Language Arts Set 1
This author taught at her sister's school in Cincinnati, where she encountered many escaped slaves from Kentucky. After moving to Maine, she wrote a novel subtitled Life Among the Lowly, featuring Eva St. Clare and Topsy. What abolitionist writer helped spark the Civil War with her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin?
(HARRIET BEECHER) STOWE
In a long poem by this man, the title character honors his grandmother Nokomis and marries Minnehaha. Another sees two lanterns set in the Old North Church as a signal for the title man to warn "every Middlesex village and farm." Name the poet of "The Song of Hiawatha" and "Paul Revere's Ride."
(HENRY WADSWORTH) LONGFELLOW
One of this author's stories features the computer Multivac, which refuses to obey scientists' commands until they ask it nicely. Another story focuses on the Sakkaros [SACK-uh-rose], who eat nothing but sweets and melt in the rain, presumably because they are made from sugar. Name the fantasy and science fiction author of "Key Item" and "Rain, Rain, Go Away."
(ISAAC) ASIMOV
He wrote a story about Walt Masters, a fourteen-year-old boy who protects his father's Yukon claim from claim jumpers. Another story follows a man's futile attempts to survive in subzero arctic weather. Who wrote "The King of Mazy May" and "To Build a Fire"?
(JACK) LONDON
This president delivered a speech outlining America's support for West Berlin, almost two years after communists erected the Berlin Wall. At Rice University, he spoke of America's decision to put a man on the moon. Which president, in his inaugural address, proclaimed, "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country"?
(JOHN F(ITZGERALD)) KENNEDY
Some visitors claim that this folk hero's likeness is carved into Big Bend Tunnel. After earning his freedom, he gained fame by creating two 7-foot holes in half an hour, using only two twenty- pound hammers. Name this steel driving man, who died shortly after defeating a steam drill.
(JOHN) HENRY
When she dies, her will makes provisions that free her slave Jim. At the novel's opening, she forces her sister's ward, Huck, to attend church and school. Name this self-righteous woman from Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
(MISS) WATSON
One of this writer's poems begins, "I always like summer / Best / you can eat fresh corn / From daddy's garden..." Another work ruminates on "why mankind / alone among the animals / learns to cry." Who wrote "Knoxville Tennessee" and "Choices"?
(NIKKI) GIOVANNI
This poet wrote, "The Lord in His wisdom made the fly, / And then forgot to tell us why." Another of his humorous works states, "The cow is of the bovine ilk; / One end is moo, the other is milk." Identify this man, who wrote more than five hundred humorous, rhyming verses.
(OGDEN) NASH
In "The Hitch-Hiker," this author describes a pickpocket who steals a policeman's diary after bumming a ride with the narrator. Another story implies that the title character will kill and stuff Billy Weaver, a young man who rents a room at her bed and breakfast. Identify this author of "The Landlady," as well as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
(ROALD) DAHL [ROO-all DOLL]
In one poem, this writer imagines young boys swinging from the branches of birch trees. Another describes "two roads" that "diverged in a yellow wood," as the speaker decides which one to travel. What New England penned "The Road Not Taken"?
(ROBERT) FROST
During his missionary service, he equated the three leafs of the shamrock with the Holy Trinity. According to legend, he drove all the snakes out of his adopted country. Identify the patron saint of Ireland, whose feast day is March 17, on which you might get pinched for not wearing green.
(SAINT) PATRICK
This character creates an artificial family consisting of his wife, Cassy; his daughter, Emmeline; and his sons, Sambo and Quimbo. After living at sea, he returns to a Louisiana plantation, where he attempts to undermine the title character's faith in God. Who is this cruel slave owner from Uncle Tom's Cabin?
(SIMON) LEGREE
What is the following sentence's simple subject: "The president's stamp collection is on display next month"?
(STAMP) COLLECTION
This man profiled a Revolutionary War villain in his book subtitled A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, and Treachery. Another of his books recounts The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon. Name the author of The Notorious Benedict Arnold and Bomb.
