Mark Twain Review

Which of the following best describes Jim Smiley?

• bored and annoyed

• suspicious and aggressive

• clever and competitive

• gentle and tranquil

When the apprentice engineer is able to "cut out every boy in the village," he is able to

• beat any boy in the village in a fight.

• take a girl away from any boy in the village.

• ignore any boy in the village.

• outrun any boy in the village.

For the author as a boy, the Mississippi River was above all

• a wonder of nature.

• a pathway to adventure.

• a means of escape from Hannibal.

• an opportunity to get rich.

Base your answer on the following excerpt:

[Smiley's dog] would grab the other dog … and hang on till they throwed up the sponge.

In this sentence, the words "throwed up the sponge" mean that the people watching the dog fight would

• admit that they had lost the bet.

• bet more money on Smiley's dog.

• grab Smiley's dog and tie it up.

• try to help the other dog beat Smiley's dog.

The reader is led to believe that Andrew Jackson, the fighting dog, lost his last fight because of

• his own stupidity.

• the other dog's superior strength.

• a thrown sponge.

• a broken spirit after being tricked.

What makes the steamboat such a source of fascination for the boys?

• It is a marvel of modern technology.

• It is accessible only to the rich and powerful.

• It is a connection to the world outside Hannibal.

• It is connected with stories of shady dealings.

Which of the following does Mark Twain use to add humor to this story?

• unexpected plot shifts

• misunderstandings between characters

• colorful names for characters

• all of the above

Twain uses exaggeration in "The Boys' Ambition" primarily to

• make the townspeople look ridiculous.

• emphasize the boys' feelings about steamboating.

• contrast Hannibal with St. Louis.

• make the story entertaining.

In the sentence "By and by one of our boys went away," the expression "by and by" means

• after he said "good-bye."

• some time later.

• after purchasing his contract.

• mysteriously.

Why did Smiley act indifferently when the stranger asked him about Dan'l Webster?

• Smiley was hoping to convince the stranger to bet on how well Dan'l could jump.

• Smiley was busy trying to teach Dan'l to jump, and the stranger interrupted.

• Dan'l looked like he had something wrong with him, and Smiley was worried.

• Simon Wheeler had cheated on a bet, and Smiley was angry.