“Hair” from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Name ______________________________________
English
Date________________________________________
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1) Why does the hair treatment burn the narrator's scalp? (EII-RI.6.1)
a. The mixture is made with lye.
b. The narrator has been out in the sun all day.
c. It is heated on the stove before being applied.
d. He has very sensitive skin.
2) The narrator's tone in his description of preparing for his first conk is best described as (EII-RI.8.2)
a. cynical
b. annoyed
c. light
d. confused
3) The hair treatment changes hair from (EII-RI.6.1)
a. black to red
b. curly to straight
c. dark to light
d. thick to thin
4) Years later, Malcolm X views his experience very differently. Why does he think he went through it? (EII-RI.6.1)
a. He wanted his friends to accept him.
b. He wanted to show how tough he was.
c. He wanted to look like a white person.
d. He wanted to make Shorty happy.
5) Shorty shows all the following toward his friend except (EII-RI.6.1)
a. concern that Malcolm might be burned
b. encouragement to withstand the burning as long as possible
c. anger over his cursing
d. appreciation for how he endures the pain
6)
What is the narrator's initial reaction to his first conk? (EII-RI.6.1)
a. He is ashamed of himself for undergoing the process.
b. He is pleased with the way it looks and vows to keep his hair that way.
c. He is so angry with Shorty for burning him that he doesn't care about his hair.
d. He thinks he looks silly and wants to change it back.
7) Which of the following is not an experience of the narrator while getting his conk? (EII-RI.6.1)
a. He feels anger that his friend is hurting him.
b. He experiences pain from the burning lye.
c. He anticipates the end result.
d. He regrets that he ever began the process.
8) In interpreting tone, the reader should pay special attention to the writer's (EII-RI.8.2)
a. method of characterization
b. use of foreshadowing
c. use of figurative language
d. choice of words
9) By the end of the selection, we can infer from the writer's tone that he (EII-RI.8.2)
a. has gained a romantic notion of what is beautiful
b. is angry with himself for having conked
c. is proud of himself for enduring the conking process
d. is pleased with himself for no longer conking
10) Which of the following statements best describes what the narrator learns from his experience? (EII-RI.10.1)
a. He learns that Shorty is not a very good friend to him.
b. He learns to accept himself and his culture.
c. He believes that his personality is more important than his looks.
d. His conk session makes him want to be a politician.
11) The narrator reveals that despite his misgivings, he (EII-RI.10.1)
a. continued to get conks for many years
b. forced everyone he knew to have conks
c. gave conks to his friends
d. colored his hair in addition to conking it
12) Shorty shows support for his friend through all of the following actions except (EII-RI.10.1)
a. writing a list of ingredients needed for the conk
b. providing a place to create the conk
c. offering tips and guidelines for a good conk
d. assembling an audience to supervise the creation of the conk
13) Why did people choose to undergo this process? (EII-RI.10.1)
a. They believed it made them more attractive.
b. It was an initiation rite.
c. They didn't want to be recognized.
d. They succumbed to parental pressure.
14) What words does the writer use to indicate a change in tone at the end of the selection? (EII-RI.8.2)
a. grinning, sweating
b. ridiculous, stupid c. admiration, transformation
d. limp, damp strings
15) This excerpt contains all the following text features except… (EII-RI.8.2)
a. pull quote
b. graphics
c. footnotes
d. timeline
16) What text structure is present in the paragraph below: (EII-RI.8.2)
He made me sit down, and he tied the string of the new rubber apron tightly around my neck,
and combed up my bush of hair. Then, from the big Vaseline jar, he took a handful and massaged
it hard all through my hair and into the scalp. He also thickly Vaselined my neck, ears and forehead.
"When I get to washing out your head, be sure to tell me anywhere you feel any little stinging,"
Shorty warned me, washing his hands, then pulling on the rubber gloves, and tying on his own rubber
apron. "You always got to remember that any congolene left in bums a sore into your head."
a.
b.
c.
d.
Problem/Solution
Cause/Effect
Compare/Contrast
Chronological
17) What impact does the use of italics in the following line have on the meaning of the passage? (EII-RI.8.2)
I'd seen some pretty conks, but when it's the first time, on your own head, the transformation, after
the lifetime of kinks, is staggering.
a.
b.
c.
d.
It signals a transition to a new speaker in the story.
It indicates how life-changing the conk makes Malcolm feel immediately.
It shows how selfish Malcolm’s attitude is.
It highlights the confusion Malcom feels about conking his hair.
18) Which sentence demonstrates the correct use of an adverbial clause? (EII-W.4.1c)
a. When Shorty let me stand up and see in the minor, my hair hung down in limp, damp strings.
b. My eyes watered, my nose was running.
c. The mirror reflected Shorty behind me.
d. I vowed that I'd never again be without a conk, and I never was for many years.
19) Which of the following sentences conveys meaning through the use of a compound sentence? (EII-W.4.1c)
a. Shorty paid six dollars a week for a room in his cousin's shabby apartment.
b. The congolene turned pale-yellowish.
c. He made me sit down, and he tied the string of the new rubber apron tightly around my neck, and combed up my
bush of hair.
d. Then, from the big Vaseline jar, he took a handful and massaged it hard all through my hair and into the scalp.
20) Which sentence demonstrates the correct use of a noun clause? (EII-W.4.1c)
a. He had promised to school me in how to beat the barbershops' three-and four-dollar price by making up
congolene, and then conking ourselves
b. Shorty soon decided that my hair was finally long enough to be conked.
c. He also thickly Vaselined my neck, ears and forehead.
d. I gritted my teeth and tried to pull the sides of the kitchen table together.