Reading Assessment Part B

1. Which statement best describes how Damocles views the life of Dionysius at the beginning of the story?

A) dangerous, because his subjects may kill him
B) wonderful, because he has riches and fine things
C) lonely, because his subjects don’t like him
D) easy and carefree, because he is so cruel

2. Which word best describes Damocles at the beginning of the story?

A) jealous
B) happy
C) adventurous
D) frightened

3. Why is Dionysius referred to as “the tyrant”?

A) to remind us that he is a good friend to Damocles
B) to remind us that he is a very cruel and unfair king
C) to remind us that he doesn’t want to be king anymore
D) to remind us that he is very rich

4. Dionysius rules his kingdom like a tyrant, so his subjects

A) refuse to eat and drink with him.
B) are happy for him.
C) would prefer Damocles be king.
D) want to kill him.

5. When Damocles chooses to live like the king, what does he learn?

A) He understands that the king’s life is not as easy as he thought.
B) He realizes that having riches only brings problems.
C) He learns that being the king is hard work
D) He has an argument with Dionysius.

6. What problem does Damocles have at the start of the story and how does he solve it?

A) He is very hungry, and he is able to have his fill of food and drink at the palace.
B) He is upset that the king is a tyrant, and he convinces the king to be kinder.
C) His life is in danger, but he is able to gain protection from the king by becoming his friend.
D) He envies the king’s riches, but he realizes that his own life is happier.

7. Which of the following statements might Damocles make at the end of the story?

A) “I will do my best to protect the king from danger.”
B) “I will try to find a stronger rope to hold the sword.”
C) “I don’t want to be king, but I still want to be wealthy and strong.”
D) “I don’t want to be rich and powerful because it might not make me happy

8. Which is an example of figurative language from the story?

A) He was so badly frightened that he dared not move.
B) When Damocles tells Dionysius, “I should not want any greater happiness.”
C) When Dionysius tells Damocles, “I have a sword over my head all the time.”
D) He lacked nothing that could give him pleasure.

9. Who was Regulus?

A) a leader from Carthage
B) a man who made laws
C) a prison guard
D) a general from Rome

10. Why did Regulus leave Rome?

A) He wanted to travel to see other countries
B) He believed that his first duty was to fight for his country.
C) The people of Carthage asked him to move to their country.
D) He had to find a job so he could support his family.

11. What happened to Regulus during the war?

A) He was injured in a battle.
B) He left his family in Carthage.
C) He was captured.
D) He won the war.

12. Why did the rulers of Carthage let Regulus return to Rome?

A) His children begged them to send him home.
B) They knew that the Romans would make him return.
C) His wife was sick and he needed to go home.
D) They knew he would keep his promise to them.

13. What consequence did Regulus face when he chose to tell the Romans to keep fighting?

A) He had to beg the Roman leaders to let him return to Carthage.
B) He had to send his wife and sons to Carthage.
C) He had to face imprisonment in Rome.
D) He had to go back to Carthage and return to prison.

14. Which one of the following words best describes Regulus when he returned to Carthage?

A) dishonest
B) courageous
C) frightened
D) tired

15. What might a soldier from Carthage say about Regulus?

A) “He is a good peacemaker.”
B) “He is a weak man and a poor general.”
C) “He is a fine soldier whom we should ask to fight for us.”
D) “He is a man of honor.”

16. What inference can you make about Regulus?

A) He has won many battles in his life.
B) He wants to help Rome succeed.
C) He is a very good father
D) He wants to die in Carthage.

17. Which of the following is a possible theme for the story?

A) Never forget your family and friends.
B) An honest person keeps his word.
C) It is important to encourage your country to win a war.
D) By no means should you ever be captured in war.

18. Which of the following choices would make a good title for this article?

A) How to Build a Strong Road
B) Famous Industrialists
C) Improving Roads Throughout History
D) The Importance of Turnpikes Today

19. How can you tell that this is a nonfiction passage?

A) because it gives facts and information
B) because it does not have any dialogue
C) because it has a main character
D) because it does not have a title

20. Where might you look for the definitions of the boldfaced words if you were reading this passage in a textbook?

A) title page
B) table of contents
C) glossary
D) index

21. Which of the following is a fact?

A) Tolls on turnpikes paid for construction and repairs to the roads.
B) Building roads is interesting and enjoyable work.
C) Most of the local volunteers who built roads in the 1700s were lazy.
D) People enjoy driving on macadam roads because they are not bumpy

22. Which sentence best states the main idea of paragraph 4 in the passage?

A) Crushed rock is an important component in making roads.
B) Heavy traffic caused roads to break apart into small bits of rock.
C) John McAdam was one of Scotland’s greatest inventors.
D) Roads built with McAdam’s methods had a great effect on both road development and the British economy

23. Why were merchants able to carry larger loads with fewer horses on macadam roads?

A) People who rode horses on the new roads did not suffer as much as before.
B) The horses were able to move faster on the new roads.
C) The new roads were able to withstand heavier traffic.
D) The price for using the new roads fell.

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