(STEVE) SHEINKIN [SHANK-en]
This novel's supporting characters include the feuding Grangerfords and Shepherdsons, as well as a phony Duke and Dauphin [doh-FAN]. After escaping his abusive father, the title character floats down the Mississippi River on a raft with Miss Watson's escaped slave Jim. Give the title of this Mark Twain novel.
(THE) ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
Identify the following sentence's direct object: "Zachary passed Matthew the ball."
(THE) BALL
This novella begins, "Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing..." A St. Bernard-sheepdog mix is stolen from his California home and taken to the Yukon, where he leads a team of sled dogs and encounters kind John Thornton. What is this Jack London work?
(THE) CALL OF THE WILD
This novel is set in an unnamed community where the elderly and sick are "released," meaning they receive lethal injections. At the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the Receiver of Memory, and apprentices himself to the wise but sad title character. Name this dystopian novel, the first in an unofficial quartet by Lois Lowry.
(THE) GIVER
This novel's supporting characters include Scarlett Perkins, Silas the caretaker, and the Sleer. After surviving his family's murder, a toddler is adopted by local ghosts, who name him Nobody Owens. Give the name of this Newbery-winning novel by Neil Gaiman [GAY-mun].
(THE) GRAVEYARD BOOK
This poem begins, "The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees." Bess, the landlord's daughter, sacrifices her life to protect the title character from an ambush. Give the title of this Alfred Noyes [NOISE] poem.
(THE) HIGHWAYMAN
This novel features evil wolves called Wargs, giant spiders that live in the forest of Mirkwood, and a dragon that hoards treasure. Bilbo steals Gollum's ring, and leads an army that helps Thorin recover his gold. Give the title of this prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien.
(THE) HOBBIT
Set among the Devonshire moors, this novel begins with Sir Charles's mysterious death. A detective and his friend search for the title canine, a beast who allegedly killed Sir Hugo years earlier. Give the title of this Sherlock Holmes mystery novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
(THE) HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
Stories in this collection include "Toomai [too-MY] of the Elephants," in which a young boy hopes to see the title animals dance. Bagheera [bug-EER-uh], Kaa, and Baloo [buh-LOO] rescue a human boy from a group of monkeys, while a brave mongoose kills cobras that threaten his family. Name this story collection featuring Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and Mowgli [MOH-glee], by Rudyard Kipling.
(THE) JUNGLE BOOK
This story takes place in the Dutch-American village of Tarrytown, New York. Brom Bones wins Katrina Van Tassel's love by scaring away schoolteacher Ichabod Crane. Name this story featuring the Headless Horseman, written by Washington Irving.
(THE) LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW
This fable's moral is, "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." A jungle animal spares a small rodent's life, and the rodent repays the favor by chewing through ropes that hunters used to trap the large cat. What is this Aesop fable?
(THE) LION AND THE MOUSE (Accept: (THE) MOUSE AND THE LION)
The subject of this biography referred to his creations as his "mud babies." Although he lived in the nineteenth century, his artwork was only uncovered and appreciated in 1967. Name this Sibert Honor Book about George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius, written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan.
(THE) MAD POTTER
This poem's title characters buy a pig's nose ring for one shilling, and use it as a wedding ring at their marriage the following day. After sailing "for a year and a day" in a pea-green boat to "the land where the Bong-Tree grows," they dance on the sand in the moonlight. Give the title of this nonsense poem about a feline and her beloved bird, written by Edward Lear.
(THE) OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT
This YALSA and National Book Award finalist book tells of a group of African-American sailors who load ammunition at a segregated naval base in California. After a deadly explosion, they refuse to return to work until the government values their safety and basic rights. What is this story of Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights, written by Steve Sheinkin [SHANK-in]?
(THE) PORT CHICAGO 50
One of this novel's title characters hides the Great Seal of England before he leaves his ancestral home. After discovering their remarkable resemblance, Tom Canty and the future Edward the Sixth switch places and learn about the kingdom's class inequality. Name Mark Twain's first journey into historical fiction.
