From the Little Princess by Frances Hodgen Burnett
SpringBoard Unit 1 Test – Grade 6
“In the Attic”
From The Little Princess by Frances Hodgen Burnett
The change in her life did not come about gradually, but was made all at once.
“She must begin as she is to go on,” Miss Minchin said to Miss Amelia. “She must be taught at once what she is to expect.”
Mariette had left the house the next morning. The glimpse Sara caught of her sitting room, as she passed its open door, showed her that everything had been changed. Her ornaments and luxuries had been removed, and a bed had been placed in a corner to transform it into a new pupil’s bedroom.
When she went down to breakfast she saw that her seat at Miss Minchin’s side was occupied by Lavinia, and Miss Minchin spoke to her coldly.
“You will begin your new duties, Sara,” she said, “by taking your seat with the younger children at a smaller table. You must keep them quiet, and see that they behave well and do not waste their food. You ought to have been down earlier. Lottie has already spilled her tea.”
That was the beginning, and from day to day the duties given to her were added to. She taught the younger children French and heard their other lessons, and these were the least of her labors. It was found that she could be made use of in numberless directions. She could be sent on errands at any time and in all weathers. She could be told to do things other people neglected. The cook and the housemaids took their tone from Miss Minchin, and rather enjoyed ordering about the “young one” who had been made so much fuss over for so long. They were not servants of the best class, and had neither good manners nor good tempers, and it was frequently convenient to have at hand someone to blame when things went wrong.
During the first month or two, Sara thought that her willingness to do things as well as she could, along with staying quiet, might soften those who drove her so hard. In her proud little heart she wanted them to see that she was trying to earn her living and not accepting charity. But the time came when she saw that no one was softened at all; and the more willing she was to do as she was told, the more ready a scolding cook was to blame her.
If she had been older, Miss Minchin would have given her the bigger girls to teach and saved money by dismissing the teacher; but while she remained and looked like a child, she could be made more useful as a sort of little superior errand girl and maid of all work. An ordinary errand boy would not have been so clever and reliable. Sara could be trusted with difficult instructions and complicated messages. She could even go and pay bills, and she combined with this the ability to dust a room well and to set things in order.
Her own lessons became things of the past. She was taught nothing, and only after long and busy days spent running around here and there at everybody’s orders was she grudgingly allowed to go into the deserted schoolroom, with a pile of old books, and study alone at night.
1. Read the following sentence from The Little Princess.
“The change in her life did not come about gradually, but was made all at once.”
What does this sentence suggest about Sara’s new life?
a. Sara will have time to get used to her duties at the school.
b. Sara has little time to make difficult choices about the school.
c. Sara will not have much time to adjust to her new situation at the school.
d. Sara is going to have to change the way she lives if she wants to stay in school.
2. Read the following sentence from The Little Princess.
“The cook and the housemaids took their tone from Miss Minchin, and rather enjoyed ordering about the ‘young one’ who had been made so much fuss over for so long.”
Which of the following BEST describes the word tone as it is used in this sentence?
a. expression
b. manner
c. quality
d. sound
3. Which of the following sentences from the passage suggest that Sara could handle many different tasks?
a. “That was the beginning, and from day to day the duties given to her were added to.”
b. “It was found that she could be made use of in numberless directions.”
c. “Sara could be trusted with difficult commissions and complicated messages.”
d. “Her own lessons became things of the past.”
4. In working as hard as she could, what did Sara hope would happen?
a. that the cook, housemaids, and Miss Minchin would be kinder toward her
b. that she would be finally allowed to teach the older girls in the school
c. that she would be allowed to have some time off from her duties
d. that Miss Minchin would allow Sara to attend classes again with the other students.
5. Read the following sentence from The Little Princess.
“When she went down to breakfast she saw that her seat at Miss Minchin’s side was occupied by Lavinia, and Miss Minchin spoke to her coldly.”
In the context of the passage, what does the word coldly mean as used in this sentence?
a. without feeling
b. in an angry manner
c. with great care
d. in a sarcastic manner
Short Answer Question 1
Read the following Short Answer Questions. Choose 1 to answer on your answer sheet.
A. Briefly Describe the ways Miss Minchkin keeps Sara isolated from the others at the school. Use details from the passage to support your answer.
B. Briefly describe the kind of person Sara is. Use details from the passage to support your answer.
“The Home of Our Fathers”
From “The Story Girl” by L.M. Montgomery.
“Who is the Story Girl?” asked Felix.
“Oh, Sara – Sarah Stanley. We call her the Story Girl partly because she loves to tell stories – oh, I can’t begin to describe it – and partly because Sara Ray, who lives at the foot of the hill, often comes up to play with us, and it is awkward to have two girls of the same name in the same crowd. Besides, Sara Stanley doesn’t like her name and she’d rather be called the Story Girl.”
Dan speaking for the first time, rather sheepishly volunteered the information that Peter had also been intending to come over but had to go home to take some flour to his mother instead.
“Peter?” I questioned. I had never heard of any Peter.
“He is your Uncle Roger’s handy boy,” said Uncle Alex. “His name is Peter Craig, and he is a real smart little chap. But he’s got his share of mischief, that same lad.”
“He wants to be Felicity’s boyfriend,” said Dan Slyly.
“Don’t talk silly nonsense, Dan,” said Aunt Janet severely.
Felicity tossed her golden head and shot a mean, unsisterly glance at Dan.
“I wouldn’t be very likely to have hired a boy for a boyfriend,” she observed.
We saw that her anger was real. Evidently Peter was not an admirer of whom Felicity was proud.
We were very hungry boys; and when we had eaten all we could – and oh, what suppers Aunt Janet always spread! – we discovered that we were very tired also – too tired to go out and explore our family’s land, as we would have liked to do, despite the dark.
