Power of the Powerless" Edge Level A

Even now, years after his death from pneumonia on March 12, 1980, Oliver still remains the weakest, most helpless human being I ever met, and yet he was one of the most powerful human beings I ever met.

The words "Even now" signal that the author...

• ....is near the end of his story.

• ...has shifted the story to the present.

• ...wants to attract the reader's attention.

• .... is about to retell an even from the past.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.3

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.7.3

CCSS.RI.8.3

CCSS.RI.9-10.3

Which sentence from the selection shows a shift to the present?

• I called him Oliver, my brother.

• Today Roe and I have three children.

• He never knew what his condition was.

• I sat at Oliver's bedside as Roe watched over my shoulder.

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

How does the author feel about his parents?

• He admires them for how they treated Oliver.

• He pities them for the struggles they had to care for Oliver.

• He is angry at them for paying so much attention to Oliver.

• He is sad that they could not give Oliver all the help he needed.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

The author is not able to speak clearly for a few minutes after a student calls Oliver "a vegetable". Why?

• The author is concerned that the student did not understand him.

• The author is pleased that his student would say that about Oliver.

• The author is embarrassed and does not want to talk about Oliver.

• The author is surprised because he has a very different idea of Oliver's importance.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Which part of the memoir shows Oliver's power?

• My family and I fed Oliver.

• A bishop came to the house and confirmed him.

• He was responsible for action, love, courage, insight.

• We listened to him laugh as we watched television downstairs.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.6.10

CCSS.RI.7.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

"I gave him his first spoonful, his second. "Can I do that?" Roe asked with ease, with freedom, with compassion, so I gave her the bowl and she fed Oliver one spoonful at a time." What does the author learn about Roe from this incident?

• That she is just like the first girl he brought home to meet Oliver and she did not seem interested in meeting him either.

• That she is very different from the first girl he brought home because she offered to help feed Oliver and showed she has a big heart.

• That Roe was responsible for the leak in the coal-burning stove that caused Oliver to have birth defects.

• That even though Roe was a lovely girl and liked Oliver, she did not like his parents and so they broke up.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

The author of "Power of the Powerless", Christopher de Vinck, lives in New Jersey and has done what as a career for the last 25 years?

• Professional Writer.

• Caretaker for disabled people.

• English teacher and administrator.

• A cook for the Navy.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

What was Oliver's disability?

• He was deaf and blind.

• He was blind and couldn't move.

• He was blind and mute and his legs were twisted.

• He couldn't move his arms and he was deaf.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Oliver was almost this old when he died of pneumonia:

• 5

• 10

• 26

• 33

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What sentence shows a "time shift" in the story?

• Sometimes we left the radio on in his room. We pulled the shade down over his bed in the morning to keep the sun from burning his tender skin.

• So they brought Oliver to Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York for tests to determine the extent of his condition.

• So many people have little choice but to place their child in an institution. We were fortunate that Oliver didn't need us to be in his room all day.

• Today, I am an English teacher, and each time I introduce my class to the play about Helen Keller, "The Miracle Worker," I tell my students about Oliver.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.3

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.7.3

CCSS.RI.8.3

CCSS.RI.9-10.3