Study Island
Standard
GA Grade 7, ELA Standard
ELACC7RL2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an
objective summary of the text.
Copyright © 2014 Edmentum - All rights reserved.
Generation Date: 02/03/2014
Generated By: Shenica Bridges-Mathieu
Lefty the Squirrel
In the apple orchard of a small town, there lived a squirrel named Lefty. Lefty was known
throughout the squirrel community as a tremendous athlete. As a young squirrel, he performed
acrobatic feats that amazed his peers. He would scramble across the thinnest branches and leap
across the widest divides. There was no tree he couldn't climb, and no rooftop he couldn't scale.
But Lefty was boastful, and some of the older squirrels considered him foolish. There was his
obsession with apples, for instance. While the other squirrels contented themselves by eating the
pink blossoms of the apple trees, Lefty thought he could do better. Apples afforded a bigger
meal, and so it was apples that Lefty wanted. As soon as the apples ripened from green to red,
Lefty would dance across the branches and pounce on them. Inevitably, the apples would fall to
the ground.
"What a waste!" the other squirrels would exclaim, watching Lefty trying to haul the apples
back to his home. "Those apples are too heavy!"
Sure enough, they were right. Despite his athletic ability, Lefty never could lift an apple. But
this didn't stop him from trying. "You'll see," he told his squirrel friends. "While you waste your
time on little flowers, I'll be feasting on apples!"
Again and again, he would dance across the branches and pounce on the apples. And again
and again, the apples would be abandoned on the ground, where they would rot.
Lefty kept this up until late autumn, when the weather changed and the leaves fell. Soon
enough, the apple trees were bare. Whereas the other squirrels had satisfied their bellies with
apple blossoms, Lefty's belly was empty.
"Won't you share some of your food with me?" Lefty asked his squirrel friends. But they
turned a cold shoulder to Lefty. They had warned him not to spend his time chasing apples. Now,
perhaps, he would learn his lesson.
1. What theme runs through this story?
A. Sometimes even friends can give bad advice.
B. Greed and boasting can get you into trouble.
C. Peer pressure can cause you to do stupid things.
D. Too much athletic ability is often a bad thing.
Mahesh's Luck
Mahesh was the number one singles player on his high school tennis team. On the court, he
was unstoppable. He knew how to put wicked topspin on the tennis ball so that it would leap off
the court, out of the reach of his opponents. His forehand and backhand were smooth and
consistent. His serve was so fast it passed in a blur. All of the younger players looked up to him,
and the older players were jealous.
As a junior, Mahesh was undefeated with a 10–0 record. And while his teammates assumed
that this was due to discipline and hard work, Mahesh held a different opinion. He credited his
lucky wristband.
To his fellow players, the wristband was nothing more than a strange fashion accessory. It
was green and featured the number "17" stitched in yellow. They had no idea how important it
was to Mahesh.
For six years, Mahesh had worn his lucky wristband to every single one of his tennis matches.
And for six years, he had never lost a match. It was there, on his right wrist, appearing in a flash
of green with every stroke. It was on his wrist when he stretched, when he practiced, and when
he defeated his opponents, one after another. It was Mahesh's secret, a treasured possession that
he never, ever forgot to wear . . . until the fateful day of his championship match.
On that day, Mahesh almost lost his mind. He emptied out his duffel bag on the court,
searching for the lucky wristband. He retraced his steps to the locker room. He checked the
hallway, the bathroom, and the showers. But the wristband was gone.
When the time came for him to play, Mahesh was a wreck. His right wrist felt naked, and he
felt sure that he would lose. When it came time for him to serve, he double-faulted, hitting both
his first and second serves out of bounds. When he was given an easy overhead volley, he hit it
in the net. And when his opponent took the first set 6–4, Mahesh only hung his head.
However, it was during the second set that something changed. All those days of practice and
hard work began to pay off. Mahesh regained his serving ability. His backhand and forehand
became smooth and consistent once again. And, soon enough, he started to win. He took the
second set 6–3, and the last set 6–0. He was now the undefeated champion!
2. What is a recurring theme in a story such as this?
A. Practice and hard work matter more than luck.
B. Naturally talented athletes can win without practicing.
C. Superstitious beliefs are important throughout life.
D. Even the best athletes sometimes lose matches.
The alarm broke the dark silence with its painful squeal. Jessica extended a tired arm and
slapped the snooze button like it was a pesky housefly. Time to get up? No, thought Jessica. She
knew in her head that she could stay in bed for exactly 4.25 more minutes before starting her
shower. The shower would take only 5 minutes, and her hair would only take 15 minutes to dry,
mostly while she dressed.
4.25 minutes passed, and Jessica hopped out of her comfy bed. As she waited for her shower
water to warm up, she went downstairs and placed a bagel in the oven. She had this routine
down. She knew exactly how long it would take for everything to fall into place. In 20 minutes,
she would be dressed and ready to go. She would grab her bagel and her backpack, kiss her
mother goodbye, and casually walk to the bus stop. If she timed it right—and she always timed it
right—she would arrive just as the bus was rounding the corner to her stop.
Jessica kissed her mother and told her she loved her. Right on schedule, just like always,
Jessica opened the front door. Something was wrong.
The grass had grown almost overnight, covering the walkway to where the sidewalk used to
be. Instead of a sidewalk, a dark, menacing river of mud flowed as if it were a moat around her
house. The normally blue sky was a deep red, and all the birds were black as midnight.
Jessica didn't know whether to go back inside, or stay on schedule. Something was messing
up her routine. Something creepy had happened in her neighborhood last night, and she couldn't
figure out what it was. One thing was for certain. Jessica was going to find out.
adapted from "The Day the Clocks Stopped" by D. U. Derino
3. Which statement best summarizes the theme of this selection?
A. Mothers do not always warn their children.
B. You should not walk outside with wet hair.
C. Things do not always work out as planned.
D. The school bus does not always arrive on time.
You read a long novel about many generations of a family living in the southern United
States. Over and over again, the family makes a fortune and loses their fortune, first during the
Civil War, again at the turn of the 20th century, and yet again during the Great Depression. No
matter what they do, they can't seem to hold onto their wealth, and each generation has to start
over again to build it back up.
4. What is the recurring theme in such a novel?
A. Fortune smiles on good-hearted people.
B. Money is more valuable than family.
C. Fortune is highly unpredictable.
D. Hard work will lead to a huge fortune.
Scarface (Native American tale)
Scarface, a young Indian brave whose face was badly scarred by a grizzly bear, thought little
of his bad scars until he fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the chief of his tribe. His heart
ached as other young men mocked his feelings for the chief's daughter, and matters were made
worse when she told him the Lord of the Sun forbade her to marry. Scarface took a journey to
meet this Lord of the Sun, a journey that led him through difficult passages and across great
distances. But he was rewarded when the sun god healed his scars and gave the young Indian his
blessing to marry the chief's daughter.
5.
But he was rewarded when the sun god healed his scars and gave the young Indian his blessing
to marry the chief's daughter.
What theme from the passage is reflected in this sentence above?
A. Do not set your sights on goals that are impossible to reach.
B. Spirits often make rules that do not need to be followed.
C. You will get what you want if you always speak respectfully.
D. You will be rewarded if you do not give up on love.
The Little Golden Bird
Once upon a time, several Buddhist monks lived in an enormous temple surrounded by a
stunning garden full of bright flowers and unusual plants. The serenity of their surroundings
helped them to forget the rest of the world. Throughout each day, the monks would pray and
meditate. Then one day, a young monk arrived at the temple. He told them about the world
beyond the garden walls. He described other cities which were full of bright lights,
entertainment, and pleasure. A flame of curiosity had been lit in the monks. Their lives at the
temple seemed lonely in comparison to this other world they were hearing about. They did not
want to stay in a world they once thought was paradise.
The young monk led small groups of monks away from the temple and its garden. Only a few
stayed behind. The pathways of the garden became overtaken by weeds. The temple felt deserted
and empty. Finally, only five monks remained. Although they loved their sacred home, they had
a yearning to explore the new world they had heard about. So, they packed their bags and got
ready to leave.
