Quiz: Benjamin Franklin Selections

Quiz: Benjamin Franklin Selections

Quiz: Benjamin Franklin selections

Multiple Choice

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Comprehension

The questions below refer to the selections “from The Autobiography”; “from All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”; “from Poor Richard's Almanack.”

____1.Franklin arrives in Philadelphia in his working dress because —

a. / he intends to find a job immediately
b. / his best clothes are coming around by sea
c. / he sympathizes with the plight of workers
d. / no one has ever told him how to dress in the city

____2.In this selection from his autobiography, Franklin seems most eager to portray his —

a. / ability to work steadfastly toward his goals
b. / willingness to break away from convention
c. / deep resentment of people who have wronged him
d. / frugality in financial matters

____3.Franklin considers moral perfection to be a(n) —

a. / illusion promoted by ministers and religion
b. / annoying claim made by hypocrites
c. / state attainable through study and practice
d. / pathway to heaven and God’s grace

____4.In developing a method for examining virtues, Franklin reveals his —

a. / doubt that real goodness can be attained
b. / logical and orderly mind
c. / scorn for traditional philosophy
d. / deeply emotional side

____5.Franklin ranks the virtues according to —

a. / how the clergymen of his day ranked them
b. / the popularity of individual virtues among his friends
c. / the idea that the mastery of one virtue facilitates the mastery of the next virtue
d. / the belief that the most difficult virtues must be developed first

____6.In All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, the “Credo” Robert Fulghum describes writing from an early age was essentially a —

a. / list of things he wanted to accomplish
b. / set of New Year’s resolutions
c. / personal statement of belief
d. / short story

____7.Fulghum compares the kindergarten rule “Clean up your own mess” to —

a. / government policy / c. / apologizing for harm done to others
b. / the need to keep a neat bedroom / d. / being honest

____8.One saying from Poor Richard’s Almanacksuggests that successfully ordering your own affairs is a greater accomplishment than ordering things on paper. That saying is —

a. / “‘Tis hard for an empty bag to stand upright.”
b. / “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterward.”
c. / “One today is worth two tomorrows.”
d. / “He that composes himself is wiser than he that composes books.”

____9.The saying “If a man could have half his wishes, he would double his troubles” suggests that—

a. / one needs to attain all one’s wishes to deal with all of one’s troubles
b. / people usually wish for things that are not ultimately good for them
c. / it is wrong to wish for more than what we have
d. / there is a scientific, mathematical relationship between wishes and troubles

____10.“Love your neighbors; yet don’t pull down your hedge” is closest in meaning to which of these lines by the poet Robert Frost?

a. / “I took the one [road] less traveled by”
b. / “Good fences make good neighbors”
c. / “But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep”
d. / “Two roads diverged in a wood”

Reading Skills: Making Inferences

The questions below refer to the selections “from The Autobiography”; “from All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”; “from Poor Richard's Almanack.”

____11.What probable reason does Franklin suggest for his giving the boatmen his only shilling, even though Franklin did the rowing?

a. / One must be scrupulously honest in all things.
b. / It is better for one’s karma to overpay than to underpay.
c. / The poorer one is, the more generous, for fear of looking poor.
d. / Franklin hadn’t actually done much rowing.

____12.Why does Franklin place the attainment of virtues in a numerical order?

a. / He believes some virtues are more important than others.
b. / He believes some virtues are easier to acquire than others.
c. / The order is random.
d. / He believes that some virtues help pave the way for others.

____13.Robert Fulghum’s assertion that one can derive life lessons from kindergarten lessons suggests that—

a. / adults today are extremely immature
b. / the things that matter most in life are simple
c. / his own kindergarten experience was superior to that of others
d. / we learn more easily when we are young

Literary Focus: Aphorisms

The question below refers to the selections “from The Autobiography”; “from All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”; “from Poor Richard's Almanack.”

____14.The aphorisms in Poor Richard’s Almanacksupport the basic belief that —

a. / prudence in all things is best
b. / risks are an essential part of learning
c. / people cannot get along and shouldn’t try
d. / knowledge is better than experience

Matching

Vocabulary Development

Match the definition with the Vocabulary word from the list below. Write the letter of the Vocabulary word on the line provided.

a. / arduous / d. / subsequent
b. / rectitude / e. / eradicate
c. / facilitate

____15.correctness

____16.following

____17.difficult

____18.eliminate

____19.make easier

Short Answer

Constructed Response

The question below refers to the selections “from The Autobiography”; “from All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”; “from Poor Richard's Almanack.”

20.Based on what Franklin reveals about his habits and experiences, which of the thirteen virtues do you imagine would be the most difficult for him to master? On a separate sheet of paper, name and discuss that virtue. Then, explain your opinion on this subject. Support your ideas with at least two details from the selection.