Question

ransom of red chief | reading quiz
which statement best describes the narrator and his partner?
a. they are ordinary guys who stumble upon an unusual way to make money.
b. they are criminal masterminds who devise a foolproof plan.
c. they are honest businessmen who got tangled up in a mess.
d. they are bumbling crooks who bit off more than they can chew.

1. which best describes how the author introduces the boy?

a. the author introduces the boy as a tough but loving character.
b. the author introduces the boy as a sweet and kind character.
c. the author introduces the boy as a tough and mean character.
d. the author introduces the boy as a sweet but sassy character.

1. what is most ironic about the boys captivity?

a. the boy is playing games the whole time. b. the boy seems to be holding the men captive.
c. the boy could sneak off anytime that he wants. d. the boy doesnt seem to miss his parents.

1. which statement about the boy is false?

a. he seems unaware that he has been kidnapped. b. he is imaginative and troublesome.
c. he is quiet and likes to keep to himself. d. he enjoys hurting bill.

1. why does the narrator make the following statement?

\i remembered that red chief had said i was to be burned at the stake at the rising of the sun. i wasnt nervous or afraid; but i sat up and lit my pipe and leaned against a rock.\
a. he is pretending to be unafraid to act tough. b. he is at peace and ready to face whatever may come.
c. he is unafraid because he has a trick up his sleeve. d. he would rather prepare than worry for no reason.

1. how do the townspeople react to the disappearance of the boy?

a. his disappearance rouses up a search party. b. his absence is unnoted or appreciated.
c. his loss is mourned by candlelight vigil. d. his abduction becomes a major news story.

1. which statement about bill is false?

a. bill has been through many dangerous adventures with the narrator.
b. bills role in the scheme is more trying than the narrators.
c. bill grows to appreciate the boy after spending time alone with him
d. bill is afraid of red chief.

1. which figurative language technique is used in the following?

\i went out and caught that boy and shook him until his freckles rattled.\
a. simile b. understatement c. personification d. hyperbole

1. what is the underlying reason why the narrators scheme fails?

a. he assumes that the father has money just because he looks rich.
b. he believes that the father is willing to pay to get back his son.
c. he is identified by the men from the local store whom he calls \chawbacons.\
d. he didnt anticipate that bill would become attached to the kid.

1. based on how the story concludes, which would be most likely to occur next if the story were to continue?

a. bill would correspond with the boy occasionally to see how he is doing.
b. ebenezer dorset would chase after the men and press charges against them.
c. the men would go onto perform some other dishonest scheme.
d. the narrator and bill would become teachers to help other children.

Explanation:

1. In "The Ransom of Red Chief", the narrator and his partner are bumbling criminals whose kidnapping plan goes awry, so d is correct.
2. The boy is initially presented as tough and mean, making c the best - fit description.
3. The irony lies in the fact that the boy seems to be holding the men captive instead of the other way around, so b is right.
4. The boy is anything but quiet and withdrawn; he is active and troublesome, so c is the false statement.
5. The narrator is pretending to be unafraid to act tough, so a is correct.
6. The boy's disappearance rouses a search party, so a is the answer.
7. Bill does not grow to appreciate the boy; in fact, he is afraid of him, so c is the false statement.
8. "shook him until his freckles rattled" is an exaggeration, which is hyperbole, so d is correct.
9. The narrator assumes the father has money just because he looks rich, and this assumption leads to the failure of his scheme, so a is correct.
10. Given their criminal nature, it is most likely that the men would go on to perform some other dishonest scheme, so c is correct.

Answer:

1. d. They are bumbling crooks who bit off more than they can chew.
2. c. The author introduces the boy as a tough and mean character.
3. b. The boy seems to be holding the men captive.
4. c. He is quiet and likes to keep to himself.
5. a. He is pretending to be unafraid to act tough.
6. a. His disappearance rouses up a search party.
7. c. Bill grows to appreciate the boy after spending time alone with him.
8. d. Hyperbole
9. a. He assumes that the father has money just because he looks rich.
10. c. The men would go onto perform some other dishonest scheme.