(THE) PRINCE AND THE PAUPER
This graphic novel's hero, Jack Clark, lives with his farming family in the middle of Dust Bowl-era Kansas. After encountering a mysterious figure in the title location, he discovers its true identity: the rain, which wants people to worship it as a god. Identify this Scott O'Dell Award-winning book by Matt Phelan [FAY-luhn].
(THE) STORM IN THE BARN
This children's novel is sometimes titled How Toys Become Real. A boy's toys must be burned after he contracts scarlet fever, but the Nursery Fairy allows his cherished stuffed animal to become a real bunny. This is the plot of what Margery Williams work?
(THE) VELVETEEN RABBIT
In one of this author's stories, a group of children object to an artist's neighborhood mural until they see the finished product. Another sees Squeaky decide to coach her mentally challenged brother in track-and-field events. Who wrote "The War of the Wall" and "Raymond's Run"?
(TONI CADE) BAMBARA
In this author's best-known story, Sergeant-Major Morris gives the Whites the title talisman. After the Whites' wish for money results in their son's death, they use their other two to ask for his revival and second death. Who wrote "The Monkey's Paw"?
(W. W.) JACOBS
This French phrase can refer to meat braised with vegetables in wine. As it literally means "in the fashion," it also describes anything stylish or popular. Name the phrase that, to most Americans, denotes apple pie served with ice cream.
A LA MODE
Like the anteater, this mammal has a long snout and tongue that it uses to devour insects. Because it lives throughout Africa, its name is Afrikaans for "earth-pig," a nod to its burrowing habit. What is this unique animal?
AARDVARK
What kind of relative clause appears in the following sentence: "Let's see the movie that you told me about"?
ADJECTIVE (CLAUSE) (Accept: ADJECTIVAL (CLAUSE))
This literary device is more complex than a simile or metaphor. An example is the sentence, "Just as you can't have a rainbow without rain, you can't have success without hard work." Name this literary device, which establishes a relationship between two ideas based on their similarities.
ANALOGY
Which words in the following sentence should be capitalized? "Andy drove north after he crossed the Florida state line."
ANDY, FLORIDA (any order)
This poem's speaker loved the title character "with a love that the winged seraphs in Heaven / Coveted her and me." After a deadly "wind blew out of a cloud," the woman's "highborn kinsmen" entombed her in a sepulcher, where the speaker visits her nightly. Name this Edgar Allan Poe poem.
ANNABEL LEE
Which words should be capitalized in the following sentence: "Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Sam once met the president in a French restaurant"?
AUNT, DOROTHY, UNCLE, SAM, FRENCH (any order)
This type of sentence can end with either a period or an exclamation point. An example is, "Don't even think about trying to sneak out." What kind of sentence issues a direct command?
IMPERATIVE (SENTENCE)
This man, who demonstrates his knowledge of everything from literature to geology, claims that his current ship has been "[his] Yale College and [his] Harvard." After meeting Queequeg [KWEE- kweg] at an inn, the two take a ferry to Nantucket, where they win positions aboard the whaling ship Pequod [PEE-kwahd]. Identify the narrator of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.
ISHMAEL
This character is nursed back to health by Dr. Meescham [MEE-shahm], and manages to lift a near-fatal vacuum cleaner with a single paw. After his human friend gives him mouth-to-mouth, he exercises his newfound powers of flying and composing poems on a typewriter. Identify this superhero squirrel friend of Flora Belle Buckman, a Kate DiCamillo [dee-kuh-MILL-oh] creation.
ULYSSES
Identify the words that should be capitalized in the following sentence: "We studied the Age of Enlightenment in my social studies class."
WE, AGE, ENLIGHTENMENT (any order)
What is the noun clause in the following James Thurber quote? "He knows all about art, but he doesn't know what he likes."
WHAT HE LIKES
State the noun clause in the following sentence: An ice cream sundae is what I want for dessert.
