Name ______Period ______

Assessment – “The Human Experience” – Short Stories

From “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury

The rifles cracked again, their sound was lost in shriek and lizard thunder. The great level of the reptile's tail swung up, lashed sideways. Trees exploded in clouds of leaf and branch. The Monster twitched its jeweler's hands down to fondle at the men, to twist them in half, to crush them like berries, to cram them into its teeth and its screaming throat. Its boulderstone eyes leveled with the men. They saw themselves mirrored. They fired at the metallic eyelids and the blazing black iris,

Like a stone idol, like a mountain avalanche, Tyrannosaurus fell.

Thundering, it clutched trees, pulled them with it. It wrenched and tore the metal Path. The men flung themselves back and away. The body hit, ten tons of cold flesh and stone. The guns fired. The Monster lashed its armored tail, twitched its snake jaws, and lay still. A fount of blood spurted from its throat. Somewhere inside, a sac of fluids burst. Sickening gushes drenched the hunters. They stood, red and glistening.

The thunder faded.

The jungle was silent. After the avalanche, a green peace.After the nightmare, morning.

Billings and Kramer sat on the pathway and threw up. Travis and Lesperance stood with smoking rifles, cursing steadily.

  1. In excerpt 1, the word “glistening” most likely means

a)Shiny

b)Cold

c)Hidden

d)Exposed

  1. The line “the monster twitched its jeweler’s hands” is an example of a

a)Alliteration

b)Metaphor

c)Personification

d)Simile

  1. Which line best describes the setting of the passage?

a)“The body hit, ten tons of cold flesh and stone.”

b)“Billings and Kramer sat on the pathway and threw up.”

c)“The jungle was silent. After the avalanche, a green peace.”

d)“Like a stone idol, like a mountain avalanche, Tyrannosaurus fell.”

  1. The mood that would best describe thispassage is

a)Romantic

b)Light-hearted

c)Hopeful

d)Stressful

  1. The author uses which of the following to create the mental image of the raging dinosaur?

a)Irony

b)Setting

c)Imagery

d)Alliteration

From “The Undertaker’s Tale” by Mark Twain

But as I said before, trouble was to come. Business began to grow dull while the winter was still upon us. It steadily slackened. Presently it had dwindled to that there was no trade but in chronic consumption, and it is hardly worthwhile to mention that there is never much doing in cases of that sort in small country villages. The joy in the faces of the family gradually gave way to anxious looks, and we had but little pleasant talk, evenings. Things only grew worse as time went on. The spring opened gloomily. We had day after day of brilliant sunshine, clamor of warbling birds, balmy, healing, vivifying atmosphere – there was everything to make us dismal, heartsick, hopeless. The spring dragged its disastrous length along and left a memorable record behind it – three months and a half with scarcely a demise.

We got ready for the summer trade. There came news that the cholera had appeared in the seaports, and for the first time in months we had an old-time evening of innocent gaiety in place of bowed heads and heavy sighs. The disease spread from village to village, till it reached within five miles of us – then it split apart and wandered far away on either side, leaving our town untouched.

  1. The following is an example of situational irony from the passage:

a)Presently it had dwindled to that there was no trade but in chronic consumption,

b)But as I said before, trouble was to come… We had day after day of brilliant sunshine

c)for the first time in months we had an old-time evening of innocent gaiety in place of bowed heads and heavy sighs

d)The joy in the faces of the family gradually gave way to anxious looks, and we had but little pleasant talk, evenings

  1. In the passage, the word anxious most likely means:

a)Nervous

b)Funny

c)Excited

d)Scared

  1. From what point of view is the above passage told?

a)3rd person

b)1st Person

c)Omniscient limited

d)Innocent Eye

  1. The tone of the passage is:

a)Worried

b)Enthusiastic

c)Paranoid

d)Bored

  1. What is the author’s purpose for using situational irony in the passage?

a)Use humor and irony to force the reader to look at life in a different way

b)make the reader sympathize with the antagonist

c)To allow the reader to more easily understand the family dynamic

d)To create a feeling of terror for the reader

Excerpt from “Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe

A succession of loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form, seemed to thrust me violently back. For a brief moment I hesitated, I trembled.Unsheathing my rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess; but the thought of an instant reassured me. I placed my hand upon the solid fabric of the catacombs, and felt satisfied. I reapproached the wall; I replied to the yells of him who clamored. I reechoes, I aided, I surpassed them in volume and strength. I did this and the clamor grew still.

It was now midnight, and my task was drawing to a close. I had completed the eighth, the ninth, and the tenth tier. I had finished a portion of the last and the eleventh; there remained but a single stone to be fitted and plastered in. I struggled with its weight; I placed it partially in its destined position. But now there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected the hairs upon my head. It was succeeded by a sad voice, which I had difficulty in recognizing as that of the noble Fortunato. The voice said…

“For the love of God, Montressor!”

