Finishing Strong - Westmont Hilltop High School

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Literary Devices

Finishing Strong

by J. Robbins

     High school senior Regina Lampert's heart was racing, and her breath was coming in short, painful gasps. She looked up and
realized that she was more than halfway up the steep hill. Her arms felt like limp noodles after pushing herself through the eight mile
wheelchair race. Now she was almost to the finish line, and she wondered if she had the strength to go on.
     Her wheelchair jerked beneath her as she ran over rocks and ruts on the path. She remembered how the car accident that had
paralyzed her had seemed like the end of the road for all her hopes and dreams. Life after the accident was full of unexpected bumps
and bruises, but Regina was learning to keep on rolling. As she reached the top of the hill, Regina strained her eyes to see the finish
line. It was at least a mile away, and her courage almost deserted her.
     With a pained cry, Regina drove herself forward. She was surprised to find that the path was smoother on the other side of the hill,
and her weary arms didn't have to work as hard to push her wheelchair forward. As long as I don't give up, either things will get easier
or I will grow stronger, Regina told herself. The thought of finishing her first wheelchair race filled her heart with happiness. Her arms
seemed filled with new strength as she sped across the finish line.

1. This passage is considered an allegory because

A. the main character is a young woman who is living with a physical disability.
B. the events of the passage are symbolic of the main character's inner struggles.
C. the author of the passage only shows the race from one character's viewpoint.
D. the passage uses descriptive language such as "her arms felt like limp noodles."

Liam Moves On

Liam was a strong boy—tough from the start
But something hurt within him—a wound in his heart
The way she made him feel—she was his Achilles' heel
The girl whom he adored—tore Liam in his core

He played lacrosse and won debates
He knew just how to gather As
As filled with dreams and brighter things
Liam was alright, till he thought of his feelings

Now, he was in junior high, as time was flying by
Liam felt no pain, as he searched his soul and eyes
He was no Sherlock Holmes to figure out mysteries
But Liam had moved on; his broken heart was history

2. The poem is making reference to "Achilles' heel" in Greek mythology. What technique is the poet using to do
this?

A. allusion
B. dialect
C. ballad

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D. symbolism

Dear Frank Charles:

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gary Dawes. I am a senior at Gatemouth Ferry High School. I will graduate this May. I am
currently looking for employment. I was told by one of your associates, Mr. Franklin Dewy, to contact y'all's company about a possible
opportunity as a repairman.

I have included my résumé as well as a list of references and letters of recommendation. I would appreciate the opportunity to sit down
and shoot the breeze about your company and how I might be able to fit into it.

Sincerely,

Gary Dawes

3. Why would this letter not be appropriate?

A. Gary includes the word "y'all" when referring to the company.
B. The letter is appropriate.
C. Gary does not include the title of his contact or Frank Charles.
D. Gary never names the company.

From Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

by J. K. Rowling

     Harry went restlessly back to bed and sat down on it, running a finger over his scar again. It wasn't the pain that bothered him; Harry
was no stranger to pain and injury. He had lost all the bones from his right arm once and had them painfullly regrown in a night. The
same arm had been pierced by a venomous foot-long fang not long afterward. Only last year, Harry had fallen fifty feet from an airborne
broomstick. He was used to bizarre accidents and injuries; they were unavoidable if you attended Hogwarts School of Wichcraft and
Wizardry and had a knack for attracting a lot of trouble.
     No, the thing that was bothering Harry was that the last time his scar had hurt him, it had been because Voldemort had been close
by. . . . But Voldemort couldn't be here, now. . . . The idea of Voldemort lurking in Privet Drive was absurb, impossible. . . .

4. The author's use of foreshadowing leads the reader to conclude that

A. Harry will injure his right arm.
B. Harry will live in constant fear.
C. Harry will fall from his broomstick.
D. Harry will meet Lord Voldemort.

5.

from Silverfin

by Charlie Higson

     James was shivering. His body felt raw, as if he'd had the skin peeled off it. . . . He rubbed his arms to try to get some feeling back
into them, and the raised goose bumps made them feel as rough as sandpaper.
     If it was this cold out of the water, what was it going to be like in it? Well, there was only one way to find out.
     It was half an hour before afternoon lessons and he was standing on a low diving board at Ward's Mead, peering at the water, which
looked like . . . soup. . . . Freezing-cold soup.
     "Come on, then," he said out loud. "Just do it."
     He pulled back his arms, took a deep breath and flung himself forward. When he entered the water it was like being hit by a cricket
bat. He was stunned by the cold, and for a moment, he couldn't move, but then he came alive, clawed his way to the surface and
gasped. All his limbs were aching, and his throbbing head felt numb. The only way to stay in the water and stop himself from jumping
out was to swim. He thrashed across the Mead to the other side and fought the urge to get out and run back to his room. After a
moment's hesitation, he forced himself round and swam back to the other side.