WHAT I WANT FOR DESSERT
This character is the runt of the litter, but Fern Arable saves him from the slaughter by adopting him. A selfless spider saves his life later on by weaving a web bearing the message "Some Pig." Who is this porcine protagonist of E. B. White's Charlotte's Web?
WILBUR
This disease is the subject of Jim Murphy's nonfiction work An American Plague. An outbreak in eighteenth-century Philadelphia inspired Laurie Halse Anderson's historical novel Fever 1793. Give the two-word name of this viral, mosquito-borne illness.
YELLOW FEVER
This story from The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon is set in New York's Catskill Mountains. A man falls asleep before the American Revolution and awakes twenty years later. Name this short story by Washington Irving.
"RIP VAN WINKLE"
This Victorian novel inspired the stage adaptations 3 Ghosts and Scrooge! Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future conspire to change Ebenezer Scrooge's heart. What is this Charles Dickens novel?
(A) CHRISTMAS CAROL
Candace Fleming wrote a True Account of this Good Gentleman's Life, which included his additions to the Declaration of Independence and publication of the Pennsylvania Gazette. Another biography, which focused more on his scientific achievements, earned a Sibert Honor for Robert Byrd. Who created bifocals, published Poor Richard's Almanack, and used a kite and key to study electricity?
(BENJAMIN) FRANKLIN
One of this woman's award-winning biographies follows the Tremendous, Stupendous Life of a circus operator who created the "Greatest Show on Earth." Another examines an aviator's life and disappearance, while a third profiles an aristocratic Russian family's rise and fall. Who wrote The Great and Only Barnum, Amelia Lost, and The Family Romanov [ROH-muh-nawf]?
(CANDACE) FLEMING
The author describes this man as "hard and sharp as flint" with "a grating voice" and "a frosty rime...on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin." A counting house employee, he joins his nephew Fred's family for the holidays after being visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Identify this antagonist-turned-protagonist of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
(EBENEZER) SCROOGE
In one of this writer's novels, Claudia and Jamie Kincaid run away from home to hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Another book follows four sixth graders who win their state's academic bowl under the direction of their wheelchair bound-coach, Mrs. Olinski. Who won the Newbery Medal for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and The View from Saturday?
(ELAINE L.) KONIGSBURG
In one of her works, this poet proclaims, "How dreary—to be—Somebody! / How public—like a Frog—" Another poem describes a carriage ride in which the "Horses' Heads / Were toward Eternity." Identify the "Belle of Amherst," who wrote "I'm Nobody! Who Are You?" and "Because I Could Not Stop for Death."
(EMILY) DICKINSON
In this poem, Robert E. Lee marches over the hills of Frederick, Maryland. A patriotic elderly woman shouts, "Shoot, if you must, this old gray head, / But spare your country's flag!" Name this historical poem by John Greenleaf Whittier.
BARBARA FRIETCHIE
This Aesop fable teaches that "it is easy to propose impossible remedies." A group of mice plot to outsmart their fiercest predator by tying a noise-making device around her neck, but no one volunteers for the dangerous task. Give the title of this Aesop fable.
BELLING THE CAT
Events covered by this nonfiction book include the Trinity test, Otto Hahn's discovery of nuclear fission, and the Manhattan Project's creation. A British physicist sent the Soviet Union designs of the title object, which helped end World War Two. Give the title of this book about The Race to Build — and Steal — the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin [SHANK-in].
BOMB
Locations in this novel include the Inventing, Nut, and Television Rooms, as well as the Great Glass Elevator. Augustus, Veruca, Violet, and Mike all eliminate themselves from the Golden Ticket competition, leaving the title character to inherit Willy Wonka's business. What is this classic Roald Dahl [ROO-all DOLL] novel?
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (NOT: WILLY WONKA)
First and last name required. This character appears in the verse collections Now We Are Six and When We Were Very Young. Based on the author's son, he is a voice of reason who helps rescue Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore from sticky situations. Identify this human companion of Winnie-the- Pooh.