As they were about to turn their backs to leave the temple, a golden bird flew over their heads
dangling five long white strings. Drawn toward the strings like magnets, each monk grabbed
onto a string. The little group was immediately swept away to this new world to join the other
monks. While there, they saw this outside world for what it really was. They saw a world that
was full of hate, misery, dishonesty, and violence, a world without peace or morals. It was a long
journey back to the temple. When the golden bird returned the monks, they decided never to
leave it again. The bird circled overhead three times and then disappeared into the sky. It was
then the monks knew that Buddha had come to help them find the pathway to true happiness.
adapted from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale
6. The theme of this story shows up in literature all over the world—for example, in the story of
The Wizard of Oz. What is one way to state the theme of "The Little Golden Bird"?
A. Don't stray very far from home, or you'll get lost.
B. The world is a dark, dangerous, and scary place.
C. Always listen to little golden birds carrying string.
D. True happiness is found very close to home.
You read a novel about a boy with leukemia. In the story, his mother loves him very much
and is determined to find a cure for the boy. She takes him to the best hospitals in the country.
She does tons of research and contacts people all over the world. People tell her to give up and
that she's wasting her time and money, but she doesn't listen to them. Through the months and
years of the boy's illness, she takes care of him and assures him he will get better. Finally, when
it seems there is no hope, a doctor prescribes a treatment that seems to help. By the end of the
story, the boy is getting better and better, and it seems he will fully recover.
7. What is the recurring theme throughout this story?
A. Medicine is expensive.
B. All's well that ends well.
C. Love conquers all.
D. You can't outwit death.
The Little Golden Bird
Once upon a time, several Buddhist monks lived in an enormous temple surrounded by a
stunning garden full of bright flowers and unusual plants. The serenity of their surroundings
helped them to forget the rest of the world. Throughout each day, the monks would pray and
meditate. Then one day, a young monk arrived at the temple. He told them about the world
beyond the garden walls. He described other cities which were full of bright lights,
entertainment, and pleasure. A flame of curiosity had been lit in the monks. Their lives at the
temple seemed lonely in comparison to this other world they were hearing about. They did not
want to stay in a world they once thought was paradise.
The young monk led small groups of monks away from the temple and its garden. Only a few
stayed behind. The pathways of the garden became overtaken by weeds. The temple felt deserted
and empty. Finally, only five monks remained. Although they loved their sacred home, they had
a yearning to explore the new world they had heard about. So, they packed their bags and got
ready to leave.
As they were about to turn their backs to leave the temple, a golden bird flew over their heads
dangling five long white strings. Drawn toward the strings like magnets, each monk grabbed
onto a string. The little group was immediately swept away to this new world to join the other
monks. While there, they saw this outside world for what it really was. They saw a world that
was full of hate, misery, dishonesty, and violence, a world without peace or morals. It was a long
journey back to the temple. When the golden bird returned the monks, they decided never to
leave it again. The bird circled overhead three times and then disappeared into the sky. It was
then the monks knew that Buddha had come to help them find the pathway to true happiness.
adapted from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale
8.
They saw a world that was full of hate, misery, dishonesty, and violence, a world without peace
or morals.
The monks who saw the "outside world for what it really was" would most likely agree with
which statement?
A. It is important not to be too easily persuaded by beautiful words.
B. Never forget that the outside world is as important as the world you know.
C. Birds should be considered sacred because of the vision we were shown.
D. Do not become trapped doing only what you have always done before.
9.
There are many recurring themes in Shakespeare's plays. In Twelfth Night, the character of
Viola disguises herself as a boy and then falls in love with the Count Orsino, the man she is
serving. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet takes a sleeping potion the Friar has given her to pretend she
is dead. When Romeo sees her lying apparently lifeless, he kills himself.
What theme do these two plays have in common?
A. Love makes people miserable.
B. Things are not always what they appear.
C. Love makes people do crazy things.
D. Never pretend that you are dead.
Michael's Music
Michael started making popular music when he was only 10 years old. He made Motown
records that made people feel good and want to dance. Everyone looked at him and thought that
because he was so young he would only get better and better for decades to come.
For years, Michael did get better. He put out hit after hit, album after album, and he grew
more and more popular. His music made people feel good, and they were thankful that his music
was in their lives. This made him feel good, too.
Unfortunately, Michael got too famous and too rich. He forgot that he loved making music
that made people happy. He locked himself away in his mansion where no one knew what he
was doing. He worked at making as much money off of his old music as possible, even though
he was already very rich. He made some very greedy choices that made friends angry. He
disappeared from the public. People who had listened to him for 20 years didn't know what had
happened to him. It was like he had disappeared, and many people grew angry or sad. After a
while, people forgot about him.
Then, one day many years later, Michael realized that his life had gotten out of control. He
was not doing what he loved and was growing bitter. He decided that he would return to music
and make his best album yet, full of music about love and life, music that would make people
feel great and want to dance. Even the people that had grown angry or sad with Michael while he
had disappeared were glad he was back. On tour, when he came out on stage, he received huge
standing ovations. He was happy to be back, and everyone was happy that he had returned.
10. One theme that is present in this story is that people will forgive a person's mistakes. Which
event best reflects this theme?
A. People think young Michael will get better and better.
B. Michael makes people angry with his greedy choices.
C. Michael receives standing ovations on his tour.
D. People begin to forget about Michael.
It was a hot day at the beginning of the Moon of No Dark, and the Forest was drowsy with
sun. The trees echoed with birdsong; a warm southeasterly breeze carried the sweetness of lime
blossom. After a while, Torak's heartbeats slowed. He heard a clutch of young greenfinches
squealing for food in a hazel thicket. He watched a viper basking on a rock. He tried to fix his
thoughts on that, but as so often happened, they drifted to Wolf.
Wolf would be nearly full-grown by now, but he'd been a cub when Torak had known him:
falling over his paws and pestering Torak for lingonberries. . . .
Suddenly the auroch appeared from the trees on the other side of the stream.
One moment Torak was gazing at sun-dappled willows—the next, there she was. She stood
taller than the tallest man, and her great curving horns could have skewered a bear. If she
charged, Torak was in trouble.
By bad luck, he was upwind of her. He held his breath as he watched her twitch her blunt
black muzzle to taste his scent. She snorted and pawed the earth with one massive hoof.
Then he saw the calf peering from the bracken, and his belly turned over. Aurochs are gentle
creatures—except when they have calves.
Without a sound, Torak drew back into the shade. If he didn't startle her, maybe she wouldn't
charge.
Again the auroch snorted and raked the ferns with her horns. At last she seemed to decide that
he wasn't hunting her after all and slumped down in the mud to have a wallow.
Torak blew out a long breath.
The calf wobbled toward its mother, slipped, bleated, and fell over. The cow auroch raised her
head and nosed it to its feet, then lay back to enjoy herself.
Crouching behind a juniper bush, Torak wondered what to do. Fin-Kedinn, the clan leader,
had sent him to retrieve a bundle of willow bark that had been soaking in the stream; he didn't
want to return to camp without it. Neither did he want to get trampled by an auroch.
He decided to wait for her to leave.
adapted from Spirit Walker: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #2 by Michelle Paver
11. Which theme can the reader see in this selection?
A. A lack of focus can be deadly.
B. Hunting animals is wrong.
C. Patience is overrated.
D. Nature is not for humans.
Gavin and Grandad were fishing for mackerel from the harbor wall when the seal popped its
head out of the water. For a moment Gavin thought it was a loose net-float bobbing about. Then
he saw the two eyes, large, round, and glistening black, staring straight at him. The thing rose a
bit more, and he saw the whiskery muzzle and knew what he was looking at.
Now Grandad looked up, grunted, and picked the half-size fish out of his creel. Gavin took it
and tossed it to the seal.
