Novel- From A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

What is most likely Betty Smith’s purpose in writing the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn?

A. to entertain
B. to persuade
C. to teach
D. to inform

A.

How does syntax affect setting?

A. by revealing the author’s purpose in writing nonfiction
B. by creating a specific description of the time and place
C. by making descriptions of time and place easy to understand
D. by misleading the reader’s sense of time and place

C.

Read the excerpt below from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith and answer the question that follows.

[H]e lived on the pennies of the youngsters and he didn’t want to be boycotted.

How does the language in the excerpt reveal the setting of the story?

A. The reference to "youngsters" reveals the reason the author is writing.
B. The reference to "pennies" reveals the central message or insight of the story.
C. The reference to "pennies" reveals the historical context of the story.
D. The reference to "youngsters" reveals a universal message or insight.

C.

Read the excerpt below from the novel Songmaster by Orson Scott Card and answer the question that follows.

Nniv did not go meet Mikal’s starship. Instead, he waited in the rambling stone Songhouse, listening to the son of the walls, the whisper of the hundred young voices from the Chambers and the Stalls, the cold rhythm of the drafts. There were few in the galaxy who would dare to make Mikal come to them. Nniv was not daring, however. It did not occur to him that the Songmaster needed to go meet anyone.
Source: Card, Orson Scott. Songmaster. New York: Tor-Forge, 1987. Google Books. Web. 22 July 2011.

Which phrase reveals setting?

A. "Mikal’s starship"
B. "son of the walls"
C. "cold rhythm"
D. "the whisper"

A.

Which of the following is an example of a topic that the universal theme for a particular work may cover?

I. A person confronts nature.
II. A person rebels against society’s norms.
III. A person feels conflicted between passion and responsibility.

A. I only
B. II only
C. I and III
D. I, II, and III

D.

Which of the following can be used to discover an author’s purpose?

I. details in the story
II. historical context
III. publisher’s life history

A. I, II, and III
B. I and II only
C. I and III only
D. I only

B.

Which of the following is not a universal theme that applies to the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith?

A. Life will not always be the way we want it to be.
B. Childhood is a time to learn life lessons.
C. It’s important to choose fantasy over reality.
D. It is not always easy to tell the truth.

C.

What is the difference between theme and universal theme?

A. Theme refers to the central insight revealed through an American story, while universal theme refers to a theme revealed through a story of foreign origin.
B. Theme refers to a central message that applies to anyone, anywhere, while universal theme is particular to a certain individual, historical context, or culture.
C. Theme refers to the central insight revealed through a story, while universal theme refers to a theme that applies to anyone, anywhere.
D. Theme and universal theme are two terms that have the same definition.

C.

What is universal theme?

A. the reason an author is writing revealed through the author’s background, historical context, and the story
B. the central message or insight revealed through a story and that applies to anyone, anywhere
C. the time, place, and social/historical context in which a story takes place
D. the technique of using language to evoke a sense of time and place

B.

Which scenario is an example of a topic that the universal theme for a particular work may cover?

A. person confronts nature
B. a guide to grammar and language
C. person achieves the American Dream
D. challenge of owning a business

A.

What does an author use to affect the setting of the story?

A. diction and syntax
B. purposeful writing
C. universal theme
D. flashy distractors

A.

What is the setting of the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith?

A. Chinatown in San Francisco
B. Hollywood in Los Angeles, California
C. Lower East Side of Manhattan
D. Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York

D.

Read the excerpt below from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith and answer the question that follows.

[H]e lived on the pennies of the youngsters and he didn’t want to be boycotted.

How does the language in the excerpt reveal the setting of the story?

A. The reference to "youngsters" reveals the reason the author is writing.
B. The reference to "pennies" reveals the central message or insight of the story.
C. The reference to "pennies" reveals the historical context of the story.
D. The reference to "youngsters" reveals a universal message or insight.

C.

How does diction affect setting?

A. by revealing the author’s purpose in writing nonfiction
B. by creating a specific description of the time and place
C. by misleading the reader’s sense of time and place
D. by creating smooth sentence fluency that has rhythm when read aloud

B.