Small Steps, Study Guide Chapters 17-21Name: ______
Comprehension Questions: Please answer in complete sentences.
1. Why was Cotton fired from the band?
2. How did Kaira reveal her loneliness to Armpit and Ginny?
3. Why was Armpit’s mother angry at him?
4. Why hadn’t X-Ray warned Armpit that the tickets were counterfeit?
5. What did X-Ray’s behavior reveal about his character?
6. Why did Kaira use an alias, or different name, to register at the hotel?
7. Why was Officer Newberg concerned about the identity of the scalper?
8. Why did Armpit lie about the scalper’s nationality, appearance, and name?
9. Why wasn’t Armpit able to concentrate on his studies for several weeks after the concert?
10. How did it become clear that Armpit and X-Ray had underestimated Detective Newberg’s abilities?
Opinion Questions: You cannot get this wrong as long as you justify your opinion with explanation.
11. Why do you suppose Kaira invited Armpit to join her for breakfast?
12. Do you think Officer Newberg believed Armpit’s story about the scalper? Explain.
Do you think Kaira will want to continue her relationship with Armpit? Explain.
13. In your opinion, does Kaira’s bodyguard serve a useful function in Kaira’s life? Does he deserve to be the butt of Kaira’s jokes?
Literary Devices
Armpit didn’t tell any of that to his own parents. He felt like he was under attack the second he walked in the door, and so didn’t tell them anything except his name, rank, and serial number.
14. What is being compared in the analogy above?
15. How does this comparison help you understand Armpit’s relationship with his parents?
A cliffhanger is a device borrowed from serialized silent films in which an episode ends at a moments of suspense. In a book, a cliffhanger usually appears at the end of a chapter to encourage a reader to continue on in the book.
16. What is the cliffhanger at the end of Chapter Twenty-One?
A conflict in literature is a struggle between opposing forces. There are several kinds of conflicts:
Person vs. personPerson vs. society
Person vs. naturePerson vs. supernatural
Person vs. self (inner struggle)
17-18. Which of these conflicts have you found so far in Small Steps? List and describe these conflicts.
An allusion is a literary reference to a familiar person, place, or event. Allusions may give readers a common reference point and also confer authenticity on a work of literature.
19. “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Janis Joplin?” He hadn’t, but he didn’t dare admit it now. “Maybe I have,” he said.
Who or what is the allusion to in this passage? ______
The allusion is made to ______. A). the Bible B.)a famous singer C.) a famous author D.) a myth
20. She turned back to Armpit. “Have you heard of the Beatles?” “Shut up,” he said.
What is the allusion to in this passage? ______
The allusion is made to ______. A.) a famous play C.) a well-known species of bugs
B.) a famous singing group D.) a political party