Name:______Date:______

ELA 8 Period:______

“The Story-Teller” – Reading Comprehension

Directions: Circle the correct answer to each question.

  1. “The Story-teller” takes place
  2. In a country house
  3. In a townhouse
  4. On a boat
  5. On a train
  1. Which of the following can the reader infer from this passage from “The Story-Teller?”

Most of the aunt’s remarks seemed to begin with “Don’t,” and nearly all of the children’s remarks began with “Why?”

  1. a great deal of time is passing
  2. the aunt is extremely clever about handling the children
  3. the children are extremely pleasant and well-behaved
  4. the aunt is having trouble keeping the children under control
  1. In “The Story-teller,” which of the following words best describes the initial attitude of the bachelor toward the aunt and the children?
  2. Amusement
  3. Curiosity
  4. Annoyance
  5. Delight
  1. From the children’s reaction to the aunt’s story in “The Story-Teller,” it can be inferred that the children
  2. Dislike stories about children who are very good
  3. Dislike their aunt
  4. Dislike the bachelor
  5. Dislike one another
  1. Why does the phrase “horribly good” attract the children’s attention to the bachelor’s story in “The Story-Teller”?
  2. The bachelor pronounces it in a silly voice that amuses them
  3. The phrase is a sign that the bachelor knows that the children are put off by stuffy adult notions of goodness
  4. The children delight in the idea that the bachelor’s story will upset their boring old aunt
  5. The children feel challenged by it because they do not understand it
  6. Which of the following best summarizes the theme of the bachelor’s story in “The Story-Teller”?
  7. Violence is never a solution to any conflict
  8. If you are too proud of being good, you are not really so good
  9. Pigs are more beautiful than flowers
  10. A love of animals can be a dangerous thing
  1. In “The Story-Teller,” what aspect of the story is admired by the children and the bachelor but criticized by the aunt?
  2. It is improper
  3. It is proper
  4. It is imaginative
  5. It makes no sense
  1. Which of the following best captures a major theme of “The Story-Teller”?
  2. The best way for adults to deal with children is by upholding very high standards of goodness
  3. The best way for adults to deal with children is by not holding them to unrealistically high standards of goodness
  4. Adults and children can never really communicate with each other
  5. Never take children on long trips if you expect to have nay peace and quiet.

Why do you think the bachelor’s story in “The Story-Teller” is more appealing to the children than the aunt’s? Give specific reasons for your answer, focusing on why the children like the phrase “horribly good” and the ending of the story. (6-10 sentences)