Name Date
Section 1 (80 points)
This section contains 20 multiple-choice items worth 3 points each and 10 matching items worth 2 points each.
Directions
Read the following poem. Then, select the correct answer to each item and circle your answers on the answer sheet.
Ode to My Window
by Pat Shank
Mad wind whistlin' through walls this night
Charlie, my dog, whimpers in fright
Look at that sky—black upon black
Please, Moon, shine through, just one small crack
Ice pelts the windows—Ping! Ping! Ping!
I wonder if they feel the sting
I ask myself, do panes pained bleed?
Probably not, just hearts in need
I think of this window by my bed
Gifts it keeps giving to my head:
Shows me the stars on dark, long nights
Through it my dreams begin their flights
Morning it brings me warmth from the sun
Rainbows, too, I think just for fun
Flowers I see, red and yellow
Waves to me from girls and fellows
Shadows it bends as if in dance
On walls as I watch entranced
Take my secrets, I whisper soft
Into the night, may they take loft
Ice, go away—leave us alone
You and wind go somewhere—atone!
Time it is for winter to end
Spring's just got to be 'round the bend
These thoughts must have lulled me to sleep
Next I knew, in morning did creep
Looked at the glass, none worse for wear
Smiled to myself at the Sun's glare
Ground covered now with fresh white snow
Tree bent heavy shaped like a bow
A daffodil I think I saw
Pushing its head up through the thaw
I say my prayers and sip my tea
A glorious day this will be
So glad to be here one more time
Perhaps I can share one more rhyme
Give thanks to the makers of glass
With it the days beautifully pass
Keep it clean for me to see through
Don't get out much at 92
1. Which is an example of onomatopoeia?
A. Ping! Ping! Ping!
B. whistlin' through walls
C. shaped like a bow
2. Reread the first stanza. Why does the poet capitalize “Moon” and plead with the moon to shine through “just one small crack”?
A. She capitalizes Moon because it is a planet. She hopes it will shine as soon as the storm is over so her fears will disappear.
B. She capitalizes Moon to draw attention to that word, since it is the only source of hope in the poem. She enjoys the light from the Moon.
C. She capitalizes Moon to address it like a person, so her plea is taken more seriously. She needs this small sliver of light to rescue her from the frightening dark.
3. Which image in the poem symbolizes the speaker's fear?
A. ice
B. stars
C. shadows
4. Which sentence best describes one of the main themes in this poem?
A. Time passes slowly and waits for nobody.
B. Life is beautiful, and each day brings joy.
C. Nature is unpredictable, powerful, and threatening.
5. At the end of the poem, the author feels ______.
A. respectful
B. defeated
C. grateful
6. With which statement would the speaker most likely agree?
A. People should stay indoors when they are older.
B. Winter is the most beautiful season.
C. People should be satisfied with what they have.
7. Which does the window symbolize in the poem?
A. time and life
B. sadness and change
C. knowledge and experience
8. Read this line from the poem.
Tree bent heavy shaped like a bow
Which type of figurative language is this an example of?
A. metaphor
B. simile
C. alliteration
9. Which literary device is used in the line “Next I knew, in morning did creep”?
A. alliteration
B. personification
C. imagery
10. Which can you conclude about the 92-year-old speaker in the poem?
A. She relies on the window to be her gateway to the world; without it, she would miss out on life.
B. She is sad and scared that she must spend all of her days watching the world go by outside.
C. She loves looking out the window during the day, but the images it brings at night frighten her.
Directions
Correctly match the following terms with their definitions.
