Common Core: 8th Grade English Language Arts : Reading
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: 8th Grade English Language Arts
All Common Core: 8th Grade English Language Arts Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #8 : Reading To Cite Textual Evidence
Until recently, there were two schools of thought on establishing "flagship" endangered species chosen for campaigns to make people aware of the need for action to protect animals from extinction. These flagship species are used in marketing and advertising not only to raise awareness but also to encourage people to take action - such as fundraising, voting, and recruiting others to join in - for fauna conservation as a whole.
The first concerns how recognizable the general public, the audience of most large-scale funding campaigns, finds a particular species. This concept is commonly termed “public awareness.” This school of thought was built on the foundation that if an individual recognizes a species from prior knowledge, cultural context, or previous conservational and educational encounters (in a zoo environment or classroom setting, for instance) that individual would be more likely to note and respond to the severity of its endangered status. For instance, the panda bear, a known and beloved animal of both historical and pop-culture significance has long been used as a flagship species for many conservation groups. However, recently emerging flagship species such as the pangolin have shown us that this cannot be the only factor.
Alongside public awareness, conservation experts have long considered a factor they refer to as a “keystone species” designation in the flagstone selection process. Keystone species are those species that play an especially important role in their respective habitats or ecosystems. The otter, for example, plays a key role in balancing the kelp ecosystems in which it hunts. While this metric is important to the environmentalists in charge of distributing funds received, recent data has expressed the more minor role a keystone species designation seems to play in the motivations of the public.
Recent studies by conservationists have questioned both the singularity and the extent to which the above classifications impact the decision making of the general public. Though more complicated to measure, a third designation, known as a species’ “charisma,” is now the yardstick by which most flagship species are classified. Addressing the charisma of a species involves establishing and collecting data concerning its ecological (interactions with humans/the environments of humans), aesthetic (appealing to human emotions through physical appearance and immediately related behaviors), and corporeal (affection and socialization with humans over the short- and long-terms) characteristics. This process has been understandably criticized by some for its costs and failure to incorporate the severity of an endangered species’ status into designation, but its impact on the public has been unquestionable. While keystone and public awareness designations are still often applied in the field because of their practicality and comparative simplicity, charisma is now commonly accepted as the most accurate metric with which to judge a species’ flagship potential.
Which of the following excerpts best supports the author’s main idea?
“Charisma,” is now the yardstick by which most flagship species are classified.
The panda bear, a known and beloved animal of both historical and pop-culture significance, has long been used as a flagship species for many conservation groups.
This metric is important to the environmentalists in charge of distributing funds received.
This process has been understandably criticized by some for its costs and failure to incorporate the severity of an endangered species’ status into the designation.
“Charisma,” is now the yardstick by which most flagship species are classified.
The author primarily uses this passage to assert that “charisma is now commonly accepted as the most accurate metric with which to judge a species’ flagship potential.” The author does so by introducing the existing designation systems and addressing their limitations, and then closes by introducing the charisma designation system and explaining why it is now considered the most accurate process. The excerpt that ““Charisma,” is now the yardstick by which most flagship species are classified” directly addresses that primary purpose, and shows that the charisma designation system is the common tool used to accurately identify potential flagship species.
Example Question #11 : Reading To Cite Textual Evidence
Passage 1:
Encouraging the participation of video games in children and teenagers is a dangerous practice. These video games are often violent and thus promote violence in everyday life. Such games have also been shown to encourage violence and anger problems in those already inclined toward violence. At an age at which it is important to foster cooperation among classmates and build friendships, the isolation that comes with excessive gaming makes students more likely to enter conflicts with other students and harms their ability to socialize.
Video games have also been shown to be addictive. This trait makes gaming all the more dangerous, as an exclusive focus on any one hobby can leave children without a well-rounded set of interests and skills. Those playing video games would benefit from other extracurriculars, such as arts or athletics. When children spend all their time playing video games, that leaves less time for more-productive tasks like joining a sport, learning to play an instrument, or picking up other more beneficial hobbies. Parents would be wise to discourage their children from playing video games and instead suggest they pick up a more constructive hobby.
