “Pragmatic” most nearly means:
A. Theoretical and imaginative
B. Practical and realistic
C. Unconcerned or careless
D. Formal and ceremonial
B. Practical and realistic