Name Class Date
Unit 3: Collection 6
Selection Test reading and Literature
from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass
Comprehension Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
1. Why does Douglass return to his master?
A) He tells his master that he wants a different home.
B) He asks his master to set him free.
C) He wants to make Mr. Covey more angry.
D) He wants to prove that he can run away if he wants to.
2. Why does Douglass finally strike back at Mr. Covey?
A) He hopes to earn Mr. Covey’s respect.
B) He wants Mr. Covey to feel what it is like to be beaten.
C) He wants the beatings to stop.
D) The magic root he is carrying has given him extra strength.
3. What did Douglass mean when he wrote “you shall see how a slave became a man”?
A) He was referring to how he matched wits with Mr. Covey.
B) He was explaining how he was freed from slavery.
C) He was referring to his eighteenth birthday and reaching adulthood.
D) He was referring to the moment he found his courage and strength.
4. How was Douglass affected by this experience with Mr. Covey?
A) He no longer had to work in the fields.
B) He was placed in charge of the other slaves.
C) He regained his determination to be free.
D) He learned how to deal with slave owners.
5. Why did Douglass’s owner ignore his complaints and send him back to Mr. Covey?
A) He no longer owned Douglass.
B) Slave owners did not believe that a slave could feel pain.
C) He would lose a year’s wages if he took Douglass back.
D) He did not want to be responsible for tending to Douglass’s injuries.
Unit 3: Collection 6, Selection Test continued
Vocabulary Development Match the definition on the right with the vocabulary word on the left.
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
11 Unit 3 Resources
Name Class Date
______6. comply
______7. interpose
______8. gratification
______9. subjected
______10. epoch
A) noteworthy period of time
B) obey; agree to a request or command
C) made to experience some action or treatment
D) put forth in order to interfere
E) satisfaction; delight
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
11 Unit 3 Resources
Name Class Date
Vocabulary skill Circle the context clues in each of the following sentences that provide hints as to the meaning of each underlined word.
11. During this period of time, this epoch in my life, I learned how to handle fear.
12. This feeling of gratification left me happy to be able to assist in any way I could.
13. Although I was subjected to attend the meeting, by the end I no longer felt forced to stay.
14. Peter begged his teacher to interpose her authority to stop the bully from taunting him.
15. To comply with his father’s request, Peter agreed to walk his sister home.
Literary Focus Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
16. Which of the following sentences contains an example of a metaphor?
A) “who has himself repelled by force the bloody arm of slavery”
B) “my career as a slave”
C) “He trembled like a leaf.”
D) “I suppose I looked like a man who had escaped a den of wild beasts”
17. How does word choice support the purpose of Douglass’s writing?
A) His clear, precise use of words creates a serious tone.
B) His choice of words helps to create a humorous tone.
C) His use of ornate words helps to create a formal tone.
D) His use of everyday terms helps to create an informal tone.
Unit 3: Collection 6, Selection Test continued
18. Which of the following is the best example of Douglass’s use of diction to appeal to his audience’s compassion?
A) “On hearing the fan stop, he left immediately, and came to the spot where we were.”
B) “I was carrying wheat to the fan.”
C) “I told him as well as I could, for I scarce had strength to speak.”
D) “I made no effort to comply, having now made up my mind to let him do his worst.”
19. How does Douglass use vivid details to support the purpose of his writing?
A) The details create a feeling of suspense.
B) The details help readers visualize the brutality of the situation.
C) The details reveal how Douglass feels about his slave owner.
D) The details help to create a vivid image of the farm where Douglass is working.
Reading Focus Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
20. What was Douglass’s main purpose in writing this narrative?
A) To show how slaves were treated
B) To influence other slaves to resist violent treatment
C) To convince slave owners to treat their slaves with respect
D) To expose the cruelty of Mr. Covey
21. Which of the following sentences contains an example of persuasive writing?
A) “I remained all night, and according to his orders, I started off to Covey’s in the morning.”
B) “In this state, I appeared before my master, humbly entreating him to interpose his authority for my protection.”
C) “I spent that day mostly in the woods, having the alternative before me—to go home and be whipped to death, or stay in the woods and be starved to death.”
D) “He trembled like a leaf.”
Constructed Response (9 points)
22. How does Douglass’s narrative help you to understand that slavery was dehumanizing? Use examples from the piece to support your answer. Respond on a separate sheet of paper or on the back of this test.
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
12 Unit 3 Resources