Which of the following lines contains an example of hyperbole?

A. "His limbs were aching and his throbbing head felt numb . . ."

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B. "He pulled back his arms, took a deep breath and flung himself forward . . ."
C. "He rubbed his arms to try to get some feeling back into them . . ."
D. "His body felt raw, as if he'd had the skin peeled off it . . ."

Elegy in a Country Churchyard

by G. K. Chesterton

The men that worked for England
They have their graves at home:
And birds and bees of England
About the cross can roam.

But they that fought for England,
Following a falling star,
Alas, alas for England
They have their graves afar.

And they that rule in England,
In stately conclave met,
Alas, alas for England
They have no graves as yet.

6. The author of the poem uses satire in order to

A. support England's burial practices.
B. insult the laborers in England.
C. describe the war in England.
D. criticize England's rulers.

     Mr. Chadwell glares at us across his desk. I hate it when he doesn’t talk. His eyes just pierce into me as I shift uncomfortably in my
seat. I glance at Jared sitting next to me. His face is like a blank sheet of paper. He doesn’t care that it was his genius idea that got us
in this situation.
     Mr. Chadwell clears his throat. “You boys have really outdone yourselves,” he says. “I just love the beautiful white toilet paper in the
bushes.” His smug smile gives me the creeps.
     Jared smirks, amused by everything that is happening, but I am sweating bullets. I had strung toilet paper in the bushes around the
school to protest the decision to cancel last week’s football game. Now, I have a feeling that I will be kicked off the team altogether. I
silently pray that Mr. Chadwell will show me mercy.

7. Which sentence is an example of verbal irony in the story?

A. " 'I just love the beautiful white toilet paper in the bushes.' "
B. "His face is like a blank sheet of paper."
C. "I silently pray that Mr. Chadwell will show me mercy."
D. "His eyes just pierce into me as I shift uncomfortably in my seat."

The Trail of the Meat

     The dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway. The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white
covering of frost, and they seemed to lean toward each other, black and threatening, in the fading light. A vast silence reigned over the
land. The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness.
There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness—a laughter that was as mirthless as the smile of the
Sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility. It was the masterful and incommunicable wisdom of
eternity laughing at the futility of life and the effort of life. It was the Wild, the savage, frozenhearted Northland Wild.

adapted from White Fang by Jack London

8. The phrase "frozenhearted Northland Wild" means that

A. the area resembles a large heart.
B. the area is busy with many visitors.

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C. the area is cold and lacks feelings.
D. the area is the main part of the forest.

     Jake's arm is a cannon, but even he doubts if this will work. Sure, he has thrown the ball 55 yards before, but that was in practice
without defenders hounding his receivers. The clock shows 5 seconds remaining, and his team is down by 3 points.
     The center snaps the ball to Jake, and he peddles back into the pocket. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees one of his receivers
break free behind the defender and start racing down the sidelines. Jake steps into the throw and chucks the ball like a missile tied to a
tightrope wire. The ball buzzes right over the receiver's shoulder and into his outstretched arms. 10 yards later, Jake and his
teammates celebrate victory.

9. Why does the author use the simile "Jake steps into the throw and chucks the ball like a missile tied to a
tightrope wire"?

A. to show how fast the receiver is
B. to show how fast and straight the pass is
C. to show how Jake practices
D. to show how long it takes the pass to get there

