Name ______Period ______
English 8 Short Story Unit Reading Questions
“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros
1. Which of the following events happens first in the story?
a. Rachel wakes up on her eleventh birthday.
b. Sylvia Saldivar identifies the red sweater as Rachel’s.
c. Rachel cries in front of everyone.
d. Rachel says that the red sweater is not hers.
2. The red sweater actually belongs to
a. Rachel
b. Sylvia
c. Phyllis
d. Mrs. Price
3. Based on the fact that Rachel says it is too late to have a happy birthday, one can infer that
a. Sylvia Salvador was not invited to Rachel’s party.
b. Rachel’s day was ruined by the incident with the sweater.
c. Rachel hates birthdays and her family doesn’t realize it.
d. Phyllis Lopez is actually Sylvia’s best friend.
4. Explain the role that the red sweater had in making Rachel upset.
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5. Explain Rachel’s philosophy about birthdays and how it justifies the way people act in certain situations.
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“The Dinner Party” by Mona Gardner
1. Which of the following statements would the colonel agree with?
a. “Women never show courage.”
b. “Men show greater self-control than women.”
c. “Men do not experience fear.”
d. “Women are far more courageous than men.”
2. The naturalist knows that there is a snake in the room because
a. he sees a strange expression in the hostess’s face.
b. the native boy’s eyes widen in alarm.
c. a bowl of milk is placed on the veranda.
d. it is crawling across his foot.
3. The naturalist gets everyone to sit still by
a. warning them about the snake
b. challenging the guests to test their self-control
c. offering to pay each guest money
d. telling them it is rude to move while dinner is being served
4. One can infer that the cobra did not strike Mrs. Wynnes because
a. she kept her body absolutely still.
b. cobras do not attack women.
c. it wasn’t hungry.
d. the naturalist had a good idea.
5. The first sentence of the story tells us the setting is India. Why is this information important to the story?
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“Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara
1. How did Squeaky gain her name?
a. Her sneakers squeak when she runs.
b. Squeaky is short for Hazel Elizabeth.
c. It is because she is so fast.
d. She has a squeaky voice.
2. Why do people call Raymond Squeaky’s “little” brother?
a. He is younger.
b. He is smaller.
c. He needs looking after.
d. He is small for his age.
3. What conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between Squeaky and Raymond?
a. Squeaky resents Raymond because she always has to look after him.
b. Squeaky cares about Raymond so much that she wants him to feel
important.
c. Raymond wishes Squeaky would spend more time with him and less time
worrying about the races.
d. Raymond sees Squeaky as his coach and nothing more.
4. In this sentence, “To the right a blurred Gretchen, who’s got her chin jutting out as if it would win the race all by itself,” what does the word “jutting” mean?
a. sticking out
b. running
c. folding in
d. winning
5. Explain why Squeaky develops “a new plan”.
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6. Squeaky suggests that it is difficult for girls in our society to be “something honest and worthy of respect.” Explain why you agree or disagree with her opinion.
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“The Path Through the Cemetery” by Leonard Q. Ross
1. Why was Ivan called “The Terrible”?
a. He was violent and mean.
b. It was a way for the people to show him respect.
c. It was a way for the people to mock him.
d. He was “terribly” handsome.
2. Which even occurred last?
a. Ivan accepted the challenge to cross the cemetery.
b. Ivan was found frozen to death.
c. Ivan stabbed the saber through the dragging folds of his long coat into the
ground.
d. No one believed Ivan would succeed in meeting the challenge.
3. In your own opinion, why did Ivan die? Who is responsible for his death?
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“Mother in Mannville” by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
1. The narrator’s first impression of Jerry is that he is
a. a boy with great integrity
b. a boy with great strength
c. a boy who is too weak to cut the firewood
d. a boy who she didn’t even want anymore
2. After Jerry has an opportunity to modify the narrator’s first opinion of him, the narrator says he
a. is worth way more money than she could afford
b. has integrity
c. should be a professional wood chopper
d. must be lying about his age
3. Based on Jerry’s first description of his mother in Mannville, one can infer that
a. she is very poor and cannot take care of him year round
b. she is actually dead and Jerry is lying
c. she does not love Jerry as much as he thinks
d. he does not really know her glove size
4. At the end of the story, the reader learns that Jerry has no mother. From this, one can infer that
a. Jerry is a kid who has a problem with lying.
b. Jerry has trouble acknowledging the truth.
c. Jerry copes with being in the orphanage by making up this story.
d. Jerry really wants a mother, but does not know how to handle not having one.
5. Explain why Jerry lied to the narrator about not having a mother.
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6. Using details from the story, explain how Jerry is a round character.
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“You Can’t Take it With You” by Eva Lis-Wurio
1. What does the reader learn from the fact that Uncle Basil “wasn’t as deaf as he made out.”
a. Uncle Basil is a liar.
b. Uncle Basil can hear what his family is saying about him.
c. Uncle Basil’s family is just teasing him about being miserly.
d. Uncle Basil does not actually have any fortune.
2. Uncle Basil’s request for a “roomy” coffin is an example of
a. irony
b. foreshadowing
c. metaphor
d. allusion
3. What could the family have done that would have saved their fortune?
a. They could have been nicer to Uncle Basil
b. They could have talked more to Verner.
c. They could have taken Verner’s advice to get a smarter coffin.
d. They could have stolen from Verner more often.
4. Irony is when what happens is the opposite of what one would expect. Explain how the ending of the story is ironic. Use details to support your answer.
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5. Agree or disagree with the following statement: Uncle Basil is a complete miser with no regard for his family’s well-being. Support your position with details from the story.
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