Inference
Read the sentence from paragraph 16.
Those who have never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine the strange horror of its appearance.
Based on the sentence, the reader can conclude that the –
A narrator believes others have seen Martians
B all aliens have a scary appearance
C mysterious cylinder came from Mars
D Martians will kill everyone
C.
Keep in mind, this is the first mention of Mars. Use context clues within the passage
The point of view used by the author gives the reader insight into-
A) the Martians' actions
B) the narrator's feelings
C) the narrator's behaviors
D) the crowd's fears
B
First person point of view works best to show the individual's thoughts. For behaviors or crows fears, 3rd person would be best.
Which sentence best explains the narrator’s interest in the Martians?
A) I turned and, running madly, made for the first group of trees, perhaps a hundred yards away; but I ran slantingly and stumbling, for I could not avert my face from these things.
B) The common round the sand-pits was dotted with people, standing like myself in a half-fascinated terror, staring at these creatures or rather at the heaped gravel at the edge of the pit in which they lay.
B
B discusses what the character thinks rather than feelings, and his inability to look away.
The author included paragraph 16 to -
A) describe what the Martians look like
B) share the narrator's experience
C) explain why the narrator ran and hid
D) suggest that the Martians are attacking
A
The primary function here is to describe the Martians and what they are doing
In paragraph 13, the word ungovernable means -
A) someone in charge of you
B) to feel a sense of fear
C) something that will happen
D) impossible to control
D
To govern means to control or rule over, so if something is ungovernable, that would mean they cannot be controlled.
The tone of the narrator's description implies he is feeling what about the aliens?
A) Awe and wonder
B) Curiosity
C) Friendliness
D) Terrified
D.
Remember the word choice. The narrator said he felt "ungovernable terror"
Which word best describes the narrator's attitude toward the Martians?
A) Critical
B) Shocked
C) Repulsed
D) Judgmental
C
Pay attention to the adjectives used throughout the passage
Which sentence from the excerpt suggests that the Martians are dangerous?
A) There was something fungoid in the oily brown skin, something in the clumsy deliberation of the tedious movements unspeakably nasty.
B) I heard it give a peculiar thick cry, and forthwith another of these creatures appeared darkly in the deep shadow of the aperture.
C) Suddenly he vanished, and I could have fancied a faint shriek had reached me.
D) I had a momentary impulse to go back and help him that my fears overruled.
C
This line suggests that the speaker is frightened enough to scream.
Which phrase best describes the shift in tone from the beginning to the end of the excerpt?
A) From unsure to knowing
B) From curious to repulsed
C) From interest to terror
D) From excited to scared
B
The narrator originally tries to look inside the cylinder, but becomes terrified and disgusted.
Which word or phrase from paragraph 11 provides context that supports the meaning of the word blundered?
A) "Somebody"
B) "Against me"
C) "Narrowly missed"
D) "Being pitched"
B
The others are either vague or have other connotations. The idea of someone bumping against you involves "blundering" or clumsily moving without care.
The description of the Martians implies that they -
A) will be dangerous
B) come in peace
C) are different than others
D) do not look attractive
A.
Keep in mind that you are looking for the answer that is the most true.
What is the main idea of the story?
A) Inside the cylinder are two unknown and ugly creatures.
B) Too many people crowd around the pit containing a cylinder.
C) The crowd around the cylinder finally learn what is inside.
D) The mysterious cylinder opens containing terrifying Martians.
D
This answer is the most relevant and contains the most information.
Which sentence from the excerpt states the main conflict?
A) I half turned, keeping my eyes fixed upon the cylinder still, from which other tentacles were now projecting, and began pushing my way back from the edge of the pit.
B) I found myself alone, and saw the people on the other side of the pit running off, Stent among them.
C) A big greyish rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly and painfully out of the cylinder.
A
This introduces the first appearance of the Martians.
What is the primary purpose of the excerpt?
A) To explain what happened when the cylinder opened
B) To provide a detailed description of the Martians
C) To show how people reacted to the Martians
D) To convince the reader the Martians are dangerous
B
Consider what the passage spends the most time on
Read the following dictionary entry:
inarticulate /inärˈtikyələt/ adj
1. unable to speak distinctly 2. not clearly expressed 3. not express; unspoken 4. without articulation
Which definition best matches the use of the word inarticulate in paragraph 13? "I heard inarticulate exclamations on all sides."
A) Definition 1 B) Definition 2
C) Definition 3 D) Definition 4
A.
Definition 1 implies that there is no clarity or meaning to the direction. "inarticulate exclamations" implies that they are screaming
What do the actions of the people standing around the pit represent?
A) You are safe if you give some space
B) People will always watch aliens
C) The inability to move when scared
D) A desire to watch something terrible
D.
Consider that the people are described as terrified, but all whispering to each other about what they see.
Paragraph 12 is important to the plot because it -
A) identifies the turning point that leads to uncovering what was inside the cylinder
B) provides an unexpected ending to the story
C) signifies the point at which the narrator changes his mind
A
Turning points in fiction are used to indicate a change in perspective, tone, or plot points.
Which detail explains why the Martians are slow-moving?
A) The tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and painfulness of movement due to the greater gravitational energy of the earth
B) Something in the clumsy deliberation of the tedious movements unspeakably nasty
C) It had toppled over the brim of the cylinder and fallen into the pit, with a thud
A
This establishes that they are uncomfortable and heavy on Earth
Read the sentence from paragraph 16 -
"It had toppled over the brim of the cylinder and fallen into the pit, with a thud like the fall of a great mass of leather."
The author uses a simile to convey-
A) the contrast between Martians and humans
B) the Martians outward appearance
C) the difficult movement of the Martians
D) the mystery around the Martians
C
Falling with a thud like a great mass invokes the idea of heaviness and difficult movement
Which word in paragraph 16 means "a loud noise"?
A) incessant
B) quivering
C) tumultuous
D) intensity
C.
"tumultuous" is used in the sentence "he tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere" implying that the narrator can hear them