___ 11. climax A. a form of symbolism where words and phrases represent ideas and
qualities as characters
___ 12. assonance B. comparison where two unlike things are compared
____13. metaphor C. the way a story begins; facts about setting and characters are presented
___ 14. foreshadowing D. the turning point in a story
___ 15. allegory E. an account written about a person by that person
___ 16. personification F. clues that appear in a work that hint what will happen later
___ 17. autobiography G. repetition of consonant sounds
___ 18. tone H. the attitude the writer communicates to his audience
___19. irony I. giving human characteristics or qualities to nonhuman things
___ 20. exposition J. a contradiction between what is expected and what actually happens
Directions
Read the following short story. Then, select the correct answer to each item and circle your answers on the answer sheet.
The Price of Pride
A cool breeze swept down through the village streets of Hypaepa. All was quiet except for the sounds of the everyday comings and goings. Arachne, the daughter of simple peasants, worked diligently, weaving the day's freshly spun wool. Arachne displayed masterful skills as an artist. She was known throughout the surrounding countryside for weaving designs of unmatched beauty. People traveled from all areas of Greece to see the glorious creations that sprang from her humble loom.
One fateful morning, a large group of forest and water spirits left their homes, hoping to catch Arachne at work. They came to watch her first dye the wool in vibrant colors and then spin delicate threads into works of unparalleled splendor. The spirits admired both the ease with which she worked as well as the beauty of her creations. After several hours of diligent observation, one of the spirits approached Arachne and exclaimed, "Surely, you have been trained by the master herself, Athena, the goddess of all artistry."
"Ha! Athena has taught me nothing," Arachne replied. "I have taught myself everything that I know. Nothing has been given to me. My own talent and hard work have created these works of beauty." She turned angrily to the crowd of spirits with a look of reproach and held her hands out for all to see. "These hands are capable of achievements greater than those of the gods themselves," she spoke. The spirits gasped to hear her speak with such arrogance.
Word of Arachne's boastings rapidly spread through the village and the countryside until, eventually, Athena herself heard of the arrogant girl. Athena decided to warn Arachne of the danger of being insolent to the gods. Disguising herself as an elderly woman in tattered clothing, Athena traveled to Arachne's cottage.
There, Athena stood among a crowd of spectators and admired Arachne's work. She approached Arachne and said, "You are certainly entitled to strive to become the best artist among mortals. But be warned by the wisdom of an old woman: You should be more careful. These talents are a gift, and you should thank the goddess Athena rather than taunt her. Surely you know that the divinity of the gods cannot be touched by a mere mortal such as yourself."
Arachne responded with outrage. She leapt from her spinning wheel and shouted, "Save your advice for your grandchildren, old woman. If Athena were half the weaver I am, she would come down here and prove it!"
Upon hearing the girl's outburst, Athena lost her temper. She cast aside her disguise and revealed her identity. In all her glorious, glowering rage, the goddess stood among the group of onlookers. All those around bowed down before her—all except Arachne, who offered no apology.
Athena turned to the people and ordered that two looms be brought forward for a competition. She declared, "Skill and technique shall be judged in this contest. The contest will end at sunset." After the looms were brought, the two weavers sat amidst a crowd of hushed spectators. Arachne appeared calm. Undaunted, she whispered to Athena, "Do you dare to weave against me?"
And so the shuttles flashed, in and out across the threads on the looms. Each weaver worked with skilled, enthusiastic fingers. As the day wore on, colors blended from one to another in breathtaking variety. As fine tapestries emerged, it was as if light itself bent through the looms and was transformed into rolling rainbows.
Athena finished her tapestry first. It portrayed the story of a battle in which she had fought Poseidon for control of the city of Athens. On one side stood Poseidon, striking the ground, producing a gushing spring of salt water. On the other side stood Athena, also striking the ground, creating a hole from which sprang a silvery olive tree. In each of the four corners of the tapestry, Athena wove stories of mortals who had faced terrible fates after challenging the gods. All agreed that the tapestry was a work of unsurpassed artistry. Arachne would be hard-pressed to match its quality.
