AP English Literature and Composition Quiz: Function Of Symbols Short Fiction

In the following excerpt, Theo, a new hire at a grocery store, learns the closing routine from a manager who speaks in clipped instructions. After the last customer leaves, the manager pulls a roll of "SALE" stickers from his pocket and begins slapping them over bruised peaches and dented cereal boxes, lowering prices without looking at Theo. Theo notices the stickers cover the damage but don't fix it; when he reaches for one, the manager says, "Don't waste them." Which best describes the function of the roll of "SALE" stickers?

In the following excerpt, Anwar attends a mediation session with his landlord after repeated complaints about noise. Anwar insists the building is thin-walled; the landlord insists Anwar is careless. On the table sits a cheap plastic hourglass the mediator flips each time someone speaks. The sand sticks halfway through, forcing the mediator to tap it to keep time moving. What is the function of the cheap plastic hourglass?

In the following excerpt, Marcus visits a lake where he and his friends used to swim. The shoreline has been rebuilt with neat stones, and signs warn against diving. Marcus finds the old path anyway and sits on a boulder. A rusted bottle cap is embedded in the mud beside his shoe; he pries it loose and turns it over, reading nothing, just feeling its serrated edge. What is the function of the rusted bottle cap?

In the following excerpt, Keiko tries to learn her grandfather's recipe from memory because he refuses to write it down. He instructs her by feel—"until it sounds right," "until it smells like rain." On the counter sits a measuring cup with the numbers worn off, cloudy from years of use. Keiko pours anyway, guessing, while her grandfather watches without correcting her. What is the function of the measuring cup with the numbers worn off?

In the following excerpt, Mei attends a family dinner where everyone avoids mentioning her recent breakup. Her uncle tells loud stories, her mother refills glasses too quickly. Mei focuses on the centerpiece: a bowl of fruit with a pear that has begun to brown on one side. She rotates the pear so the brown spot faces away from the table, then notices her mother rotate it back without comment. What is the function of the pear that has begun to brown on one side?

In the following excerpt, Petra and her roommate argue about chores, each insisting they do more. In the sink, a sponge split down the middle sits in gray water, unable to hold its shape. Petra squeezes it and watches dirty water pour out; her roommate says, "Just throw it away," but Petra sets it back, as if it might still work. What is the function of the sponge split down the middle?

In the following excerpt, Dr. Sato finishes a long shift at a clinic and sits in her car without starting the engine. Her phone buzzes with messages she doesn't read. In the cup holder is a receipt curled into a tight tube from a drive-through coffee she bought hours ago and never drank. She unrolls it and sees the ink has faded where her fingers held it. Which best describes the function of the receipt curled into a tight tube?

In the following excerpt, Raj takes over his father's hardware store for a week. A regular customer asks for his father by name, then looks disappointed when Raj steps forward. After the customer leaves, Raj notices the bell above the door rings late, a half-second after the door opens, as if hesitating. He listens for it each time, waiting to be announced. Which best describes the function of the bell above the door rings late?

In the following excerpt, Omar trains for a marathon on a cracked neighborhood track. Each lap, he passes the same corner where weeds push through the rubber. One morning he finds a single orange traffic cone placed precisely over the worst crack, as if someone tried to hide it. He steps around the cone and feels the unevenness anyway, counting his breaths. What is the function of the single orange traffic cone?

In the following excerpt, Arthur drives his daughter to her first day at a new school. She stares out the window and doesn't answer his questions. At a red light, Arthur notices the dashboard clock is two minutes fast, something he set years ago to make himself "on time." He considers fixing it, then decides not to, watching his daughter's reflection in the glass. What is the function of the dashboard clock is two minutes fast?

In the following excerpt, Luis repairs bicycles in a cramped shop. A customer brings in an old bike and asks for it to be "like new," but the frame is pitted with rust. Luis replaces the chain and aligns the wheels, yet the rust remains. Before returning it, he wipes the frame with oil until it shines, and the rust looks almost like freckles. Which best describes the function of the rust looks almost like freckles detail?

In the following excerpt, Jun works the night shift at a call center and keeps a notebook of phrases customers say when they are about to hang up. He writes them in neat columns, but the ink smears because his hands sweat. During a power flicker, he notices the red "MUTE" light on his headset stays on even after he clicks the button off. He speaks anyway, unsure whether anyone can hear him, and continues writing. What is the function of the red "MUTE" light?

In the following excerpt, Hana works at a bakery that opens before sunrise. The owner insists the display case must look "abundant," so Hana arranges pastries in pyramids that lean. Near closing, only one item remains: a croissant crushed at one end, as if someone squeezed it and changed their mind. Hana places it at the center of the tray anyway, pretending it's intentional. Which best describes the function of the croissant crushed at one end?

In the following excerpt, Simone visits a coastal town in the off-season to scatter her brother's ashes, but she can't bring herself to open the urn. At the pier, she watches fishermen mend nets. A child drops a paper boat into a puddle and it circles the drain without sinking, stubborn in its loop. Simone follows it with her eyes until it disappears. What is the function of the paper boat?

In the following excerpt, Ezra visits a friend in rehab and is instructed not to bring gifts. He brings nothing, then feels guilty and buys a snack from a vending machine in the lobby. The machine drops a bag of chips with a tiny hole, and air hisses out as the bag deflates in his hand. Ezra stares at the shrinking bag before walking into the visiting room. Which best describes the function of the bag of chips with a tiny hole?

In the following excerpt, Tessa volunteers at an animal shelter and struggles to choose a dog to foster. She walks past kennels of barking, paws scraping metal. In the quietest kennel, a dog nudges forward a chewed-up tennis ball and waits, not wagging, just watching. Tessa picks up the ball and feels its missing fuzz under her thumb. Which best describes the function of the chewed-up tennis ball?

In the following excerpt, Calvin visits his friend's new house and tries to act impressed. The rooms are large but echo, and his friend keeps apologizing for the "temporary" boxes. In the hallway, Calvin notices a doorstop shaped like a whale, painted bright blue, holding open a door that otherwise swings shut on its own. His friend nudges it with his foot and says, "It came with the place." What is the function of the doorstop shaped like a whale?

In the following excerpt, Asha attends a protest for the first time. She expects to feel brave, but the crowd's noise makes her chest tighten. Someone hands her a sign already written in marker; the cardboard is damp, and the slogan is smudged except for one clear word: "STILL." Asha grips the sign until her knuckles ache. Which best describes the function of "STILL."?

In the following excerpt, Lina attends her first open-mic night to read a poem about her father. She watches other performers joke and flirt with the crowd. When her name is called, she walks to the microphone and sees a ring of lipstick on the mic's foam cover from the previous speaker. Lina wipes it with her sleeve, then begins, voice quieter than she planned. Which best describes the function of the ring of lipstick on the mic's foam cover?

In the following excerpt, Chloe practices a speech in an empty classroom. She has memorized the words, but her voice keeps catching. She writes the opening line on the board, then erases it, leaving a ghostly chalk smear that won't fully disappear. When she tries again, her new words sit on top of the haze. Which best describes the function of the ghostly chalk smear?