Excerpt from “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

“Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door- (5)

Only this, and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore- (10)

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-

Nameless here for evermore.

  1. From what point of view is the excerpt from “The Raven” told?
  1. 3rd person
  2. 1st person
  3. Innocent eye
  4. Omniscient limited
  1. In “The Raven”, the line, “and each dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor” is an example of…
  1. Personification
  2. Alliteration
  3. Simile
  4. Onomatopoeia
  1. What would be the mood that best describes both of the above excerpts?
  1. Hopeful and optimistic
  2. Humorous and light-hearted
  3. Mournful and depressing
  4. Ominous and dark
  1. In the excerpt from “The Cask of Amontillado”, the word unsheathing most likely means…
  1. To uncover
  2. To cover
  3. To hide
  4. To replace
  1. In the line, “I placed it partially in its destined position,” the pronounitsrefers to which of the following nouns?
  1. Task
  2. Rapier
  3. Catacombs
  4. Stone

Excerpt from “The Most Dangerous Game” By Richard Connell

His hands were tight closed as if his nerve were something tangible that someone in the darkness was trying to tear from his grip. The softness of the earth had given him an idea. He stepped back from the quicksand a dozen feet or so, and, like some huge prehistoric beaver, he began to dig…

He knew his pursuer was coming; he heard the padding sound of feet on the soft earth, and the night breeze brought him the perfume of the general’s cigarette. It seemed to Rainsford that the general was coming with unusual swiftness; he was not feeling his way along, foot by foot. Rainsford, crouching there, could not see the general, nor could he see the pit. He lived a year in a minute. Then he felt an impulse to cry aloud with joy, for he heard the sharp crackle of the breaking branches as the cover of the pit gave way; he heard the sharp scream of pain as the pointed stakes found their mark. He leaped up from his place of concealment. Then, he cowered back. Three feet from the pit a man was standing, with an electric torch in his hand.

  1. What does the line “he lived a year in a minute” most likely mean in the above excerpt?
  1. He was concerned with the time it would take for his trap to work
  2. He was sick and felt old
  3. Time was flying by because he was enjoying what he was doing
  4. The time he was in danger seemed to be much longer because of his fear
  1. The line, “like some huge prehistoric beaver” is an example of…
  1. Metaphor
  2. Personification
  3. Simile
  4. alliteration
  1. The word tangible in the above excerpt most likely means…
  1. Something that you can see and touch
  2. Something that is abstract
  3. Something that biological
  4. Something inhuman
  1. Based on the above excerpt, Rainsford’s character is best described as…
  1. Clever
  2. Afraid
  3. Sinister
  4. Calm
  1. Which of the following conflicts is evident in the above passage?
  1. Man verses self
  2. Man verses society
  3. Internal conflict
  4. Man verses Man

Constructed Response: This question is worth 15 points.

Read the passage on the next page and write a constructed response on the prompt. Your response will be graded using the rubric below. Be thoughtful in your response.

Response Quality / Point Value / Criteria
Exceeds Expectations / 14-15 / The student demonstrates a thorough understanding of all concepts and integrates relevant and accurate disciplinary content with thorough explanations/ calculations/ arguments (citing text evidence) that demonstrates in-depth understanding.
Meets Expectations / 11-13 / The student demonstrates a basic understanding of all concepts and accurately presents disciplinary content relevant to the question with sufficient explanations/ calculations/ arguments (citing text evidence) that demonstrate understanding.
Approaches Expectations / 7-10 / The student demonstrates a partial understanding of all concepts and briefly notes disciplinary content relevant to the question; shows basic understanding of content; minor errors in explanations/ calculations / arguments (citing little text evidence).
Minimal Response / 1-6 / The student demonstrates no understanding of all concepts, attempting to include disciplinary content but understanding of content is weak; substantial and multiple errors and/or inaccuracies in the explanations/ calculations/ arguments (citing no text evidence).
No Response / 0

eader the Response Rubricrstand the family dynamic? the passage:own untouched.vy sighs. The disease spread from village to viRead the excerpt below from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Reference the rubric above to see how this short essay will be scored.

Prompt: Discuss the overall moodcreated in this excerpt. Feel free to use multiple “mood” words if more than one occur to you. In your explanation, use threeexamples from the piece that help you, as the reader, identify the mood. Consider imagery, figurative language, and diction as indicators that establish mood.

It was a pleasure to burn.

It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with his great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black. He strode in a swarm of fireflies. He wanted above all, like the old joke, to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house. While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning.

Montaggrinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame.

He knew that when he returned to the firehouse, he might wink at himself, a minstrel man, burnt-corked, in the mirror. Later, going to sleep, he would feel the fiery smile still gripped by his face muscles, in the dark. It never went away, that smile, it never went away, as long as he remembered.

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