Shortly after, just as the last rays of the sun touched the horizon, Arachne finished her tapestry. Her tapestry depicted several scenes of the gods as well. In stark opposition to Athena's tapestry, Arachne's work showed the gods at their worst moments. She had woven images that mocked and humiliated the gods' virtues and powers. Each scene displayed the gods and their victims in fabulous detail, more lifelike than any tapestry ever created. Arachne had created a border of flowers and ivy so lovely that some believed they could smell the blooms.
Athena stepped forward to examine this tapestry. She observed every detail as she searched for defects. When she found none, she called upon her servant, Envy, to examine the tapestry. Even Envy, after much observation, could find no thread out of alignment. Both tapestries were flawless. There was no disputing, however, that Arachne's tapestry was clearly more beautiful and artistic than that of the goddess Athena. Arachne was declared the winner of the contest.
Athena became outraged at being defeated by a mere human. She ripped Arachne's tapestry into tiny pieces. She turned to Arachne, determined to teach her a lesson. Smiling gruesomely at the mortal, Athena declared, "You shall be well rewarded for your pride." She sprinkled an herbal potion over Arachne, declaring, "Since you love to spin so very much, vain girl, you may spin forever."
Immediately, Arachne's hair began to fall from her head and her ears and nose fell off. The girl's arms and legs withered away, and her head shrank as her abdomen swelled. Eight long legs sprouted from Arachne's sides. She scurried away and, unable to restrain herself, started spinning silken threads into complex webs.
Arachne's descendants, all offspring forever, continue to weave beautiful creations.
21. From which point of view is the story told?
A. first-person
B. second-person
C. third-person
22. Which characteristics do Arachne and Athena have in common?
A. persistence and confidence
B. cleverness and understanding
C. talent and humility
23. Which sentence from the story best hints at the idea that Arachne has too much pride?
A. "These hands are capable of achievements greater than those of the gods themselves," she spoke.
B. People traveled from all areas of Greece to see the glorious creations that sprang from her humble loom.
C. "These talents are a gift, and you should thank the goddess Athena rather than taunt her."
24. In which story part does the following event belong?
Arachne responded with outrage. She leapt from her spinning wheel and shouted, "Save your advice for your grandchildren, old woman. If Athena were half the weaver I am, she would come down here and prove it!"
A. rising action
B. climax
C. falling action
25. Read these sentences from the story.
Word of Arachne's boastings rapidly spread through the village and the countryside until, eventually, Athena herself heard of the arrogant girl. Athena decided to warn Arachne of the danger of being insolent to the gods.
Which literary technique does the author use in these sentences?
A. foreshadowing
B. sensory details
C. metaphor
26. Which statement best summarizes the main theme of the story?
A. The gods are petty and will punish you if you embarrass them.
B. If you brag, people will gossip and turn against you.
C. Too much pride can lead to your downfall.
27. How does the author’s use of dialogue contribute to the story?
A. It breaks up the paragraphs and makes reading the story easier.
B. It allows the reader to better understand the characters.
C. It provides a break from the narrative technique.
28. Which motivates Arachne?
A. greed
B. her talents
C. her ego
29. Why does Arachne become so boastful about her talents as a weaver?
A. because the spirits came to watch her work
B. because she was tired of weaving without recognition from others in the town
C. because she is angered when the water spirits assume she is not self-trained
30. Who is the protagonist in the story?
A. Athena
B. Arachne
C. Envy
Section 2 (20 points)
This section contains 2 essay questions worth 10 points each.
Directions
Respond to the following essay questions on your answer sheet.
1. What is the most important message that the speaker is trying to tell the reader in “Ode to My Window”? How does her use of imagery help to relay this message? How does the structure of the poem contribute to its overall effect? How does the poet try to evoke emotions from the reader? Use specific examples from the poem to support your conclusions.
2. Discuss the significance of the contrast in mood and setting from the beginning of “The Price of Pride” to the end of it. How does this further develop the theme? How does the change in images describing the setting affect the plot? Use specific examples from the story to support your conclusions.
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