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN
This word comes from the Italian word for "your servant" or "slave." At four letters long, it is a short, informal way of saying goodbye. What is this word, which sounds like a breed of dog?
CIAO (CHOW)
What is the degree of the adverb in the following sentence: "Brendan believes that Valerie is more beautiful than her sister"?
COMPARATIVE (DEGREE)
What is the following sentence's grammatical structure? After we won, the other team shook our hands, but they couldn't hide their disappointment.
COMPOUND-COMPLEX (SENTENCE)
Identify the type of grammatical error present in the following sentence: After reading the novel, the movie is sure to be a blockbuster.
DANGLING MODIFIER
This type of sentence ends with a period. An example would be: We shot basketball after school. What kind of sentence simply makes a statement?
DECLARATIVE
Which words in the following sentence should be capitalized? "Did you vote for the president in last November's election?"
DID, NOVEMBER (any order)
This story ends with the title character's four friends setting out in search of the Fountain of Youth. After revitalizing a rose as proof of his concoction's power, he briefly reverses his friends' aging until the vial containing the magic substance breaks. Give the title of this Nathaniel Hawthorne short story.
DOCTOR HEIDEGGER'S EXPERIMENT
First and last name answer required. On September 28, 1948, she delivered a speech at the Sorbonne in hopes of encouraging totalitarian governments to reconsider their policies. As a delegate to the United Nations, she spoke about "The Struggle for Human Rights" to encourage non-compliant states to adopt the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Identify this former first lady, who was married to the country's only four-term president.
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
This novel's title character is the younger brother of fellow geniuses Peter and Valentine. After being accepted to Battle School, he commands the Dragon Army, destroys the buggers, and colonizes the worlds they left behind. Give the name of this science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card.
ENDER'S GAME
In this poem, the title object "sits looking / over harbor and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on." According to the poet, it "comes / on little cat feet." Give the title of this Carl Sandburg work.
FOG
What is the following sentence's predicate nominative? A wild squirrel is my tabby cat's best friend.
FRIEND
Identify the following sentence's predicate adjective: As long as it happens to somebody else, anything can be funny.
FUNNY
Identify the verb tense of the following sentence: At six p.m., they will have danced for six hours.
FUTURE PERFECT (TENSE)
In this novel, Ma Charles and her half-sister, Miss Trotter, have been estranged for years. Big Ma and Uncle Darnell look after Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern Gaither, who have traveled from New York to spend the summer in the rural South. Identify this final novel in the Gaither sisters trilogy by Rita Williams-Garcia.
GONE CRAZY IN ALABAMA
Informal term required. This kind of verb is used with a main verb to express tense and mood. Also known as an auxiliary verb, it is usually a form of be. Will, can, and might are all what type of verb?
HELPING (VERB)
This term is the opposite of litotes [LYE-tuh-teez]. An example is, "She must have been ten feet tall." What is the literary term for extreme exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally?
HYPERBOLE [hi-PER-buh-lee]
Give the antecedent of the pronoun in the following sentence: Before the competition, Lily was too nervous to eat her breakfast.
LILY
This book's setting is a cross-country journey from Omaha to Sacramento in the summer of 1869. An unnamed family observes conductors and crews hard at work as they travel from the Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean. Give the title of this Sibert Honor Book, written and illustrated by Brian Floca [FLOW-kuh].
LOCOMOTIVE
In this poem, the speaker tells his neighbor that his apple trees "will never get across / And eat the cones under his pines." As they replace the fallen boulders between their property, the other man repeats the adage, "Good fences make good neighbors." What is this Robert Frost poem?
MENDING WALL
This character plans to sell one of her household slaves "down the river," which causes him to run away. Along with her widowed sister, she attempts to educate and civilize the son of St. Petersburg, Missouri's town drunk. Give the name of the Widow Douglas's hypocritical sister in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
MISS WATSON
In this novel, Abilene Tucker and her friends search for the Rattler, a spy they read about in old letters. Abilene meets Miss Sadie, who teaches her about a small Kansas town's rich history. Give the title of this Newbery-winning novel by Clare Vanderpool.
