Craft and Structure - Literature

What does the author of "The Expert" mean when he says that Katie is "all business"?

• Katie does not enjoy the hike through the woods.

• Katie spends all of her time working hard.

• Katie's job is to lead the hike through the woods.

• Katie is very serious and acts like she is in charge.

In "The Expert," what does the allusion to Alice in Wonderland suggest about Jim in paragraph 8?

• He does not want to follow Katie's instructions.

• He believes that the woods are a magical place.

• He believes that the woods have hidden dangers.

• He is not convinced of Katie's superior knowledge.

The sentence below is from the story "The Expert."

"That's pokeberry, and some botanists warn against eating the fruit."

What does the word "botanists" mean in this sentence?

• plant scientists

• bird watchers

• magazine writers

• forest rangers

Which word from the sentence below best helps the reader understand the meaning of "botanists"?

"That's pokeberry, and some botanists warn against eating the fruit."

• fruit

• warn

• pokeberry

• eating

How does the author of "The Expert" use dramatic irony to create humor in the story?

• Jim thinks he knows more than Katie, but the reader sees that she knows more about the woods than he does.

• Katie is younger than Jim, but the reader realizes that she acts like she is much older than she really is.

• Jim sees the plants and birds on the hike, but Katie knows that he is not correctly identifying them.

• Katie is very knowledgeable about the animals and wildlife, but Jim is starting to question his own knowledge.

In "The Expert," Katie says, "It's highly debatable at what point a pokeberry plant becomes a danger to humans." What does the use of the word "debatable" suggest in this sentence?

• The pokeberry has scientists baffled and confused.

• Scientists disagree about the danger of the pokeberry.

• Plants that produce berries are often dangerous.

• People who study botany are often quarrelsome.

In "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer," what is the purpose of the poet's use of the phrase 'learn'd astronomer' in line 1 of the poem?

• to suggest that the astronomer is a great scholar in his field

• to suggest that the astronomer knows facts, but lacks imagination

• to suggest that the astronomer impresses the speaker of the poem

• to suggest that the astronomer is a man of great wisdom, but is humble

In the last line of the poem "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer," the phrase "perfect silence" is meant to have a positive connotation. Write a short paragraph supporting this statement. Use details from the poem to support your response.

Read these lines from the poem "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer."

"When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them;

When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,

How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick;"

The speaker's point of view about the astronomer is meant to influence the reader's opinion about the astronomer. Write a short paragraph supporting this statement. Use details from the poem to support your response.