Passage 2:
Video games are often (and unfairly) blamed for negatively impacting children, but in reality, they offer many benefits to those who choose “gaming” as a hobby. Studies show that children who play video games improve their motor skills, reasoning ability, and creative problem-solving when they do so. Additionally, evidence shows us that many find playing video games to be a way to socialize with friends and even build leadership skills, including how to delegate, work as a team, and prioritize tasks. Some have even linked these higher-order thinking skills to career success down the road.
People who would villainize gaming claim that violent games make kids more violent. However, there is little, if any, evidence to show any connection between actions performed in a simulated game and tendencies in real life. In fact, many report that they find playing such games to be stress-relieving, and say that these activities positively impact their mood.
While it is important to limit kids’ daily consumption of any hobby, video games can be a great way to encourage their creative problem solving, leadership, and other valuable life skills!
Which of the following pair of excerpts from Passages 1 & 2 best support the main idea of each author?
Passage 1: Parents would be wise to discourage their children from playing video games and instead suggest they pick up a more constructive hobby. Passage 2: Video games can be a great way to encourage creative problem solving, leadership, and other valuable life skills!
Passage 1: Video games have also been shown to be addictive Passage 2: Video games are often (and unfairly) blamed for negatively impacting children.
Passage 1: Those playing video games would benefit from other extracurriculars, such as arts or athletics. Passage 2: Studies show that children who play video games improve their motor skills, reasoning ability, and creative problem-solving when they do so.
Passage 1: Video games are often violent, and thus promote violence in everyday life. Passage 2: There is little, if any, evidence to show any connection between actions performed in a simulated game and tendencies in real life.
Passage 1: Parents would be wise to discourage their children from playing video games and instead suggest they pick up a more constructive hobby. Passage 2: Video games can be a great way to encourage creative problem solving, leadership, and other valuable life skills!
Here, we need a pair of excerpts that each support the main idea or claim of each argument. Passage 1 attempts to claim that video games are potentially harmful, and tries to convince parents that they should seek out other, more beneficial, hobbies for their children. This is summarized in the conclusion sentence of the passage: “Parents would be wise to discourage their children from playing video games and instead suggest they pick up a more constructive hobby.” Passage 2 makes the claim that video games can be beneficial as a hobby, as addressed in the closing sentence of the passage: “Video games can be a great way to encourage their creative problem solving, leadership, and other valuable life skills!” While our other answer choices are in the passages, they don’t completely address the primary purpose of the passage. For instance, “those playing video games would benefit from other extracurriculars, such as arts or athletics” is supported by the author of the passage, but doesn’t encompass why the passage was written.
Example Question #12 : Reading To Cite Textual Evidence
When you hear the word “pirate,” you likely think of names such as Blackbeard or Henry Morgan. However, there exists a vast and interesting history of lesser-known pirates who have also shaped the term as we know it, and this history is just as deserving of our attention.
For instance, in the fifteenth century, the pirate Pier Gerlofs Donia, better known as “Big Pier,” fought tirelessly against the Roman Empire and intimidated even the most fierce soldiers with the seven-foot long sword he wielded, known as the “Zweihander.” When his crew captured a suspected enemy ship, he was known to determine friend from foe by forcing them to say: “Butter, bread, and green cheese: if you can’t say that, you’re not a real Frisian!” in his native tongue, as this was often difficult for enemies to pronounce correctly. Enemies who were unable to do so were sentenced to their doom!
Seventeenth-century dutch pirate Laurens de Graaf is also an interesting story. While he is best known for his ship, the Tigre, and for evading capture and disappearing into mystery and myth, he was supposedly an interesting pirate to work for! Known as the “gentleman’s outlaw,” de Graff would travel the seas with an arrangement of violins and trumpets, which he would play for his crew to keep spirits high.