The seal wasn't a trained seal in an aquarium, so it didn't reach up and catch the fish in midair
but snapped it up just as it hit the water, and dived out of sight.
Tacky Steward, fishing twenty yards off along the wall, shouted at Grandad for encouraging
seals to come to the harbor. They scared the fish off, he said.
"Plenty to go around," said Grandad mildly. Nothing fazed Grandad.
The mackerel's tail was sticking out of the corner of its mouth until the seal threw its head
back and sort of gargled it down.
"You're welcome," said Gavin.
The seal blinked, as if it hadn't expected to be spoken to like that.
"I liked the seal," said Gavin. "It looked like it knew what I was saying to it."
"Could be," said Grandad.
"What do you mean?"
"There's more to seals than they show you on the telly. Know what a selkie is, boy?"
"A selkie?"
"They're seal-people, selkies. See them in the water, and they're seals all right. But come
ashore, and you wouldn't know them from people. There's stories of selkie women falling in love
with farmers, and marrying them, and living on land for a while and raising a family, until the
pull of the sea got too strong for them and they went back and turned themselves into seals
again."
"You don't really believe that."
"Tacky doesn't. No imagination."
You didn't always get a straight answer out of Grandad. But you did get an active
imagination.
adapted from Inside Grandad by Peter Dickinson
12. What is the theme of this selection?
A. Selkies are seal-people that marry farmers.
B. Imagination makes people more interesting.
C. Humans and seals should never mix company.
D. Imagination can be dangerous when fishing.
Scarface (Native American tale)
Scarface, a young Indian brave whose face was badly scarred by a grizzly bear, thought little
of his bad scars until he fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the chief of his tribe. His heart
ached as other young men mocked his feelings for the chief's daughter, and matters were made
worse when she told him the Lord of the Sun forbade her to marry. Scarface took a journey to
meet this Lord of the Sun, a journey that led him through difficult passages and across great
distances. But he was rewarded when the sun god healed his scars and gave the young Indian his
blessing to marry the chief's daughter.
13. A theme in this story is that
A. one shouldn't give up.
B. patience is difficult.
C. dignity is important.
D. rebelliousness never pays.
The Flying Trunk
Once upon a time, many years ago in Copenhagen, Denmark, a wealthy merchant had a son
called Erik. Erik was a good-looking lad, intelligent, but very lazy. Instead of studying or doing
some work, he liked to spend his days roaming about, amusing himself with his friends and
squandering his father's money. When the merchant died, he left all his money to Erik, who spent
it in a matter of months.
The only thing left was an empty magic trunk. The minute anyone stepped inside, the trunk
rose into the air. One day, Erik, who had no intention of working for a living, decided to face the
unknown and seek his fortune. So, he stepped into the trunk and, for days on end, flew across the
seas and over woodlands and deserts. At last, he found himself above a city in the East and
ordered the trunk to land on the terrace of a wonderful palace. Erik stepped out of the trunk and
there in front of him stood a girl, staring at him in amazement.
"I'm Tamara, the Sultan's daughter," she said. "Who are you?"
Quick to turn the situation to his own advantage, Erik replied, "I'm the god of your people. I
have come to ask for your hand in marriage."
Fascinated by the handsome stranger and certain that he really was a god, she happily said yes
and called her family. The Sultan welcomed the youth with great honors and immediately started
to make arrangements for the wedding.
The day before the ceremony, Erik stuffed the trunk full of jewels, golden candlesticks, and
fine silks and flew away from the palace towards Copenhagen. However, weighed down by its
valuable load, the trunk fell into the sea off the Danish coast. Erik managed to swim ashore and
return to Copenhagen, where he sang sad songs at street corners for a living.
In the East, on the terrace of a magnificent palace, a young girl sadly glanced at the sky from
time to time, hoping that the god who had suddenly disappeared would come back again.
14. What theme is reflected in what happens to the Sultan's daughter?
A. Do not be fooled by flashy people.
B. Do not speak against powerful gods.
C. Always watch the skies for love.
D. True love comes when you least expect it.
For all the years I knew my grandma, she could barely see. Grandma was legally blind, and
yet she knew, by feel, the location of every dish in her kitchen and every work of literature on
the bookcase in the living room.
I remember especially the bird-like way she peered at things. I'd bring her a copy of my latest
school picture, and she'd hold the photo an inch or two from her face, tilt her head to one side,
and inspect it before saying, "Very pretty." I used to think she was just being polite, that she
really couldn't see me in the picture. But then she'd add, "That pin you're wearing was your
mother's." How did she see that little blur on my jacket? The things she could see never failed to
amaze me.
Watching television with Grandma, I never failed to learn something. Usually it was the
complicated plot twist of one of her favorite soap operas—The Guiding Light or As the World
Turns. We grandkids would curl up on the big couch while Grandma pulled up a footstool and
planted herself right next to the TV, elbows on her knees, to watch the screen. At the commercial
break, she'd explain who was marrying whom and who was in the hospital and who had recently
come back from the dead. She seemed to have no trouble identifying the characters whom she
could barely see. Whether or not she could bring them into sharp focus, they were as real to her
as her giggling grandkids.
For a treat, we'd sometimes pile into our grandparent's black car for a drive around town: my
grandfather at the wheel, my long-legged older brother in the front seat, and Grandma
sandwiched between me and my little brother in the back—but sitting so far forward she was
practically in the front. I'd imagined all she could see was a blur of images rushing past, yet she
could always tell when Grandpa had missed a turn or forgotten to turn on his headlights.
Returning home, Grandma would wave at the boy who mowed their lawn and point out the new
fruit on the plum tree in their yard.
In later years, when I visited from college, Grandma would always be waiting when I pulled
up in my old orange car (that's admittedly hard to miss, no matter how bad one's vision). She'd
greet me with a bear hug. Then she'd surprise me, every time, with what she could see. Holding
my face in her hands, she'd turn my head from side to side and announce, "You got your hair
cut!" as if I had won the lottery and forgotten to tell her. I began to wonder if we rely on our eyes
too much—if maybe, with our perfect sight, we're actually missing the details my grandma and
her poor vision never failed to catch.
from the personal writings of Teresa R. Herlinger
15. One theme present in this story is that people adjust to losses in their lives. What sentence
from the passage best reflects this theme?
A.
"She knew, by feel, the location of every dish in her kitchen and every work of literature
on the bookcase in the living room."
B. "For a treat, we'd sometimes pile into our grandparent's black car for a drive around town."
C. "For all the years I knew my grandma, she could barely see."
"Usually it was the complicated plot twist of one of her favorite soap operas—The Guiding
D.
Light or As the World Turns."
16.
Wedgie-Proof Underwear
by Audge Podge
Melvin's mom bought him a pack of underwear for school. They were an expensive brand.
She just knew they would last, no matter how many atomic wedgies he got this year. On the first
day of school, Melvin's usual bully attempted to give him a wedgie, but the underwear tore
below the waistband. Disappointed, the bully walked away. When Melvin came home, his mom
was upset because she had spent so much money on his underwear. However, Melvin told her,
"They're great, Mom. I don't want any other underwear. The bully will leave me alone if I keep
wearing this brand. They are wedgie proof!"
What is the lesson or theme of this story?
A. Something good can result from something bad.
B. Cheap underwear wouldn't have lasted either.
C. Pricey underwear should last at least a few years.
D. Melvin's mom shouldn't have wasted her money.
The Mosquito Who Foiled the Lion
Once upon a time, a tiny mosquito started to buzz round a lion he met. "Go away!" grumbled
the sleepy lion, smacking his own cheek in an attempt to drive the insect away.
"Why should I?" demanded the mosquito. "You're king of the jungle, not of the air! I'll fly
wherever I want and land wherever I please." And so saying, he tickled the lion's ear. In the hope
of crushing the insect, the lion boxed his own ears, but the mosquito slipped away from the now
dazed lion.
