NameDate
The Yellow WallpaperCopy Master
Vocabulary Study
A.Directions:As you read the passage, look for context clues to determine the meaning of the boldface words. Then write the word next to its meaning below.
James lay in bed, trying to calm himself. He had a high-strung temperament and was prone to jitters. After such a terrible month, it was no wonder. His co-workers had misconstrued an e-mail he sent, and their misunderstanding and laughter at his expense had caused him great difficulty. He shouldn’t care about such foolish people; their fatuity should have alerted him that they were not worth his concern. Now he had another problem: insomnia. He’d had recurrent bouts of insomnia every month for years. He looked up at the shadows that were undulating across the ceiling like snakes. They twisted and turned in a convolution forming new, complicated patterns with the old ceiling cracks. Suddenly, the snakes turned into bright, flamboyant streamers of yellow and green. He closed his eyes but could not force lurid thoughts from his mind: Those gruesome snakes had been sent by his co-workers.
Directions:Write each boldfaced word from Part A beside its definition.
1. misinterpreted
2. usual emotional response
3. shocking
4. strikingly colorful
5. moving in waves
6. a winding or folding; complication
7. occurring time after time
8. something foolish
convolution / lurid / flamboyant / recurrentfatuity / temperament / misconstrued / undulating
Directions:Write the word from the box that correctly completes each sentence.
1.Although Lucy is known for her elaborate clothing, this outfit is ______even for her!
2. Issa keeps getting ______ear infections, despite excellent medical care.
3.The pattern on Pablo’s tie seems to be ______, moving in waves.
4.Nico has a calm and easy ______so she rarely gets upset.
5. Dr. Lee assumed that his comment was clear, but the patient ______everything he said and left with a misunderstanding.
6.Sandeep especially enjoyed reading ______crime stories.
7. Loretta’s remark was filled with such ______that the whole class burst out laughing.
8. The plot ______at the end of the novel made it totally unbelievable.
AFTER YOU READ THE STORY, ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS
Analyze First-Person NarratorIn the line next to the word or phrase, write A if it describes an advantage of having a first-person narrator. Write D if it describes a disadvantage of having a first-person narrator.
____ cannot be trusted ____ personal
____ immediate ____ shows only one viewpoint
Interpret SymbolismIn the chart, describe how each situation makes the narrator feel. Then complete the sentence.
Situation in the story / How It Makes the Narrator Feelhaving to stay in the nursery
“ugly” pattern in the wallpaper
narrator’s joy at tearing down the wallpaper
The wallpaper represents
Understand Social ContextCircle the main points the author wants readers to know about life in the 1890s.
a. Wives were expected to obey their d. Men treated women like children.
husbands.
b. Women had much easier lives back then. e. Ugly rooms can make you mad.
c. Women were denied meaningful work. f. After childbirth, wives got sick.