Samuel Bellamy’s life poses yet another interesting, though ultimately tragic, story. When treasure hunter Bellamy found it difficult to make a living, he turned to piracy. Bellamy was known as a just captain and even formed a democracy on his ship, earning the trust and respect of his men. Bellamy was also known as the wealthiest pirate ever, and in the short year or so that he roamed the seas, he acquired over $120 million in treasure. This wealth would be short-lived, however, as Bellamy and his ship sank to the bottom of the deep blue on their way back from the heist that would have allowed his entire crew to retire and live out the rest of their lives in peace.
It is true that many of the icons we see in today’s movies, novels, and costumes come from some of history’s most well-known pirates. Nevertheless, those interested in knowing the full history and culture of what we know as “piracy” today should seek out the stories behind some of the world’s lesser-known tyrants of the sea.
Which of the following is cited as direct support to the claim that “Bellamy was known as a just captain”?
He was the wealthiest pirate ever.
His heist would have allowed his entire crew to retire in peace.
He began as a treasure hunter.
He formed a democracy on his ship.
He formed a democracy on his ship.
While all answer choices are true statements that are included in the passage, only one addresses why Bellamy was considered a “just” or fair captain. In the passage, the author uses the fact that Bellamy “formed a democracy on his ship, earning the trust and respect of his men,” to directly support the claim that “Bellamy was known as a just captain.”
Example Question #13 : Reading To Cite Textual Evidence
When you hear the word “pirate,” you likely think of names such as Blackbeard or Henry Morgan. However, there exists a vast and interesting history of lesser-known pirates who have also shaped the term as we know it, and this history is just as deserving of our attention.
For instance, in the fifteenth century, the pirate Pier Gerlofs Donia, better known as “Big Pier,” fought tirelessly against the Roman Empire and intimidated even the most fierce soldiers with the seven-foot long sword he wielded, known as the “Zweihander.” When his crew captured a suspected enemy ship, he was known to determine friend from foe by forcing them to say: “Butter, bread, and green cheese: if you can’t say that, you’re not a real Frisian!” in his native tongue, as this was often difficult for enemies to pronounce correctly. Enemies who were unable to do so were sentenced to their doom!
Seventeenth-century dutch pirate Laurens de Graaf is also an interesting story. While he is best known for his ship, the Tigre, and for evading capture and disappearing into mystery and myth, he was supposedly an interesting pirate to work for! Known as the “gentleman’s outlaw,” de Graff would travel the seas with an arrangement of violins and trumpets, which he would play for his crew to keep spirits high.
Samuel Bellamy’s life poses yet another interesting, though ultimately tragic, story. When treasure hunter Bellamy found it difficult to make a living, he turned to piracy. Bellamy was known as a just captain and even formed a democracy on his ship, earning the trust and respect of his men. Bellamy was also known as the wealthiest pirate ever, and in the short year or so that he roamed the seas, he acquired over $120 million in treasure. This wealth would be short-lived, however, as Bellamy and his ship sank to the bottom of the deep blue on their way back from the heist that would have allowed his entire crew to retire and live out the rest of their lives in peace.
It is true that many of the icons we see in today’s movies, novels, and costumes come from some of history’s most well-known pirates. Nevertheless, those interested in knowing the full history and culture of what we know as “piracy” today should seek out the stories behind some of the world’s lesser-known tyrants of the sea.
Which of the following is not cited as an interesting fact about a lesser-known pirate in the passage?
Some pirates developed systems for making decisions aboard the ship.
The wealthiest pirate ever known retired in peace after his biggest heist.
One such pirate had an interest in playing musical instruments for his crew.
One pirate used pronunciation as a way to identify enemies.
The wealthiest pirate ever known retired in peace after his biggest heist.
In this example, we can use the process of elimination to identify the facts that are included and thus, the one that isn’t. “One such pirate had an interest in playing musical instruments for his crew” refers to Laurens de Graaf and his trumpeting and violin playing for the crew. “Some pirates developed systems for making decisions aboard the ship” addresses the fact that Bellamy created a democracy on the ship in order to have a fair way to make decisions. “One pirate used pronunciation as a way to identify enemies” refers to Pier Gerlofs Donia and his habit of asking suspected enemies to recite his strange Frisian phrase. However, while “The wealthiest pirate ever known retired in peace after his biggest heist” might sound familiar… if we look back to the passage we can see that “Bellamy and his ship sank to the bottom of the deep blue on their way back from the heist that would have allowed his entire crew to retire and live out the rest of their lives in peace.” So, Bellamy certainly did not retire in peace… he perished in the bottom of the deep blue!