I don't feel it any more. Either it's squashed or it's gone away, the lion thought. But at that
very moment, the irritating buzz began again, and the mosquito flew into the lion's nose. Wild
with rage, the lion leaped to his hind legs and started to rain punches on his own nose. But the
insect, safe inside, refused to budge. With a swollen nose and watery eyes, the lion gave a terrific
sneeze, blasting the mosquito out. Angry at being dislodged so abruptly, the mosquito returned to
the attack: BUZZ! BUZZ! It whizzed round the lion's head. Large and tough as the lion was, he
could not rid himself of his tiny tormentor. This made him angrier still, and he roared fiercely. At
the sound of his terrible voice, all the forest creatures fled in fear, but paying no heed to the
exhausted lion, the mosquito said triumphantly, "There you are, king of the jungle! Foiled by a
tiny mosquito like me!"
And highly delighted with his victory, off he buzzed. But he did not notice a spider's web
hanging close by, and soon he was turning and twisting, trying to escape from the trap set by a
large spider. "Bah!" said the spider in disgust, as he ate it.
"Another tiny mosquito. Not much to get excited about, but better than nothing. I was hoping
for something more substantial."
And that's what became of the mosquito that foiled the lion!
adapted from "The Lion and the Mosquito" by the Grimm Brothers
17. Which of these sentences from the story reflects the theme that one's size is less important
than one's spirit?
A.
"Wild with rage, the lion leaped to his hind legs and started to rain punches on his own
nose."
B.
"'Go away!' grumbled the sleepy lion, smacking his own cheek in an attempt to drive the
insect away."
C.
"With a swollen nose and watery eyes, the lion gave a terrific sneeze, blasting the
mosquito out."
D. "Large and tough as the lion was, he could not rid himself of his tiny tormentor."
For all the years I knew my grandma, she could barely see. Grandma was legally blind, and
yet she knew, by feel, the location of every dish in her kitchen and every work of literature on
the bookcase in the living room.
I remember especially the bird-like way she peered at things. I'd bring her a copy of my latest
school picture, and she'd hold the photo an inch or two from her face, tilt her head to one side,
and inspect it before saying, "Very pretty." I used to think she was just being polite, that she
really couldn't see me in the picture. But then she'd add, "That pin you're wearing was your
mother's." How did she see that little blur on my jacket? The things she could see never failed to
amaze me.
Watching television with Grandma, I never failed to learn something. Usually it was the
complicated plot twist of one of her favorite soap operas—The Guiding Light or As the World
Turns. We grandkids would curl up on the big couch while Grandma pulled up a footstool and
planted herself right next to the TV, elbows on her knees, to watch the screen. At the commercial
break, she'd explain who was marrying whom and who was in the hospital and who had recently
come back from the dead. She seemed to have no trouble identifying the characters whom she
could barely see. Whether or not she could bring them into sharp focus, they were as real to her
as her giggling grandkids.
For a treat, we'd sometimes pile into our grandparent's black car for a drive around town: my
grandfather at the wheel, my long-legged older brother in the front seat, and Grandma
sandwiched between me and my little brother in the back—but sitting so far forward she was
practically in the front. I'd imagined all she could see was a blur of images rushing past, yet she
could always tell when Grandpa had missed a turn or forgotten to turn on his headlights.
Returning home, Grandma would wave at the boy who mowed their lawn and point out the new
fruit on the plum tree in their yard.
In later years, when I visited from college, Grandma would always be waiting when I pulled
up in my old orange car (that's admittedly hard to miss, no matter how bad one's vision). She'd
greet me with a bear hug. Then she'd surprise me, every time, with what she could see. Holding
my face in her hands, she'd turn my head from side to side and announce, "You got your hair
cut!" as if I had won the lottery and forgotten to tell her. I began to wonder if we rely on our eyes
too much—if maybe, with our perfect sight, we're actually missing the details my grandma and
her poor vision never failed to catch.
from the personal writings of Teresa R. Herlinger
18. This story makes the reader think about what we can and cannot see. What question does the
author ask us to think about at the end?
A. Was life just a blur of images racing past our eyes?
B. Do blind people enjoy life more than people who can see?
C. Could Grandma see the things she said she could see?
D. Do people with perfect vision miss out on the details of life?
The Mosquito Who Foiled the Lion
Once upon a time, a tiny mosquito started to buzz round a lion he met. "Go away!" grumbled
the sleepy lion, smacking his own cheek in an attempt to drive the insect away.
"Why should I?" demanded the mosquito. "You're king of the jungle, not of the air! I'll fly
wherever I want and land wherever I please." And so saying, he tickled the lion's ear. In the hope
of crushing the insect, the lion boxed his own ears, but the mosquito slipped away from the now
dazed lion.
I don't feel it any more. Either it's squashed or it's gone away, the lion thought. But at that
very moment, the irritating buzz began again, and the mosquito flew into the lion's nose. Wild
with rage, the lion leaped to his hind legs and started to rain punches on his own nose. But the
insect, safe inside, refused to budge. With a swollen nose and watery eyes, the lion gave a terrific
sneeze, blasting the mosquito out. Angry at being dislodged so abruptly, the mosquito returned to
the attack: BUZZ! BUZZ! It whizzed round the lion's head. Large and tough as the lion was, he
could not rid himself of his tiny tormentor. This made him angrier still, and he roared fiercely. At
the sound of his terrible voice, all the forest creatures fled in fear, but paying no heed to the
exhausted lion, the mosquito said triumphantly, "There you are, king of the jungle! Foiled by a
tiny mosquito like me!"
And highly delighted with his victory, off he buzzed. But he did not notice a spider's web
hanging close by, and soon he was turning and twisting, trying to escape from the trap set by a
large spider. "Bah!" said the spider in disgust, as he ate it.
"Another tiny mosquito. Not much to get excited about, but better than nothing. I was hoping
for something more substantial."
And that's what became of the mosquito that foiled the lion!
adapted from "The Lion and the Mosquito" by the Grimm Brothers
19. Which of these best describes the story's theme?
A. Gentleness is a far more effective weapon than harshness.
B. Be careful what you boast about; it may come back and bite you.
C. The mosquito is mightier than the lion but weaker than the spider.
D. Spiders are clever creatures because they catch and eat mosquitoes.
The Little Golden Bird
Once upon a time, several Buddhist monks lived in an enormous temple surrounded by a
stunning garden full of bright flowers and unusual plants. The serenity of their surroundings
helped them to forget the rest of the world. Throughout each day, the monks would pray and
meditate. Then one day, a young monk arrived at the temple. He told them about the world
beyond the garden walls. He described other cities which were full of bright lights,
entertainment, and pleasure. A flame of curiosity had been lit in the monks. Their lives at the
temple seemed lonely in comparison to this other world they were hearing about. They did not
want to stay in a world they once thought was paradise.
The young monk led small groups of monks away from the temple and its garden. Only a few
stayed behind. The pathways of the garden became overtaken by weeds. The temple felt deserted
and empty. Finally, only five monks remained. Although they loved their sacred home, they had
a yearning to explore the new world they had heard about. So, they packed their bags and got
ready to leave.
As they were about to turn their backs to leave the temple, a golden bird flew over their heads
dangling five long white strings. Drawn toward the strings like magnets, each monk grabbed
onto a string. The little group was immediately swept away to this new world to join the other
monks. While there, they saw this outside world for what it really was. They saw a world that
was full of hate, misery, dishonesty, and violence, a world without peace or morals. It was a long
journey back to the temple. When the golden bird returned the monks, they decided never to
leave it again. The bird circled overhead three times and then disappeared into the sky. It was
then the monks knew that Buddha had come to help them find the pathway to true happiness.
adapted from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale
20.
The serenity of their surroundings helped them to forget the rest of the world.
Which theme is reflected in this sentence from the story?
A. Truth is rarely as powerful as is illusion.
B. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
C. Beautiful things are dangerous and should be avoided.
D. You forget whatever is not in front of you.
You read a novel about a boy with leukemia. In the story, his mother loves him very much
and is determined to find a cure for the boy. She takes him to the best hospitals in the country.