We were quite willing to go to bed; and presently we found ourselves tucked away upstairs in the very room, looking out eastward into the spruce grove, where father had once slept. Dan shared it with us, sleeping in a bed of his own in the opposite corner. The sheets and pillow-slips were fragrant with lavender, and one of Grandmother King’s noted patchwork quilts was over us. The window was open and we heard the frogs singing down in the swamp of the brook meadow. We had heard frogs sing in Ontario, of course; but certainly Prince Edward Island frogs were more tuneful and mellow. Or was it simply the glamour of old family traditions and tales which was over us, lending its magic to all sights and sounds around us? This was home – father’s home – OUR home! We had never lived long enough in any one house to develop a feeling of affection for it; but here, under the roof-tree built by Great-Grandfather King ninety years ago, that feeling swept into our boyish hearts and souls like a flood of living sweetness and tenderness.
“Just think, those are the very frogs father listened to when he was a little boy,” whispered Felix.
“They can hardly be the SAME frogs,” I objected doubtfully, not feeling very certain about the possible longevity of frogs. “It’s twenty years since father left home.”
“Well, they’re the descendants of the frogs he heard,” said Felix, “and they’re singing in the same swamp. That’s close enough.”
Our door was open and in their room across the narrow hall the girls were preparing for bed, and talking rather more loudly than they might have if they realized how far their sweet, shrill voices carried. We could hear their conversation.
“What do you think of the boys?” asked Cecily.
“Beverley is handsome, but Felix is too fat,” answered Felicity promptly.
Felix twitched the quilt rather viciously and grunted. But I began to think I would like Felicity. It might not be altogether her fault that she was vain. How could she help it when she looked in the mirror?
“I think they’re both nice and nice looking,” said Cecily.
Dear little soul! She was such a sweet girl!
“I wonder what the Story Girl will think of them,” said Felicity, as if, after all, that was the main thing.
Somehow, we, too, felt that it was. We felt that if the Story Girl did not approve of us it did not matter who else did or did not.
“I wonder if the Story Girl is pretty,” said Felix aloud.
“No, she isn’t,” said Dan instantly, from across the room. “But you’ll think she is while she’s talking to you. Everybody does. It’s only when you go away from her that you find out she isn’t a bit pretty after all.”
The girls’ door shut with a bang. Silence fell over the house. We drifted into the land of sleep, wondering if the Story Girl would like us.
6. Why is Sara Stanley called “the Story Girl”?
a. She would rather read books than play.
b. She wants to be a writer when she grows up.
c. She makes up lies about the other children.
d. She does not like to be called by her real name.
7. Read this sentence from The Story Girl.
“We were quite willing to go to bed; and presently we found ourselves tucked away upstairs in the very rom, looking out eastward into the spruce groove, where father had once slept.”
As used in this sentence, what does the word presently mean?
a. much later
b. soon
c. suddenly
d. sadly
8. Read the following sentence from The Story Girl.
“I wouldn’t be very likely to have a hired boy for a boyfriend,” she observed.
What does this sentence suggest about Felicity?
a. She does not have time to be interested in boys.
b. She is unsure as to whether a boy would find her pretty.
c. She things that someone who works for others is beneath her.
d. She has lost interest in having a conversation with boys.
9. Which of these settings from the passage is the MOST emotional for the boys?
a. the bedroom where the father once slept.
b. Aunt Janet’s kitchen where meals are served
c. Uncle Roger’s parlor where the children all meet
d. the brook meadow which is near the family’s house
10. Read the following sentences from The Story Girl.
“No, she isn’t,” said Dan instantly, from across the room. “But you’ll think she is while she’s talking to you. Everybody does. It’s only when you go away from her that you find out she isn’t a bit pretty after all.”
What is Dan suggesting by his description of Story Girl?
a. She has such a beautiful voice people forget what she looks like.
b. People enjoy her stories so much they confuse that with her appearance.
c. The Story Girl is plain looking but everyone pretends she is beautiful.
d. Dan is the only one who believes that the Story Girls is not very pretty.
11. Read the following sentences from The Story Girl.
“We had never lived long enough in any one house to develop a feeling of affection for it; but here, under the roof-tree built by Great-Grandfather King ninety years ago, that feeling swept into our boyish hearts and souls like a flood of living sweetness and tenderness.”
What is the author suggesting this these sentences?
a. The boys had enjoyed moving around and did not want to settle in one place.
b. Perhaps for the first time, the boys believed they were feeling a sense of home.
c. Missing their father made the boys realize they would never have a place to live.
d. Unsure as to whether or not this house would be welcoming to them, the boys felt sad.
12. Which of the following BEST describes the mood of the story at the end of the passage?
a. The mood is sad as the children are thinking about the house their father lived in.
b. The mood is happy as the children are excited about staying in their new home.
c. The mood is uncertain as the children are concerned about meeting the Story Girl.
d. The mood is funny because the children find it funny that Felicity makes fun of Felix.
“Operation, Equipment, and Business”
From The Story of the Pony Express by Glenn D. Bradley
[The Pony Express was a fast mail service in the U.S. from 1860-1861.]
It is not to be supposed that all, nor any considerable number of the Pony Express men were saintly, nor that they all took their pledge too seriously. Judged by present-day standards, most of these men were rough and unconventional; some of them were bad. Yet one thing is certain: in loyalty and blind devotion to duty, no group of employees will ever beat the men who conducted the Pony Express. During the sixteen months of its existence, the riders of this wonderful enterprise, nobly assisted by the faithful station-keepers, travelled six hundred and fifty thousand miles, contending against the most desperate odds that a lonely wilderness and brutal nature could offer, with the loss of only a single mail.