This room was occupied by Dantès’ father. The news of the arrival of the Pharaon had not yet reached the old man, who, mounted on a chair, was amusing himself by training with trembling hand the nasturtiums and sprays of clematis that clambered over the trellis at his window. Suddenly, he felt an arm thrown around his body, and a well-known voice behind him exclaimed, “Father—dear father!”
The old man uttered a cry, and turned round; then, seeing his son, he fell into his arms, pale and trembling.
“What ails you, my dearest father? Are you ill?” inquired the young man, much alarmed.
“No, no, my dear Edmond—my boy—my son!—no; but I did not expect you; and joy, the surprise of seeing you so suddenly—Ah, I feel as if I were going to die.”
“Come, come, cheer up, my dear father! ’Tis I—really I! They say joy never hurts, and so I came to you without any warning. Come now, do smile, instead of looking at me so solemnly. Here I am back again, and we are going to be happy.”
“Yes, yes, my boy, so we will—so we will,” replied the old man; “but how shall we be happy? Shall you never leave me again? Come, tell me all the good fortune that has befallen you.”
“God forgive me,” said the young man, “for rejoicing at happiness derived from the misery of others, but, Heaven knows, I did not seek this good fortune; it has happened, and I really cannot pretend to lament it. The good Captain Leclere is dead, father, and it is probable that, with the aid of M. Morrel, I shall have his place. Do you understand, father? Only imagine me a captain at twenty, with a hundred louis pay, and a share in the profits! Is this not more than a poor sailor like me could have hoped for?”
“Yes, my dear boy,” replied the old man, “it is very fortunate.”
“Well, then, with the first money I touch, I mean you to have a small house, with a garden in which to plant clematis, nasturtiums, and honeysuckle. But what ails you, father? Are you not well?”
From The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Question
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
How does point of view help readers understand what a character or characters think or feel in this excerpt?
(1 point)
Responses
Readers know both characters’ feelings and thoughts because of the dialogue they exchange.
Readers know both characters’ feelings and thoughts because of the dialogue they exchange.
Readers know Edmund’s feelings and thoughts because of his role as the main character.
Readers know Edmund’s feelings and thoughts because of his role as the main character.
Readers know both characters’ feelings and thoughts because of the narrator’s third-person omniscient point of view.
Readers know both characters’ feelings and thoughts because of the narrator’s third-person omniscient point of view.
Readers know Edmund’s father’s feelings and thoughts because of the narrator’s third-person limited point of view.
The Invisible Red String
by Quen Law
“What is the secret of your amazing success, Mistress?”
“There is no magic to this, Ju-Lin,” she said. “Helping people make the right choice in a partner is my passion in life. As the story goes, even at birth, that old matchmaker, God in heaven, ties an invisible red string around the foot of a boy and a girl destined to spend their lives together as husband and wife. No matter the distance or the circumstances, nothing can break this string. With each passing year, the string becomes shorter and shorter until fate has its way, and the two are finally united. I consider myself merely a facilitator, a means of shortening that string to help the two meet.”
The moi-yun paused to sip the hot tea Ju-Lin served her before continuing.
“Of course, I’ve also learned to keep very careful records. You see, my father was a wonderful poet and a scholar who raised me in a most unconventional way. He never remarried after my mother died giving birth to me. I was his only child. Disregarding the customs of our time to educate only the sons, he taught me how to read and write.
Quen Law/YonSheng Xuan. Cricket Media Incorporated
Question
Use the passage to answer the question.
Which quote from the matchmaker reveals something about what sets her apart from social norms?
(1 point)
Responses
Disregarding the customs of our time to educate only the sons, he taught me how to read and write.
Disregarding the customs of our time to educate only the sons, he taught me how to read and write.
As the story goes, even at birth, that old matchmaker, God in heaven, ties an invisible red string around the foot of a boy and a girl destined to spend their lives together as husband and wife.
As the story goes, even at birth, that old matchmaker, God in heaven, ties an invisible red string around the foot of a boy and a girl destined to spend their lives together as husband and wife.
Helping people make the right choice in a partner is my passion in life.
Helping people make the right choice in a partner is my passion in life.
He never remarried after my mother died giving birth to me.
The Lion Fable
This story follows a lion who is shy and afraid to act for fear of looking foolish. While the lion watches quietly, several other animals step up to lead without hesitation—and make things progressively worse. Each time, the lion quietly tells his mouse friend how he would have done things, and each idea sounds like it would have been a much better and more logical solution. Finally, the mouse points out that the most foolish animals in the kingdom have stepped up to lead without hesitation and suggests that the biggest fool of them all is the lion, who has the best ideas but is too timid to lead. The lion takes the mouse’s words to heart and steps up to rule.
The Animal Council
This story is about a group of animals who serve on King Lion’s council. They gather frequently when their king is not around to complain about his rules and way of doing things. They echo one another’s concerns, and all agree that the king is their greatest problem. Hearing of their doubt, the king decides to teach the animals a lesson. He disappears for two weeks. During this time, the animal council is given the chance to lead. They make several messes, and by the end of the two weeks, the mouse alerts the king that his council is desperate to find and return him to his throne. When he returns, he tells the animals not to question his leadership if they cannot do better themselves.
Question
Use the folk tale descriptions to answer the question.
Which statement explains the most likely reason both stories from this culture feature lions?
(1 point)
Responses
The culture values traits humans ascribe to lions, such as strength, power, and pride.
The culture values traits humans ascribe to lions, such as strength, power, and pride.
The culture is modeled after the animal kingdom, and people prefer to learn about life from animals.
The culture is modeled after the animal kingdom, and people prefer to learn about life from animals.
The culture values cats, and the lion is the biggest and most powerful cat.
The culture values cats, and the lion is the biggest and most powerful cat.
The culture is in a place where lions live and impact society.
Use the story excerpt to answer the question.
The mouse gestured up at the night sky. There, the moon was a million times brighter than the tiny stars around it. The mouse said, “King Lion, you are the moon, and your silly advisors are the stars.” The lion gazed up and considered this statement. Perhaps the mouse was right. But how could the moon teach the stars their place?
How does calling King Lion the moon and his advisors the stars help reveal something about the culture this story is from?
(1 point)
Responses
It helps show why the moon is considered a leader.
It helps show why the moon is considered a leader.
It helps clarify who the culture expects to be intelligent.
It helps clarify who the culture expects to be intelligent.
It helps clarify what role King Lion holds in the culture.
It helps clarify what role King Lion holds in the culture.
It helps show why the culture is dismissive of advisors.
1 answer
Let's address the questions one by one based on the provided excerpts.
Question 1: The Count of Monte Cristo
How does point of view help readers understand what a character or characters think or feel in this excerpt?
Correct Response:
Readers know both characters’ feelings and thoughts because of the narrator’s third-person omniscient point of view.
Question 2: The Invisible Red String
Which quote from the matchmaker reveals something about what sets her apart from social norms?
Correct Response:
Disregarding the customs of our time to educate only the sons, he taught me how to read and write.
Question 3: The Lion Fable and The Animal Council
Which statement explains the most likely reason both stories from this culture feature lions?
Correct Response:
The culture values traits humans ascribe to lions, such as strength, power, and pride.
Question 4: The Moon and Stars Analogy
How does calling King Lion the moon and his advisors the stars help reveal something about the culture this story is from?
Correct Response:
It helps clarify what role King Lion holds in the culture.
Feel free to ask if you need further explanation on any of the questions or concepts!