MOON OVER MANIFEST
After vanquishing his enemy using fire, this character travels to a nearby village, where he is adopted by Messua and her husband. As a child, he befriends Bagheera [bug-EER-uh], learns the law of the jungle from Baloo [buh-LOO], and hunts with his brother wolves. Name the human protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.
MOWGLI
As a verb, this word can mean "to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject." As a noun, it can refer to a person who inspires a creative artist. What word, in Greek mythology, refers to any of nine sister goddesses who ruled the arts?
MUSE
Identify the following sentence's direct object: After the case was over, Oscar gave Betty a gold necklace.
NECKLACE
Name the appositive phrase in the following sentence: Andrea, our team captain, answered the winning toss-up.
OUR TEAM CAPTAIN
As a verb, this four-letter word means "to look narrowly or searchingly." As a noun, it may name a British noble, or a person equal to you in social status or ability. What is this word that sometimes appears before "pressure"?
PEER
This novel's protagonist gets her arm caught in a wringer washer while searching with her cousin Frankie for their Grandpa Falucci's hidden money. Barbara Ann, known by her nickname, lives with her mother and grandparents in 1950s New Jersey, near her other Italian relatives. Give the title of this Newbery Honor Book, written by Jennifer L. Holm.
PENNY FROM HEAVEN
Give the following sentence's verb tense: "We are staying in a motel for the next week."
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE (TENSE)
In historical and academic studies, this word describes original documents, recordings, or artifacts that have not been altered. A person with direct knowledge of a situation can also serve as one to a journalist. Give the term for an original source of information that was created during the time under study.
PRIMARY (SOURCE)
Multiple answer required. Which words should be capitalized in the following sentence: "Samantha's French aunt is taking her to Paris over summer vacation"?
SAMANTHA'S, FRENCH, PARIS
This character attaches himself to a roc, which flies him to a valley of diamonds. At one point, the Old Man of the Sea enslaves him, but he escapes with a fortune. Name this merchant, who takes seven sea voyages in The Thousand and One Nights.
SINBAD (THE SAILOR)
Some stories claim that this woman's husband had to shoot her, while others say that she landed on the moon. After riding a catfish and shooting holes in clouds, she married her true love and briefly rode his horse, Widow-Maker. Name this short-lived wife of Pecos Bill.
SLUE-FOOT SUE
In this novel, a young boy lives with a kind teacher who helps him learn to read. Along with his faithful title dog, he travels around the state looking for his father, who has been sentenced to hard labor for stealing a ham for his starving family. What is this Newbery Medal-winning novel by William Armstrong?
SOUNDER
Identify the following sentence's direct object: Because she looked cold, I gave Maura my favorite sweater.
SWEATER
This literary element plays a central role in allegories like Animal Farm. An author uses it when he makes a red rose represent love, or a dove stand for peace. What is this literary element in which an object represents something else, usually an abstract idea?
SYMBOL(ISM)
First and last name answer required. This man delivered his speech "The Leader & the Cause" after being shot in the chest. Another speech offered Americans a "square deal," while a third alluded to a character from Pilgrim's Progress, the Man with the Muck Rake. Name this American president nicknamed the "Bull Moose."
THEODORE (OR TEDDY) ROOSEVELT
How many prepositional phrases does the following sentence contain? At home, I tossed the note from Pam into the trash can.
THREE
As a stand alone word, it means "an expanse or area of land." As a Latin root, it can follow "ex-," "sub-," "con-," and "dis-." What Latin root means "to pull"?
TRACT (Accept stated or spelled)
Only action verbs fall into this category. An example appears in the sentence, "We all need somebody to lean on." Give the word for a verb that needs a direct object to complete its meaning.
TRANSITIVE (VERB)