Mother to Son by Langston Hughes

The stair has all of the following flaws except...

• torn up boards
• cracks
• tacks
• splinters

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CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

The mother tells her son

• to be more carefree.
• to make more money.
• to not fall in love.
• not to give up.

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CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

The mother says she is...

• giving up on climbing.
• standing still.
• sitting down.
• still climbing.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

The mother's tone is best described as ...

• harsh
• fearful
• kind and firm
• indifferent

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CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Which is the main type of figurative language used in the poem?

• simile
• metaphor
• personification
• hyperbole

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

Why do you think the author began and finished the piece with, "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair"?

• To emphasize an important idea.
• To show the passage of time.
• To show that the author is forgetful.
• To describe the stair.

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

The author says that "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." Used in this poem, what does "crystal" mean?

• transparent and slippery
• rough
• beautiful and dangerous
• clear and smooth

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

The mother's dialect or manner of speaking makes the poem more _______.

• funny
• serious
• realistic
• boastful

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CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

In the "Mother to Son", the mother compares her life to a _____ 

• river
• road
• staircase
• journey

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CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

What might "reachin' landin's" symbolize in the mother's climb?

• Destructive forces in her life

• Portions of her life that held magic for her

• Compassionate forces in her life

• Places in her life where she had to stop and make decisions

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CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2