Example Question #14 : Reading To Cite Textual Evidence
As technology continues to advance, relics of much earlier innovations remain in the terms we use to describe today’s tech. These terms, often referred to as “technological fossil words,” have outlived their meaning, but are still used in conversation today.
Perhaps the most well-known example of a technological fossil word is the term “DJ” or “Disc Jockey.” The term originated in a time when a DJ actually “jockeyed,” the machine playing a disc or record. Nowadays, a Disc Jockey is almost never seen with an actual disc, but the name lives on!
Technological fossil words have also found their way into the language we use to describe phone use. When operators of the original phone that coined most of the terms we use today made a call, they would “dial” by turning an actual dial of rotating numbers. When they would “hang up,” they would physically hang the phone up on the wall, at which point the phone's pressure on the latch it hung on would end the call. Even the terms phone line and cell phone refer to aspects of telephone use that no longer apply today.
One of the most interesting and lesser-known of these technological fossil words is the term “soap opera.” Today, this term refers broadly to dramatic television programs. However, the history of the term comes from the radio dramas once sponsored by soap companies to entice housewives listening in during the day to purchase their products.
From typing messages to “pen pals,” to “filming” a video, technological fossil words give us a glimpse into the history behind the tech we use today!
Which of the following excerpts contributes the least toward informing the reader about what a “technological fossil word” refers to?
The history of the term comes from the radio dramas once sponsored by soap companies to entice housewives listening in during the day to purchase their products.
The term originated in a time when a DJ actually “jockeyed,” the machine playing a disc or record.
Technological fossil words have also found their way into the language we use to describe phone use.
When they would “hang up,” they would physically hang the phone up on the wall, at which point the phone's pressure on the latch it hung on would end the call.
Technological fossil words have also found their way into the language we use to describe phone use.
Here, we can eliminate any answer choice that helps explain the history behind the term “technological fossil word.” The answer choices that explain the history behind the terms DJ, hang up, and soap opera all support the reader’s understanding of the meaning. However, broadly saying that “technological fossil words have also found their way into the language we use to describe phone use,” does not indicate to the reader how the term “technological fossil word” is relevant to the context of phone use, or the meaning of the term as a whole.
Example Question #11 : Reading To Cite Textual Evidence
When you hear the phrase “man’s best friend,” you probably think of one animal, and one animal alone: the dog. But why is that? How did dogs come to earn the name “man’s best friend,” and why has the name stuck around since?
Many historians trace the relationship between man and dog back more than 30,000 years, to when wolves used to scavenge alongside humans. Other historians cite the point when dogs and people began living together, around 15,000 years ago, as the start of this friendship.
Literature from long ago also references the friendship between man and dog, most famously in Homer’s The Odyssey. However, it wasn’t until the 1700s when King Frederick of Prussia coined the term that dogs were formally given the position “best friend to man.” Frederick referred to his friendship with his dogs in a way that was unusual at the time. While pet dogs were common for those of his rank and stature, they were normally used for hunting and protecting, and it would be considered strange to speak of them as “friends.” Frederick, however, was so fond of his dogs that he had portraits of them painted, spoke often of their loyalty, and even requested that he be buried next to them when he was laid to rest.
It is this strange but enduring relationship with “man’s best friend” that has stood the test of time. Today, dogs are often thought of for their loyalty and companionship. Studies even suggest that a canine companion can increase one’s lifespan, lower cardiovascular disease, and improve mental health. Even if you don’t share Frederick’s opinion that companionship with a dog is the only way to be truly “free of cares,” there’s no arguing that dogs have earned the title “man’s best friend” over the thousands of years they have stood by man’s side.