She does tons of research and contacts people all over the world. People tell her to give up and
that she's wasting her time and money, but she doesn't listen to them. Through the months and
years of the boy's illness, she takes care of him and assures him he will get better. Finally, when
it seems there is no hope, a doctor prescribes a treatment that seems to help. By the end of the
story, the boy is getting better and better, and it seems he will fully recover.
21.
People tell her to give up and that she's wasting her time and money, but she doesn't listen to
them.
Look at the sentence above. What theme from the passage is reflected in this sentence?
A. Follow your heart instead of following others.
B. Other people usually know more than you do.
C. Different ideas are helpful in solving difficult problems.
D. The advice of others is often the best advice.
22. Many stories deal with the recurring theme that it is important to be yourself, not to try to
be someone you are not. Which of the following stories uses this same theme?
W. A fire-breathing dragon is about to wipe out a mountain town, but Wilford the Wise arrives
just in time and tricks the dragon into thinking the townspeople are demons. The dragon runs
away scared and never comes back.
X. A young man falls asleep for 100 years, and when he wakes up, he cannot find his home. His
mother has been searching through time to find her son, and at last she finds him.
Y. A poor boy, Jonathan, switches places with a rich boy, Jacob, who looks just like him. They
each learn about each other's lives and decide they want their old lives back.
Z. A miserly old king won't give his daughters any of his treasures until they prove that they're
virtuous. Each daughter goes out into the world to prove this, except for the youngest daughter,
Lilith, who stays and takes care of her old father. Lilith is the one the king rewards with all his
riches, which she decides to share equally with her sisters.
A. Story X
B. Story Z
C. Story Y
D. Story W
King Midas and the Golden Touch (Greek myth)
King Midas wants more and more gold and is finally granted his wish: Everything he touches
will turn to gold. The Midas touch! He is ecstatic, as even the flowers become gold under his
powerful touch. Unfortunately, when King Midas touches his daughter, she turns into a gold
statue, and it is at that moment he realizes that all the gold in the world does not compare to his
daughter or her love.
23. What is the main theme of this passage?
A. Be careful what you wish for.
B. Gold is worth more than love.
C. Silver is more valuable than gold.
D. Golden statues are expensive.
For all the years I knew my grandma, she could barely see. Grandma was legally blind, and
yet she knew, by feel, the location of every dish in her kitchen and every work of literature on
the bookcase in the living room.
I remember especially the bird-like way she peered at things. I'd bring her a copy of my latest
school picture, and she'd hold the photo an inch or two from her face, tilt her head to one side,
and inspect it before saying, "Very pretty." I used to think she was just being polite, that she
really couldn't see me in the picture. But then she'd add, "That pin you're wearing was your
mother's." How did she see that little blur on my jacket? The things she could see never failed to
amaze me.
Watching television with Grandma, I never failed to learn something. Usually it was the
complicated plot twist of one of her favorite soap operas—The Guiding Light or As the World
Turns. We grandkids would curl up on the big couch while Grandma pulled up a footstool and
planted herself right next to the TV, elbows on her knees, to watch the screen. At the commercial
break, she'd explain who was marrying whom and who was in the hospital and who had recently
come back from the dead. She seemed to have no trouble identifying the characters whom she
could barely see. Whether or not she could bring them into sharp focus, they were as real to her
as her giggling grandkids.
For a treat, we'd sometimes pile into our grandparent's black car for a drive around town: my
grandfather at the wheel, my long-legged older brother in the front seat, and Grandma
sandwiched between me and my little brother in the back—but sitting so far forward she was
practically in the front. I'd imagined all she could see was a blur of images rushing past, yet she
could always tell when Grandpa had missed a turn or forgotten to turn on his headlights.
Returning home, Grandma would wave at the boy who mowed their lawn and point out the new
fruit on the plum tree in their yard.
In later years, when I visited from college, Grandma would always be waiting when I pulled
up in my old orange car (that's admittedly hard to miss, no matter how bad one's vision). She'd
greet me with a bear hug. Then she'd surprise me, every time, with what she could see. Holding
my face in her hands, she'd turn my head from side to side and announce, "You got your hair
cut!" as if I had won the lottery and forgotten to tell her. I began to wonder if we rely on our eyes
too much—if maybe, with our perfect sight, we're actually missing the details my grandma and
her poor vision never failed to catch.
from the personal writings of Teresa R. Herlinger
24. What theme recurs throughout this story?
A. A blind person can "see" more than we think.
B. Grandkids can be very unruly at any age.
C. Love conquers all things, especially poor vision.
D. Blind people point out really useless things.
25. Which of the following tales has the theme that kindness is the greatest virtue?
W. A fire-breathing dragon is about to wipe out a mountain town, but Wilford the Wise arrives
just in time and tricks the dragon into thinking the townspeople are demons. The dragon runs
away scared and never comes back.
X. A young man falls asleep for 100 years, and when he wakes up, he cannot find his home. His
mother has been searching through time to find her son, and at last she finds him.
Y. A poor boy, Jonathan, switches places with a rich boy, Jacob, who looks just like him. They
each learn about each other's lives and decide they want their old lives back.
Z. A miserly old king won't give his daughters any of his treasures until they prove that they're
virtuous. Each daughter goes out into the world to prove this, except for the youngest daughter,
Lilith, who stays and takes care of her old father. Lilith is the one the king rewards with all his
riches, which she decides to share equally with her sisters.
A. Story X
B. Story Z
C. Story Y
D. Story W
Michael's Music
Michael started making popular music when he was only 10 years old. He made Motown
records that made people feel good and want to dance. Everyone looked at him and thought that
because he was so young he would only get better and better for decades to come.
For years, Michael did get better. He put out hit after hit, album after album, and he grew
more and more popular. His music made people feel good, and they were thankful that his music
was in their lives. This made him feel good, too.
Unfortunately, Michael got too famous and too rich. He forgot that he loved making music
that made people happy. He locked himself away in his mansion where no one knew what he
was doing. He worked at making as much money off of his old music as possible, even though
he was already very rich. He made some very greedy choices that made friends angry. He
disappeared from the public. People who had listened to him for 20 years didn't know what had
happened to him. It was like he had disappeared, and many people grew angry or sad. After a
while, people forgot about him.
Then, one day many years later, Michael realized that his life had gotten out of control. He
was not doing what he loved and was growing bitter. He decided that he would return to music
and make his best album yet, full of music about love and life, music that would make people
feel great and want to dance. Even the people that had grown angry or sad with Michael while he
had disappeared were glad he was back. On tour, when he came out on stage, he received huge
standing ovations. He was happy to be back, and everyone was happy that he had returned.
26. One theme of this story is that money does not buy happiness. Which sentence from the story
best reflects this theme?
A. "He made Motown records that made people feel good and want to dance."
B. "He was not doing what he loved and was growing bitter."
C. "He would only get better and better for decades to come."
D. "It was like he had disappeared, and many people grew angry or sad."
The Little Golden Bird
Once upon a time, several Buddhist monks lived in an enormous temple surrounded by a
stunning garden full of bright flowers and unusual plants. The serenity of their surroundings
helped them to forget the rest of the world. Throughout each day, the monks would pray and
meditate. Then one day, a young monk arrived at the temple. He told them about the world
beyond the garden walls. He described other cities which were full of bright lights,
entertainment, and pleasure. A flame of curiosity had been lit in the monks. Their lives at the
temple seemed lonely in comparison to this other world they were hearing about. They did not
want to stay in a world they once thought was paradise.
The young monk led small groups of monks away from the temple and its garden. Only a few
stayed behind. The pathways of the garden became overtaken by weeds. The temple felt deserted
and empty. Finally, only five monks remained. Although they loved their sacred home, they had
a yearning to explore the new world they had heard about. So, they packed their bags and got
ready to leave.
