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An Interactive Quiz
about comprehension

POETRY 102

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Passages #do steps++

Read the two passages below. For each question, choose the option that fits best.

Poem A, “Mummy Slept Late and Daddy Fixed Breakfast” by John Ciardi

  1. Daddy fixed the breakfast. He made us each a waffle.
  2. It looked like gravel pudding. It tasted something awful.
  3. “Ha, ha,” he said, “I’ll try again. This time I’ll get it right.”
  4. But what I got was in between bituminous and anthracite.
  5. “A little too well done? Oh well, I’ll have to start all over.”
  6. That time what landed on my plate looked like a manhole cover.

  7. I tried to cut it with a fork: the fork gave off a spark.
  8. I tried a knife and twisted it into a question mark.
  9. I tried it with a hack-saw. I tried it with a torch.
  10. It didn’t even make a dent. It didn’t even scorch.
  11. The next time Dad gets breakfast when Mummy’s sleeping late,
  12. I think I’ll skip the waffles. I’d rather eat the plate.

Poem B, author is unknown

  1. Pardon me for being rude.
  2. It was not me, it was my food.

  3. It got so lonely down below.
  4. it just popped up to say hello.

Ready? Let's begin.


Purpose {{steps}}  of 10 #do steps++

What is the main purpose of the first poem?

Give a cooking lesson

Send a strong message

Tell an amusing story

Tell how a family works


Amusing story {{steps}}  #do steps++

Best choice: tell an amusing story. Skill: cognitive; analysis.

To what do “bituminous” and “anthracite” refer?

How burned the waffle was

How good the waffle looked

How strange the waffle smelled

How sweet the waffle tasted


Burned {{steps}}  #do steps++

Best choice: how burned the waffle was. Both are types of coal. Skill: interpretation, analysis.

Which word best describes the speaker’s tone?

Annoyed

Caring

Mean

Playful


Playful {{steps}}  #do steps++

Best choice: playful. Skill: interpretation, analysis.

To what does the speaker compare the waffles?

Gravel

Hack-saw

Plate

Wood


Gravel {{steps}}  #do steps++

Best choice: gravel. Skill: critical analysis, knowledge.

The next time Mummy sleeps late, what will the narrator probably do for breakfast?

Ask Daddy to make waffles

Help Daddy fix breakfast

Make waffles for Mummy

Wait until Mummy wakes up


Wait {{steps}}  #do steps++

Best choice: Wait until Mummy wakes up. Skill: interpretation.

How does the narrator most likely feel at the end of this poem?

Hungry

Sleepy

Sticky

Thirsty


Hungry {{steps}}  #do steps++

Best choice: hungry. Skill: interpretation.

What strategy does the author use to show the result of Daddy's cooking?

Asking questions

Describing Daddy’s reaction

Using exaggeration

Using personification


Exaggeration {{steps}}  #do steps++

Best choice: using exaggeration. Skill: analysis.

Which of the following would be a descriptive title for the second poem?

Just Rude

Rude and Crude

The Burp

The Food


Burp {{steps}}  #do steps++

Best choice: The Burp. The focus of the poem is not the food or being rude, but the burp

What is the speaker’s intention (goal, purpose)?

Offer an excuse

Say hello

Tell about the grumble in his or her stomach

Try to be gross and disgusting


Excuse {{steps}}  #do steps++

Best choice: offer an excuse. The speaker blames the food.

Putting the word “so” before rude …

Changes the rhyming pattern to A-A B-B

Balances the number of syllables in each verse

Changes the rhyming pattern to A-B-C-D

Unbalances the number of syllables in each verse


Balance

Best choice: balances the number of syllables in each verse.

This concludes the comprehension quiz on two works of verse.

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