Which of the following sentences provides the strongest support for the following statement?
“Though dogs have been companions to humans for thousands of years, the origin of the term ‘man’s best friend’ as we know it today developed far more recently.”
Other historians cite the point when dogs and people began living together, around 15,000 years ago, as the start of this friendship.
However, it wasn’t until the 1700s when King Frederick of Prussia coined the term that dogs were formally given the position “best friend to man.”
Literature from long ago also references the friendship between man and dog, most famously in Homer’s The Odyssey.
Frederick, however, was so fond of his dogs that he had portraits of them painted, spoke often of their loyalty, and even requested that he be buried next to them when he was laid to rest.
When you hear the phrase “man’s best friend,” you probably think of one animal, and one animal alone: the dog.
However, it wasn’t until the 1700s when King Frederick of Prussia coined the term that dogs were formally given the position “best friend to man.”
For this question, we’re looking for evidence that points us to the origin of the nickname/term “man’s best friend,” not the first instance of interaction between man and dog. So, while evidence of man’s relationship with dogs is given in the incorrect answer choices, only the correct answer gives us any indication about where the term came from.
Example Question #12 : Reading To Cite Textual Evidence
Passage 1:
School-age children are filled with curiosity and seek to discover new and exciting things every day! So, it is silly to assume that a child would not appreciate the faraway places and times of classics by Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Shakespeare. Regardless of the child’s age, if he or she can break down the structure of Shakespeare’s sonnets or the satire of Dickens’s episodics, there is no reason such a child should have to wait until the later part of his or her schooling to enjoy such works. In fact, limiting younger children to writing consisting only of relatable elementary- and middle-school topics such as going to school, overcoming bullying, and growing up only acts to stifle the curiosity that could otherwise be strengthened by the wonder of classic literature.
Passage 2:
There is no simpler way to drive children away from reading than to fill their arms and their reading lists with dense, boring novels full of language and topics they find unrelatable and difficult to understand. Allow a child to find his love for reading through books that he can relate to and he will hold onto that appreciation of reading for a lifetime. Force him to know only difficult constructions and dated language when he reads, and you’ll be sure to chase him away from the hobby entirely! By allowing children to read about what they find interesting, or what they can relate to, whether it’s the common challenges faced making friends in school or the wonder of talking animals and superheroes, you build the foundation for a love of reading that will eventually make its way to the classic literature adult readers have come to embrace.
Which of the following is not cited by the authors as something school-aged children find relatable?
Overcoming bullying
Going on adventures
Going to school
Making friends
Going on adventures
While all of these answer choices could be things children might enjoy, the author of Passage 1 uses the argument that children should not be limited to only what they might find relatable because they might also enjoy the adventures of faraway places and times. So, while going to school, overcoming bullying, and making friends are all listed as relatable topics for children by at least one of the two authors, going on adventures is not specifically cited as a relatable topic.
Example Question #1 : Reading To Determine Author's Point Of View
Adapted from "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe (1846)
The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled — but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity1. A wrong is unredressed2 when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation3.
He had a weak point — this Fortunato — although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself upon his connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity, to practice imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially; — I was skillful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.
It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand.
I said to him — “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking today. But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts.”
“How?” said he. “Amontillado? A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle of the carnival!”
“I have my doubts,” I replied; “and I was silly enough to pay the full AmonAftillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain.”
“Amontillado!”
“I have my doubts.”
“Amontillado!”
“And I must satisfy them.”
“Amontillado!”
“As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchresi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me ——”
“Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry4.”
“And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own.”
“Come, let us go.”
“Whither?”
“To your vaults.”
What does the reader learn in the first three paragraphs that creates suspense for the rest of the passage?
Fortunato only pretends to be an expert on gems and paintings.
Fortunato insulted the narrator.
Fortunato is an expert on Italian wine.
Both Fortunato and the narrator are experts on Italian wine.
The narrator wants to punish Fortunato.
The narrator wants to punish Fortunato.