As they were about to turn their backs to leave the temple, a golden bird flew over their heads
dangling five long white strings. Drawn toward the strings like magnets, each monk grabbed
onto a string. The little group was immediately swept away to this new world to join the other
monks. While there, they saw this outside world for what it really was. They saw a world that
was full of hate, misery, dishonesty, and violence, a world without peace or morals. It was a long
journey back to the temple. When the golden bird returned the monks, they decided never to
leave it again. The bird circled overhead three times and then disappeared into the sky. It was
then the monks knew that Buddha had come to help them find the pathway to true happiness.
adapted from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale
27.
Their life at the temple seemed lonely in comparison to this other world they were hearing about.
They did not want to stay in a world they once thought was paradise.
Which theme in the story is reflected in the sentences above?
A. Do not get stuck in one place for long because it will become a lonely place.
B. It is impossible to live in paradise because there is no such thing as paradise.
C. That which is new often appears more desirable than that which is old.
D. Outsiders are dangerous and should never be allowed into your home.
28. My kind has to become accustomed to loneliness. And when one is alone there is nothing
to do but study. I became a diligent scholar. I would spend whole days in the Radzymin study
house and then pore over religious works at home. Purchasing and renting books from peddlers, I
read constantly. It was summertime and the days were long. Reading a story of three brothers, I
imagined that I could write, too, and began to cover both sides of a sheet of a paper.
adapted from "A Day of Pleasure" by Isaac Bashevis Singer
The theme of this story is loneliness. What significance does loneliness have for the main
character, according to the paragraph above?
A. It led him to imagine he was a scholar.
B. It made the summer seem very long.
C. It made him neglect his studies.
D. It led to his becoming a writer.
Michael's Music
Michael started making popular music when he was only 10 years old. He made Motown
records that made people feel good and want to dance. Everyone looked at him and thought that
because he was so young he would only get better and better for decades to come.
For years, Michael did get better. He put out hit after hit, album after album, and he grew
more and more popular. His music made people feel good, and they were thankful that his music
was in their lives. This made him feel good, too.
Unfortunately, Michael got too famous and too rich. He forgot that he loved making music
that made people happy. He locked himself away in his mansion where no one knew what he
was doing. He worked at making as much money off of his old music as possible, even though
he was already very rich. He made some very greedy choices that made friends angry. He
disappeared from the public. People who had listened to him for 20 years didn't know what had
happened to him. It was like he had disappeared, and many people grew angry or sad. After a
while, people forgot about him.
Then, one day many years later, Michael realized that his life had gotten out of control. He
was not doing what he loved and was growing bitter. He decided that he would return to music
and make his best album yet, full of music about love and life, music that would make people
feel great and want to dance. Even the people that had grown angry or sad with Michael while he
had disappeared were glad he was back. On tour, when he came out on stage, he received huge
standing ovations. He was happy to be back, and everyone was happy that he had returned.
29. Which of these themes is present in the story?
A. People will not forgive you if you forget them.
B. It is important to find a job that pays a lot of money.
C. Do as much as you can while you are still young.
D. It is never too late to turn things around.
King Midas and the Golden Touch (Greek myth)
King Midas wants more and more gold and is finally granted his wish: Everything he touches
will turn to gold. The Midas touch! He is ecstatic, as even the flowers become gold under his
powerful touch. Unfortunately, when King Midas touches his daughter, she turns into a gold
statue, and it is at that moment he realizes that all the gold in the world does not compare to his
daughter or her love.
30. Which sentence or phrase from the passage reflects the theme that it is important not to be
blinded by greed?
A. "Everything he touches will turn to gold."
B. "He is ecstatic, as even the flowers become gold under his powerful touch."
C. "King Midas wants more and more gold and is finally granted his wish."
D. "When King Midas touches his daughter, she turns into a gold statue."
For the first time in his life, Indigo Casson fell ill. He had the flu, and instead of
getting better, it got worse and turned into infectious mononucleosis.
"Mono?" asked his disbelieving classmates. "Or scared stiff?"
Somewhere, at the back of his head, Indigo wondered the same thing. However, it
really was mono. He grew very ill indeed, quite quickly. Even at the worst of his illness
though, a part of Indigo sighed with relief. A part of him thought, Phew!
At first it was quite exciting for his family, having Indigo so ill. Anyone who asked any
of the Cassons, "How's Indigo?" received a very long answer. A much too long answer,
with lots of details most people would rather not know about.
Luckily, this stage did not last very long. Indigo's illness stopped being news and
became a fact of life. When people said, "How's Indigo?" his family answered, "Fine,"
and talked of more interesting things. This was not because they did not care about him,
but just that there was nothing new to say. Anyway, compared to how he had been,
Indigo was fine. He could walk up and down the stairs again. He could eat. He didn't
keep fainting. He was fine.
Meanwhile, Indigo missed a whole term of school and grew extremely tall and thin.
He spent a great deal of time by himself. The house was very quiet during the day.
Caddy, his elder sister, was away at college. Eight-year-old Rose and Saffron (his
adopted sister) were at school. His father and mother, both artists, were busy with their
work, his father in London, and his mother in her shed at the end of the garden. It was a
peaceful time, but it gave Indigo an odd feeling sometimes. As if, when he was alone,
he became invisible. Once he looked in the mirror and grinned at himself and said, "Still
there!"
Some days Saffron brought him work home from school. Other times Indigo read
books or watched TV. Even so, he had hours and hours, especially at the start of
getting better, when all he did was lie stretched out on his bed, dreamily watching the
sky. He especially liked the clear days, when airplanes traveled across the blue,
unfurling white banners of jet trails behind them. Indigo imagined them, full of people he
did not know, journeying to places he had never seen. Even when the planes were too
high to see, the jet trail banners listed their journeys across the sky. Indigo's imagination
kept him company when he thought he was alone.
adapted from Indigo's Star by Hilary McKay
31. Which statement best summarizes the theme of this selection?
A. A good imagination can be just as comforting as a family member.
B. Imagination makes people lose focus and ultimately leaves them alone.
C. Most people do not understand the way artists live their lives.
D. Being sick is just a way for lonely people to get attention.
The Japanese Garden
"Why must I take off my shoes?" Riku asked his father. He noticed that other people kept
their shoes on when they entered the Japanese garden. The stone path looked as though it might
hurt the bottoms of his feet.
"It is a Japanese tradition," Riku's father said in a gruff voice. "By taking off our shoes, we
recognize that the garden is special. Also, it helps us relax once we are inside the garden."
Riku's father placed their shoes in a designated cubby near the garden's front gate. Then he
took his son's hand. They walked to a large plot of gravel, in the middle of which were several
jagged stones. The gravel had been raked around the stones in a circular pattern.
"The gravel is supposed to look like water," Riku's father explained. "The lines around the
stones represent ripples."
Riku looked curiously up at his father. "Why are you whispering?" he asked his father.
"A Japanese garden is traditionally a quiet place," Riku's father said and waved dismissively
at a man nearby who was talking on his cell phone. "He does not understand."
Riku wanted to move on to the next site, but his father forbade it. "We must remain here until
our minds grow quiet," he said.
Riku stared at the smooth, raked gravel. After several minutes, he realized his father was
right: It did look like water.
Finally, when the other visitors had moved on, Riku's father pointed to a stone path that
curved around a maple tree. "It is tradition to go slowly, and to be aware," Riku's father said.
Riku nodded and tried his best to be patient as he followed in his father's footsteps. The rocks
were all smooth underfoot except for one that was uneven.
When Riku's father reached the uneven rock, he paused. "Do you feel the difference?" he
whispered to his son.
Riku nodded.
"Now, look up." Riku's father pointed at a spot in the trees. There, a small but colorful paper
lantern hung from a branch. "This is our reward," he said.
32. What theme recurs throughout this story?
A. Using a cell phone in public is impolite.
B. Fathers are often strict for no reason.
C. Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.
D. It is important to observe tradition.
33.
In the Harry Potter books, Harry fights for good in the world of wizards. He and his
friends must face many foes—human, animal, and magical. But by the end of each book, Harry
always seems to have the upper hand.
