"Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" Questions

1. How does paragraph 9 contribute to the development of a theme in the story?

• A. by suggesting that Aven often observes herself.

• B. by describing the care Aven puts into her appearance.

• C. by showing Aven is worried about what people think.

• D. by illustrating how Aven prepares herself for a performance.

2. How does paragraph 13 mainly develop the character of the narrator?

• A. by informing the reader that the guitar belonged to the narrator's mother

• B. by telling the reader that the narrator found the guitar in a storage closet

• C. by informing the reader that the narrator's parents were watching her

• D. by telling the reader about the type of shoes the narrator wears while performing

3. What is the effect of the narrator's repetition of the word "me" in paragraph 14?

• A. She thinks the audience is impressed with her ability to play the guitar.

• B. She hopes people will notice the objects which belong to her mother.

• C. She thinks it is remarkable that she is performing in front of an audience.

• D. She hopes that people appreciate how much she practiced during the week.

4. What does the word "insignificant" mean as it is used in paragraph 15?

• A. talentless

• B. brave

• C. unimportant

• D. accepted

5. Which phrase from paragraph 15 best conveys a theme of the story?

• A. "the fireworks exploded"

• B. "the lights of the city"

• C. "millions of people"

• D. "the light was in me"

6. Which detail best represents how Aven changes at the end of the story?

• A. "...plucked at a string with one not quite steady toe."

  (paragraph 13)

• B. "...I saw that all of their eyes were on me."

  (paragraph 14)

• C. "...arms around each other, swaying to the music."

  (paragraph 14)

• D. "I felt as big as the giant saguaro..."

  (paragraph 15)

7. Read this phrase from paragraph 15.

I felt like I was shining...

Which sentence best represents the meaning of this phrase?

• A. Aven feels proud of who she is.

• B. Aven is looking forward to more performances.

• C. Aven understands she is more important than others.

• D. Aven is relieved the audience enjoyed her performance.