This story can be pretty confusing because of the way it dramatically shifts topics. For the first three paragraphs, the narrator tells the reader how he wants to get revenge on Fortunato because Fortunato went too far in insulting him somehow. (We never learn just what it is Fortunato did that made the narrator so mad at him.) The narrator calmly explains that he thinks the best revenge is total in nature ("I must not only punish but punish with impunity.") and that it takes place when the person taking revenge is revealed to the person receiving it ("It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.") We then learn that the narrator has given Fortunato no clue that he is seeking revenge against him. Readers get the idea that this revenge is going to be extremely severe when the author uses the word "immolation," a very strong word, to describe it: "I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation."
After this, the narrator explains that Fortunato has a weakness—he prides himself on being a wine expert. This is the "weak point" that the narrator will make use of in enacting his revenge. After this, we jump to the events of the story, during a carnival, when the narrator runs into Fortunato and tells him about a cask of amontillado he has obtained. So, what do we learn in the first three paragraphs that makes this interaction suspenseful? We're waiting to see how the narrator enacts his revenge, and if Fortunato can escape the narrator's plot or realize that the narrator has ulterior motives. "Fortunato insulted the narrator" might look like a good answer choice, but we wouldn't be reading a very long story if the narrator simply forgave Fortunato for insulting him. Instead, the narrator is out for revenge, and it's this realization that gives the suspenseful heft to the rest of the action that follows. If we didn't know this, we wouldn't be able to realize that the narrator isn't earnest in his interaction with Fortunato and has other plans in mind in order to get revenge. "The narrator wants to punish Fortunato" is the answer that encapsulates this.
Example Question #2 : Reading To Determine Author's Point Of View
Adapted from "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe (1846)
The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled — but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity1. A wrong is unredressed2 when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation3.
He had a weak point — this Fortunato — although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself upon his connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity, to practice imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially; — I was skillful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.
It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand.
I said to him — “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking today. But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts.”
“How?” said he. “Amontillado? A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle of the carnival!”
“I have my doubts,” I replied; “and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain.”
“Amontillado!”
“I have my doubts.”
“Amontillado!”
“And I must satisfy them.”
“Amontillado!”
“As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchresi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me ——”
“Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry4.”
“And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own.”
“Come, let us go.”
“Whither?”
“To your vaults.”
"Fortunato" means fortunate or lucky in Italian. Why is this an ironic choice of name for the character Fortunato in Poe's story?
Only the audience knows that Fortunato is lucky; the narrator has no idea of this.
Fortunato is not lucky because it is the narrator, not he, who obtained the amontillado.
Fortunato is lucky to run into the narrator at random during the carnival.
Fortunato is not lucky because he is oblivious to the grave danger that he is in.
Fortunato is not lucky because he has not been able to prove himself more intelligent than Luchesi.
Fortunato is not lucky because he is oblivious to the grave danger that he is in.
Much of this story's potency derives from its use of irony. Simply put, irony occurs when what the reader sees or is led to expect is very different from or the opposite of what turns out to be the case. In this case, the name "Fortunato" sounds like it should refer to a character who is in some way fortunate or lucky; however, the choice of name is ironic because that's not what we as readers get from the story. We can immediately knock out the answer choices "Only the audience knows that Fortunato is lucky; the narrator has no idea of this" and "Fortunato is lucky to run into the narrator at random during the carnival" because if we expect Fortunato to be lucky and he is lucky, that's not ironic at all. How is Fortunato not as lucky as we expect him to be in this story? Well, the narrator is out to get revenge on him, and he has absolutely no idea of this in the passage that we read. That's not very lucky at all! "Fortunato is not lucky because he has not been able to prove himself more intelligent than Luchesi" isn't correct because we have no evidence that this is true, and "Fortunato is not lucky because it is the narrator, not he, who obtained the amontillado" isn't correct either. This is a lack of luck, but we the irony is created by expecting good luck for the character and seeing him receive terrible luck. The narrator is out to get revenge on Fortunato, but Fortunato doesn't know that he's about to be a victim of the narrator's plotting. That's pretty terrible luck! "Fortunato is not lucky because he is oblivious to the grave danger that he is in" is the correct answer.