What is one of the major recurring themes of the Harry Potter books?
A. Magical foes are hard to beat.
B. Wizards use their powers for good.
C. Good always triumphs over evil.
D. Friends will not help to defeat evil.
The Flying Trunk
Once upon a time, many years ago in Copenhagen, Denmark, a wealthy merchant had a son
called Erik. Erik was a good-looking lad, intelligent, but very lazy. Instead of studying or doing
some work, he liked to spend his days roaming about, amusing himself with his friends and
squandering his father's money. When the merchant died, he left all his money to Erik, who spent
it in a matter of months.
The only thing left was an empty magic trunk. The minute anyone stepped inside, the trunk
rose into the air. One day, Erik, who had no intention of working for a living, decided to face the
unknown and seek his fortune. So, he stepped into the trunk and, for days on end, flew across the
seas and over woodlands and deserts. At last, he found himself above a city in the East and
ordered the trunk to land on the terrace of a wonderful palace. Erik stepped out of the trunk and
there in front of him stood a girl, staring at him in amazement.
"I'm Tamara, the Sultan's daughter," she said. "Who are you?"
Quick to turn the situation to his own advantage, Erik replied, "I'm the god of your people. I
have come to ask for your hand in marriage."
Fascinated by the handsome stranger and certain that he really was a god, she happily said yes
and called her family. The Sultan welcomed the youth with great honors and immediately started
to make arrangements for the wedding.
The day before the ceremony, Erik stuffed the trunk full of jewels, golden candlesticks, and
fine silks and flew away from the palace towards Copenhagen. However, weighed down by its
valuable load, the trunk fell into the sea off the Danish coast. Erik managed to swim ashore and
return to Copenhagen, where he sang sad songs at street corners for a living.
In the East, on the terrace of a magnificent palace, a young girl sadly glanced at the sky from
time to time, hoping that the god who had suddenly disappeared would come back again.
34. What theme runs through this story?
A. Good girls shouldn't marry bad boys.
B. Greed and dishonesty don't pay off.
C. It doesn't pay to travel in a trunk.
D. Having a job helps build character.
Michael's Music
Michael started making popular music when he was only 10 years old. He made Motown
records that made people feel good and want to dance. Everyone looked at him and thought that
because he was so young he would only get better and better for decades to come.
For years, Michael did get better. He put out hit after hit, album after album, and he grew
more and more popular. His music made people feel good, and they were thankful that his music
was in their lives. This made him feel good, too.
Unfortunately, Michael got too famous and too rich. He forgot that he loved making music
that made people happy. He locked himself away in his mansion where no one knew what he
was doing. He worked at making as much money off of his old music as possible, even though
he was already very rich. He made some very greedy choices that made friends angry. He
disappeared from the public. People who had listened to him for 20 years didn't know what had
happened to him. It was like he had disappeared, and many people grew angry or sad. After a
while, people forgot about him.
Then, one day many years later, Michael realized that his life had gotten out of control. He
was not doing what he loved and was growing bitter. He decided that he would return to music
and make his best album yet, full of music about love and life, music that would make people
feel great and want to dance. Even the people that had grown angry or sad with Michael while he
had disappeared were glad he was back. On tour, when he came out on stage, he received huge
standing ovations. He was happy to be back, and everyone was happy that he had returned.
35.
His music made people feel good, and they were thankful that his music was in their lives. This
made him feel good, too.
Look at the sentences in the box above. What theme from the story is reflected in these
sentences?
A. Always plan ahead before you do something.
B. It is rewarding to do things for others.
C. Never let other people tell you what to do.
D. It is important to listen to the opinions of others.
"What time is it?" my cousin asked me. About eight inches shorter than me, he had to look up
when he talked.
I glanced at my watch. "Ten twenty."
"Does that watch tell good time?"
"Yeah, I think so."
My cousin grabbed my wrist to look at the watch. "Did it cost a lot?"
"No, it's pretty cheap," I said, glancing at the timetable.
My cousin looked confused.
"It's pretty cheap," I said, looking right at him, carefully repeating the words. "It's pretty
cheap, but it keeps good time."
My cousin nodded silently.
My cousin can't hear well out of his right ear. Soon after he began elementary school, he was
hit by a baseball, and it screwed up his hearing. That doesn't keep him from functioning normally
most of the time. He attends a regular school, leads an entirely normal life. The thing is, though,
he goes through periods when he can hear sounds pretty well and periods when he can't. And
sometimes, maybe twice a year, he can barely hear anything out of either ear. It's like the silence
in his right ear deepens to the point where it crushes out any sound on the left side. When that
happens, ordinary life goes out the window, and he has to take some time off from school. The
doctors have never seen a case like it, so they’re stumped.
It was ten thirty-two when the bus finally rolled into view.
"I wonder if it's going to hurt this time—the treatments?" my cousin asked me.
"I don't know," I said.
"Have you ever been to an ear doctor?"
I shook my head.
"Has it hurt before?" I asked.
"Not really," my cousin said glumly. "It wasn't totally painless, of course; sometimes it hurt a
little. But nothing terrible."
"Maybe this time it'll be the same. Your mom said they're not going to do anything much
different from usual."
"But if they do the same as always, how's that going to help?"
"Well, you never know. Sometimes the unexpected happens."
"You mean like pulling out a cork?" my cousin said. I glanced at him but didn't detect any
sarcasm.
"It'll feel different having a new doctor treat you, and sometimes just a slight change in
procedure might make all the difference. I wouldn't give up so easily."
"I'm not giving up," my cousin said.
"But you are kind of fed up with it?"
"I guess," he said and sighed. "The fear is the worst thing. The pain I imagine is worse than
the actual pain. Know what I mean?"
"Yeah, I know."
adapted from Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami
36. Which theme can the reader see in this selection?
A. Pain is usually temporary, but courage lasts forever.
B. Playing baseball can be hazardous to your hearing.
C. The usual is more interesting than the unusual.
D. Fear of the unexpected is worse than what really happens.
37. The theme of good triumphing over evil appears in many classic fairy tales, such as
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Which of the
following stories uses this same theme?
W. A fire-breathing dragon is about to wipe out a mountain town, but Wilford the Wise arrives
just in time and tricks the dragon into thinking the townspeople are demons. The dragon runs
away scared and never comes back.
X. A young man falls asleep for 100 years, and when he wakes up, he cannot find his home. His
mother has been searching through time to find her son, and at last she finds him.
Y. A poor boy, Jonathan, switches places with a rich boy, Jacob, who looks just like him. They
each learn about each other's lives and decide they want their old lives back.
Z. A miserly old king won't give his daughters any of his treasures until they prove that they're
virtuous. Each daughter goes out into the world to prove this, except for the youngest daughter,
Lilith, who stays and takes care of her old father. Lilith is the one the king rewards with all his
riches, which she decides to share equally with her sisters.
A. Story Z
B. Story Y
C. Story X
D. Story W
Answers
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. C
5. D
6. D
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. C
11. A
12. B
13. A
14. A
15. A
16. A
17. D
18. D
19. B
20. D
21. A
22. C
23. A
24. A
25. B
26. B
27. C
28. D
29. D
30. D
31. A
32. D
33. C
34. B
35. B
36. D
37. D
Explanations
1. Instead of eating the same flowers that the other squirrels eat, Lefty boasts that he can do
better. He tries to get apples, though all the other squirrels warn him that this will be difficult. By
the time he discovers that they are correct, the other squirrels are frustrated with him. They
refuse to share their food.
2. At the beginning of the story, Mahesh assumes he is undefeated because of his lucky
wristband. However, his teammates assume his success is due to hard work. It turns out that his
teammates are right: Mahesh is able to win an important match without his wristband.
3. The overall theme of the story is the unexplained. In the story, Jessica thinks she has her
morning routine perfected down to the second. What she fails to account for is that sometimes
things do not always work out as they are planned. She did not expect something very strange to
occur outside her house that day.
