To Kill A Mockingbird?

1. How does Harper Lee create the mood early in the novel?

A. She allows Scout to speak in third person limited point of view.

B. She introduces the main characters and gives details about them.

C. She has Atticus find out about the kids’ adventures with Boo Radley.

D. She uses strong sensory details to paint a picture of the town of Maycomb.

2. Which of the following groups of adjectives best describes the mood of Maycomb as described by Scout at the beginning of this novel?

A. busy, welcoming, prosperous

B. slow, tired, traditional

C. modern, progressive, accepting

D. unfriendly, intolerant, isolated

3. Which of the following statements by Atticus would Miss Maudie most likely agree with?

A. The situation with the Radley family is sad, not exciting and mysterious.

B. People in Maycomb are defined by their poverty, not their blindness to other’s differences.

C. It’s okay to judge others based on their intellectual abilities or family heritage sometimes.

D. There’s never a situation in which it’s okay to bend the rules.

4. Which word best describes Scout?

A. polite B. easygoing C. observant D. shy

5. Which word best describes Atticus?

A. persistent B. creative C. attentive D. respectful

6. Which word best describes Dill?

A. imaginative B. thoughtful C. patient D. obedient

7. What is the effect of the imagery used to describe the Radley house?

A. Imagery helps the reader to understand that the Radley house is dangerous and has caused children to be hurt or killed in the past.

B. The description of the house as run-down and closed off adds to the mystery of the Radley family.

C. Readers can infer that the Radley family is poor due to the Depression.

D. The Radley house appears out of place compared to the homes of the wealthy professionals on the street.

8. What conclusion can we draw about Arthur Radley based on the background information provided by the author?

A. Arthur Radley was one of the most beloved characters in Maycomb.

B. Arthur Radley once had friends and enjoyed life outside the Radley house.

C. Arthur Radley decided to drop out of the state reformatory school because he was homesick.

D. Arthur Radley was kind to his parents, but was abused by his only brother and began acting out because of the abuse.

9. What does Harper Lee mean by the following statement? “Miss Caroline seemed unaware that the ragged, denim-shirted and floursack-skirted first grade, most of whom had chopped cotton and fed hogs from the time they were able to walk, were immune to imaginative literature.”

A. The children were able to read at a much higher level than Miss Caroline had anticipated, and thus, were bored by the story.

B. Because the children were growing up in such poverty, they were distraught and too depressed to enjoy children’s literature.

C. The children had been forced to grow up quickly by helping around the farm, and as a result, knew that talking animals was a ridiculous concept. D. By reading to the children, Miss Caroline could make them reluctant to do certain tasks on the farm by teaching them that animals have feelings.

10. Which of the following is a theme that the reader learns when Scout speaks up on behalf of Walter Cunningham?

A. Good intentions are sometimes misunderstood.

B. Adults have more wisdom than children.

C. Kindness is always rewarded in the end.

D. Never judge a book by its cover.

11. By explaining to Scout that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view -- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,” Atticus is trying to teach what?

A. equality B. forgiveness C. empathy D. respect

12. What is the effect of knowing Scout’s thoughts on her first day of school?

A. Readers understand how disappointing the experience is for Scout.

B. Readers realize how much she loves her first grade teacher.

C. Readers dislike Scout because she punches Walter Cunningham.

D. Readers realize how important education was during the Depression.

13. What is the effect of Harper Lee’s decision to have Nathan Radley fire a warning shot at the children?

A. It introduces Heck Tate, the sheriff, to the readers for the first time.

B. Readers learn that most of the people in Maycomb are afraid of him.

C. Atticus finally realizes that his children have been bothering the Radleys.

D. It reveals that Nathan Radley is intolerant, dangerous, and unfriendly.

14. Why does Harper Lee include an allusion to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s inauguration speech, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” in the first chapter?

A. Readers can infer that those characters affected by the Depression had begun to recover economically due to the new President’s policies.

B. It establishes the time setting of the novel.

C. It relates to Atticus’s profession as an attorney.

D. It relates to the fear people in Maycomb feel towards the Radleys.

15. What effect does the following passage have on the mood of the novel? “The old house was the same, droopy and sick, but as we stared down the street we thought we saw an inside shutter move. Flick. A tiny, almost invisible movement, and the house was still.”

A. It adds to the mood of the story by personifying the Radley house and making it seem mysterious and threatening to the reader.

B. It shows how brave Jem was to run up to the house and touch it.

C. It makes the reader feel depressed because the description indicates the horrible abuse that took place there in the past.

D. It portrays a sense of hope for the reader that the neighborhood will eventually emerge from poverty.

16. What is the primary purpose of including Burris Ewell’s character on Scout’s first day of school?

A. He shows it’s important to get an education even if your family is poor.

B. He allows the reader to infer that Miss Caroline has poor classroom management skills.

C. He is a reader’s introduction to the Ewell family, and Scout’s conversation with Atticus about him provides further details about how they live.

D. He shows the readers that not everyone is taught to respect their elders.

17. Which word best describes Harper Lee’s tone toward the formal education offered during this time period?

A. critical B. complimentary C. indifferent D. reflective

18. Why does Harper Lee most likely focus the early part of the novel on summertime rather than school academic year?

A. Harper Lee knows that children are much more likely to have life-changing experiences during the summer months.

B. The hot weather makes the Radley house more accessible to the children because their windows are often open.

C. Scout only talks to Miss Maudie during the summer when she is gardening; she rarely sees her at other times of the year.

D. Jem and Scout have more unstructured time together with Dill during summer, giving them the opportunity to try to make Boo Radley come out.

19. What can we conclude about Atticus based on his disapproval of the Radley Game?

A. He doesn’t like his kids playing games when they could be doing something more productive with their time.

B. He feels as if it’s inappropriate and rude to mock the troubles the Radleys have had over the years by acting out family problems openly.

C. He is afraid that the kids are putting themselves in danger by playing the game.

D. He likes neighbors to leave him alone and wants to treat the Radleys as he likes to be treated.

20. Jem’s tears over the Radley hole being filled with cement reveals what about his character?

A. He is spoiled and used to getting his own way.

B. He is embarrassed and ashamed that Mr. Radley knows what they were attempting to do.

C. He was really hopeful about possibly communicating with Boo Radley and is extremely disappointed.

D. He is sad because he loved collecting the little trinkets that were left in the tree and thought they were valuable.