Example Question #3 : Reading To Determine Author's Point Of View
Adapted from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
He was a very silent man by custom. All day he hung round the cove or upon the cliffs with a brass telescope; all evening he sat in a corner of the parlor next the fire and drank rum and water very strong. Mostly he would not speak when spoken to, only look up sudden and fierce and blow through his nose like a fog-horn; and we and the people who came about our house soon learned to let him be. Every day when he came back from his stroll he would ask if any seafaring men had gone by along the road.
I was far less afraid of the captain than anybody else who knew him. There were nights when he would sometimes sit and sing his wicked, old, wild sea-songs, minding nobody; but sometimes he would call for glasses round and force all the trembling company to listen to his stories or bear a chorus to his singing. His stories were what frightened people worst of all. Dreadful stories they were—about hanging, and walking the plank, and storms at sea, and the Dry Tortugas, and wild deeds and places on the Spanish Main. By his own account he must have lived his life among some of the wickedest men upon the sea, and the language in which he told these stories shocked our plain country people almost as much as the crimes that he described. My father was always saying the inn would be ruined, for people would soon cease coming there to be tyrannized over and put down, and sent shivering to their beds; but I really believe his presence did us good. People were frightened at the time, but on looking back they rather liked it; it was a fine excitement in a quiet country life, and there was even a party of the younger men who pretended to admire him, calling him a "true sea-dog" and a "real old salt" and such like names, and saying there was the sort of man that made England terrible at sea.
What effect does the underlined selection have on the story?
It introduces new details explaining why the narrator is eager to see the guest leave.
It allows the narrative to turn from a negative to a positive perspective on the guest's stay.
It explains why the narrator's father likes the guest so much.
It introduces a new character.
It explains why the guest is so unlike the rest of the local population.
It allows the narrative to turn from a negative to a positive perspective on the guest's stay.
The underlined excerpt is this:
My father was always saying the inn would be ruined, for people would soon cease coming there to be tyrannized over and put down, and sent shivering to their beds; but I really believe his presence did us good. People were frightened at the time, but on looking back they rather liked it; it was a fine excitement in a quiet country life . . .
This excerpt immediately follows the narrator's description of how the sailor staying at his family's inn would scare the other visitors by singing "wild sea-songs" or "forc[ing] all the trembling company to listen to his stories or bear a chorus to his singing." We're told in specific that "his stories frightened people most of all." Then, after some detail about what the stories concerned, the excerpt appears. In it, the narrator's father sees the sailor's actions as a bad influence on the popularity of the inn. This is a negative way of looking at the stay of the sailor and his actions. The narrator's point of view is different, though: he disagrees, as we can see with the underlined sentence turning on the conjunction "but". The narrator thinks that "[the sailor's] presence did us good" because even though other patrons were scared of being around the sailor, "on looking back they rather liked it; it was a fine excitement in a quiet country life."
The best answer can't be "It explains why the narrator's father likes the guest so much" because the underlined sentence tells us that the narrator's father does not like the sailor. Furthermore, the best answer can't be "It introduces new details explaining why the narrator is eager to see the sailor leave" because the narrator likes the excitement the sailor brings to the inn; we can't claim that he's eager to see him leave. The excerpt doesn't introduce a new character, nor does it "[explain] why the guest is so unlike the rest of the local population." This latter answer is a bit tricky, because the excerpt presents two perspectives on the fact that the sailor is so different from the local population; however, that's not what the excerpt is about, it's the subject of the sentences that come before the underlined one. The best answer is "It allows the narrative to turn from a negative to a positive perspective on the guest's stay." The underlined sentence presents the perspective of the narrator's father first, and he wants the sailor to leave because he's worried about other guests being driven away by his strange antics. That's the negative perspective; it then turns to the positive perspective of the narrator, who thinks the sailor's behavior is exciting.
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All Common Core: 8th Grade English Language Arts Resources