4. The recurring theme in this novel is that, no matter what the family does, they lose their
wealth every few decades or so. This implies that fortune is "fickle"—meaning it favors one
family one day and a different one the next with no particular rhyme or reason.
5. Scarface thought that the scars on his face would keep him from being able to marry his
beloved. As it turned out, the love in his heart drives him to take a very difficult journey. He does
not give up on live, despite his scars, and he is rewarded for it with the blessing to marry his
beloved.
6. The monks learn from the little bird that they had true peace and happiness right at their home
and wouldn't find it in the outside world. The theme is recurring because we see them happy at
home at the beginning. At the end, the theme comes up again when they realize they do not want
to leave.
7. The mother's love for the boy is what's behind her determination to see him get better. It's the
reason she never loses hope. The theme that love can conquer anything occurs throughout the
novel. Therefore you can say that it's a "recurring theme."
8. The story explains that the monks already live in a place that was close to paradise. Then, a
stranger shows up, speaking beautiful things about the world outside. Even though the monks are
happy in paradise, many of them are persuaded to leave merely by the stranger's words. As it
turns out, the real world is not as beautiful as they had all been hoping. Those monks that stay
behind would likely agree that it is important not to be too easily persuaded by beautiful words, a
common theme in literature.
9. Both of these plays are about "pretense"—pretending something is true that isn't. Viola
pretends to be a boy, and Juliet pretends she is dead. In this way, Shakespeare warns us to not
always trust what we see.
10. When Michael receives huge standing ovations on tour, it is after many people had grown
angry and forgotten about him. Even though people had been angry or sad, they are happy when
he begins making music again. Their standing ovations show that they had forgiven him for the
mistakes he had made.
11. The overall theme of the story is focus. In the passage, Torak daydreams quite a bit. In doing
so, he loses focus and is almost hurt by a creature that thinks Torak is after her calf. However,
when Torak concentrates, he is able to keep himself safe, and he is able to keep the auroch and
her calf safe. It shows that focus and concentration are good qualities to have in a crisis.
12. The overall theme of the story is about the benefits of an active imagination. The fishing trip
is enhanced by the narrator's grandfather and his active imagination. Also, the passage shows the
opposite. Tacky, the angry neighbor that yells, has "no imagination," according to Grandad. The
reader can infer based on Tacky's personality that because he doesn't have an imagination, he
isn't as likable as Grandad.
13. There are many great tales of people who persevere in the face of tremendous challenges and
dangers. In most cases, the lesson of these tales is that by trying hard and not giving up, you can
meet almost any goal you set for yourself. Scarface knows that he wants to marry the chief's
daughter. He perseveres until he meets his goal.
14. Because Erik is handsome and does a neat trick by flying on a trunk, the Sultan's daughter
believes whatever he says. She believes that he is a god and that he wants to marry her. She is
impressed by how exciting and good looking he is. She should not have let him fool her with his
flashy tricks and good looks.
15. The loss that Grandma has adjusted to in the story is her loss of sight. One way she adjusted
was by memorizing where things were "by feel." Grandma knows where every dish in her
kitchen is located and where every work of literature sits on the bookcase in the living room all
based on feel.
16. The fact that Melvin's mom spends a lot of money on underwear that rips easily is a bad
thing. However, Melvin sees only good in the underwear. They will keep him from getting a
wedgie every day. "Something good can result from something bad" is one interpretation of the
well-known saying "Every cloud has a silver lining."
17. The lion, as the story says, is the king of the jungle, feared because of its size and strength.
However, size does not always triumph. "Large and tough as the lion was, he could not rid
himself of his tiny tormentor." This sentence describes how the tiny mosquito is capable of
causing great problems for the lion. It is the mosquito's spirit that overcomes its tiny size.
18. Sometimes a story's theme can lead to philosophical questions, like the one being asked at
the end of this story. Those questions can be spelled out, like in this story, or simply implied by
what the story has to say.
19. The little mosquito in the story brags (or boasts) about how he's foiled the king of the jungle.
Because he is so busy boasting, he doesn't see the spider's web, which does him in.
20. The sentence tells you that, for the monks, "the beauty of their surroundings was all they
needed to make them forget the world." They forget the world at large because they are so
focused on what is directly around them. One way to state this theme would be to say, "you
forget whatever is not in front of you."
21. This sentence tells you about the mother's reaction to the advice of others: she doesn't listen
to it. Others are telling her that she needs to give up. Instead of following their advice, the
mother follows her heart and never stops searching for help for her son. She is eventually
successful in finding help.
22. Story Y is about two boys who switch places in life. They each learn about the other's life
and decide they want to go back to the way it was before. They learn the lesson that it is
important to be yourself and to not try to be someone that you are not.
23. Midas eventually realizes that his wish is foolish when he accidentally turns his daughter to
gold. The passage says, "At that moment he realizes that all the gold in the world does not
compare to his daughter or her love." Midas regrets his wish, and he knows he should have been
more careful about choosing it. This theme is found commonly in literature.
24. Throughout the story, the narrator is amazed at what her nearly-blind grandmother can see.
Almost every paragraph mentions this theme in some way.
25. In Story Z, Lilith's kindness toward her father is rewarded. The king finds her to be the most
virtuous.
26. In the story, Michael begins focusing only on making money and makes some greedy
choices. The story says that, eventually, Michael realizes that "He was not doing what he loved
and was growing bitter." This shows that when he was focusing only on money, he grew bitter
instead of happy.
27. Even though the monks live in "what had, till then, seemed paradise," the new monk is able
to talk them into leaving. Even though living at the temple is great, the world the young monk
tells them about is new and therefore more exciting. Many of the monks are willing to throw
away paradise just for a chance at something new.
28. The overall theme of the story is loneliness. This selection how loneliness leads the main
character to discover writing. He begins to study more and more because there is nothing else to
do. He buys books and reads constantly. In his solitude, he imagines himself a writer. Then, he
begins to write. Even though a theme may be about something larger than the story itself, it will
also have an impact on the plot and the characters in the story.
29. In the story, Michael is making music that makes people happy for a long time, but then he
becomes greedy and disappears. After many years, he realizes that he is not doing what he loved
and is instead focusing only on money. He realizes that, even though it is many years later, he
can start doing what he loves again. He begins making music again, and everyone is happy.
30. King Midas is been blinded by greed. His lust for gold clouds his judgment. It is not until he
turns his daughter into gold that he realizes that greed overcomes his judgment and blinds him to
the truth. Now, his daughter is lost to him.
31. The overall theme of the story is imagination. In the passage, Indigo is left alone when he
gets sick. To combat this, he uses his imagination, so he does not get lonely.
32. Throughout the story, Riku's father talks about tradition. He tells his son removing his shoes
in a Japanese garden is part of a tradition. He also tells his son to go slowly, and to be aware. It is
because Riku follows these rules that he notices an uneven stone. Above the stone is a colorful
paper lantern. Riku's father explains that the lantern is their "reward." He means it is their reward
for following tradition.
33. Good versus evil is a theme in many stories, in hundreds of different cultures around the
globe. You might say it is a universal theme. Although Harry loses occasional battles, he always
seems to bounce back—or be rescued by his friends. The overall message is that the forces of
good eventually triumph over the forces of evil.
34. Erik lies to the Sultan's family and tries to make off with the family's wealth. However, all
his loot falls in the water, and he's left with nothing. Greed doesn't reward him in the end.
35. The sentences reflect the theme that it is rewarding to do things for others. Michael is making
music that makes "people feel good" and makes them "thankful." The sentences says that "this
made him feel good, too." Feeling good is his reward for making others feel good.
36. The overall theme of the story is the unexpected and the fear of the unexpected. In the
passage, the narrator and his cousin discuss the fear of the unexpected. The narrator's cousin
states that the pain he imagines is probably worse than the actual pain he will endure when he
visits the doctor.
37. Story W is the only one with an evil figure (the dragon) that is defeated by a good character
(Wilford).