     Katya shoved her hands deep in her pockets as she walked. The cold night air seemed to push her forward, and she just let herself
be rushed along. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care. She had just said goodbye to her best friend, Irina, and the
empty city street, as cold and bleak as the far side of the moon, was no match for the emptiness in Katya's heart. Irina was moving
forward in her life as a high school graduate headed for a prestigious university. Unlike me, Katya thought. I can't even imagine what I'll
do next.
     A bus stop on the corner of the street caught Katya's attention. The bus line had been out of service in her town for years, and she
couldn't remember seeing a bus stop on this corner before. I guess it's as good a place to wait as any, she thought as she sat down on
the bench. She didn't know what she was waiting for. A sign to guide her into the future, perhaps. Maybe she would just sit on the park
bench and wait for the sun to come up.
     Suddenly, a light flashed in Katya's eyes. She turned to see a bus pulling up to the stop. The bus was painted a plain gray, and
Katya could not see a company name or destination written anywhere. Instead, it seemed as dull and blank as her future. There were
no passengers on the bus—only a driver looking out at her impassively. The door opened, and Katya felt a rush of wind at her back.
     "Coming aboard, miss?" asked the driver. Katya felt a chill run up her spine as she stood. She climbed aboard the bus and took a
seat in the back. As she looked out the window, she could see light streaking the sky to the east. The morning light traced a pattern
across the sky, and the sun's gentle hands began to change the view outside Katya's window from an empty wasteland into a bustling,
friendly city. No matter what happens next, it will be a fresh start. That is just what I need, Katya thought as the bus moved toward the
light.

10. In this story, the bus is a symbol of

A. Katya's unknown future.
B. Katya's anger toward Irina.
C. the fear of growing old.
D. the town's hidden evil.

Answers

1. B
2. A
3. A
4. D
5. D
6. D
7. A
8. C
9. B
10. A

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Explanations

1. An allegory is a story in which people, things, and/or events have a symbolic meaning. Allegories use fictional
figures and events to express truths about human experiences. In this story, the difficult wheelchair race is an
extended metaphor for the difficulties in living with a physical disability. The other answer choices can be true of
many genres and are not specific to allegories.
2. An allusion is a direct or indirect reference to another work of literature, art work, famous person, or event.
Writers use allusions as an appeal to the reader to share common knowledge. In this case, the author is
referencing the Greek hero Achilles who was invulnerable everywhere except his heels.
3. Gary probably uses the word "y'all" to mean you all or your. This is a term common in many Southern states.
Unfortunately, it is inappropriate to use in terms of a business letter. In certain informal situations, it is okay to
use dialects; however, in a formal case like this, it should be avoided.
4. Foreshadowing is a literary device in which an author gives suggestions or clues about future events in a story.
In this excerpt, Rowling provides a history of Harry's scar. Because Voldemort had been close by when his scar
hurt last time, Harry will most likely encounter Voldemort again.
5. There are many descriptive methods that writers use to convey an idea or feeling. Hyperbole is one of those
methods. Hyperbole is a form of figurative language that uses exaggeration. To say "his body felt raw" gives the
reader some idea of how the boy felt; but to say it felt like "he'd had the skin peeled off it" is an exaggerated
way to convey the idea more vividly. That is often why hyperbole is used—to make the description more vivid and
easier for the reader to imagine.
6. Look at the poem again. The first stanza describes the graves of England's workers, which are located at home.
The second stanza describes the graves of England's soldiers as afar. This is ironic because the soldiers are not
buried in the land that they died fighting for. The third stanza emphasizes that "they that rule in England" have no
graves at all. The author is using satire to criticize England's rulers for not giving their soldiers proper burials. The
poem is also criticizing the rulers for sending soldiers—and working people—to certain death while they remain
safe and alive.
7. Verbal irony is when someone says one thing but means something different. It is ironic for the principal to
say, "I just love the beautiful white toilet paper in the bushes." The reader can tell that the principal does NOT
mean that he actually likes the toilet paper and thinks it is beautiful. He is obviously mad at the boys for doing
something that he does not approve of.
8. Jack London's books, such as The Call of the Wild, are known for being able to make the wilderness come to
life—to make it seem as if it were human. When an author gives human qualities to an object (or an idea or an
emotion), it is called personification. London is describing the landscape as if it were a human being with no
feelings—a "frozenhearted" person. This helps to set the scene for the adventure story that unfolds.
9. A simile is a comparison using "like" or "as." In this story, the author wants to vividly describe how fast and
straight the pass is by comparing it to a missile, which is fast, tied to a tightrope wire, which is straight.
10. Symbolism is a literary device that uses certain objects or images to represent other ideas. A symbol is most
often something tangible or visible that represents an abstract idea (love, hate, worry). In this story, the bus is
said to be "as dull and blank as [Katya's] future." The bus is intended to be symbolic of Katya's unknown future.

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