Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Critical Reading
The questions below are based on the following
selection.
In the
following excerpt from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom Sawyer and Becky
Thatcher find themselves on an adventure in a dark cave.
They started
through a corridor, and traversed it in silence a long way, glancing at each new opening, to see if
there was anything familiar about the look of it; but they were all strange. Every time Tom made an
examination, Becky would watch his face for an encouraging sign, and he would say
cheerily:
“Oh,
it’s all right. This ain’t the one, but we’ll come to it right a’ay!” But he
felt less and less hopeful with each failure, and presently began to turn off into diverging avenues
at sheer random, in the desperate hope of finding the one that was wanted. He still said it was
“all right,” but there was such a “leaden dread at his heart, that the words had lost
their ring, and sounded as if he had said, “All is lost!” . . . .”
Tom shouted. The
call went echoing down the empty aisles, and died out in the distance in a faint sound that resembled
a ripple of mocking laughter . . . The children stood still and listened; but
there was no result.
A
B
C
D
1.
What
are Tom and Becky doing in the cave?
a.
They are fighting.
b.
They are running
away from home.
c.
They are lost and trying to find their way
out.
d.
They are
searching for a lost friend.
A
B
C
D
2.
Why
does Tom continue to tell Becky that everything is all right?
a.
so that she
won’t be afraid
b.
because he knows where he is going
c.
so that she
won’t leave without him
d.
because he has been in the cave many times
before
A
B
C
D
3.
As
the children wander through the cave, what is Tom’s reason for shouting?
a.
to show that he
is not afraid
b.
to listen to the echo of his voice
c.
to get
someone’s attention, so that they might be saved
d.
to express his
anger with Becky
A
B
C
D
4.
Which
of the following words best describes how the children feel?
a.
frightened
c.
angry
b.
bored
d.
lonely
A
B
C
D
5.
Which
of the following lines from the excerpt best creates a feeling of suspense?
a.
They started
through a corridor, and traversed it in silence a long way . . .
b.
Tom shouted.
c.
He still said it
was “all right,” but there was such a leaden dread at his heart, that the words had lost
their ring, and sounded as if he had said, “All is lost!”
d.
Every time Tom
made an examination, Becky would watch his face for an encouraging sign . . .
A
B
C
D
6.
Which
of the following phrases best emphasizes Tom’s sense of frustration and defeat?
a.
The call went
echoing down the empty aisles . . .
b.
. . . Becky would watch his face for an encouraging
sign
c.
They started
through a corridor . . .
d.
The call . . . died
out . . . in a faint sound that resembled a ripple of mocking
laughter.
A
B
C
D
7.
Which
of the following images shows the length and depth of the caves by appealing to a reader’s sense
of hearing?
a.
They started
through a corridor, and traversed it in silence a long way, glancing at each new opening, to see if
there was anything familiar about the look of it; . . .
b.
But he felt less
and less hopeful with each failure, and presently began to turn off into diverging avenues at sheer
random . . .
c.
Every time Tom made an examination, Becky would watch his face
for an encouraging sign . . .
d.
The call went echoing down the empty aisles, and died out in
the distance in a faint sound that resembled a ripple of mocking laughter . . .
A
B
C
D
8.
Based
on details in the excerpt, what mental image can you form of the cave?
a.
It is cold and
damp.
b.
It is long and it trails off in many
directions.
c.
It has a musty odor.
d.
It is
narrow.
A
B
C
D
9.
Based
on the excerpt, what can you infer about Tom’s feelings for Becky?
a.
He is annoyed
with her.
c.
He is protective
of her.
b.
He looks to her for
encouragement.
d.
He is afraid of
her.