Figures of speech and allusions

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   The old radiator coughed and grumbled all through math class. Kira kept working anyway. Zee reads both sentences. Which choice names the figure of speech and says what it suggests?

   • personification: the radiator made loud, rough noises
   • personification: the radiator ran quietly and smoothly
   • hyperbole: the radiator made loud, rough noises
   • personification: Kira worked through math class
2. 2.

   The fog wrapped the street in a gray blanket. Ari reads the sentence. Why might the writer use a figure of speech here instead of plain words?

   • It makes the fog feel hot and dangerous, as if the street were burning.
   • It shows the fog was so thick that people on the street could not breathe.
   • It makes the fog feel thick and soft, covering the street the way a blanket does.
   • It tells the reader that the fog was gray and covered the whole street, block after block.

3. Read this first

   Story card (fable by Aesop)

   A hungry fox saw ripe grapes high on a vine. It jumped again and again but could not reach them. At last it walked away, saying the grapes were probably sour anyway.
   Sentences: Noah did not make the team. Noah said the team was boring anyway, and Tala called it sour grapes.

4. 3.

   Bo reads the story card and the sentences. What does Tala mean by sour grapes?

   • Noah tried again and again to reach something high that stayed out of reach.
   • Noah is pretending not to want something that Noah could not get.
   • Noah is telling the truth that the team is boring and not worth joining.
   • Noah is starting something that will cause many troubles that cannot be undone.
5. 4.

   By the time the bus came, Pia had waited a million years. The bus was ten minutes late. Esme reads both sentences. Which choice names the figure of speech and says what it suggests?

   • personification: the wait felt far longer than it was
   • hyperbole: the wait felt shorter than it was
   • hyperbole: the wait felt far longer than it was
   • hyperbole: the bus arrived ten minutes late
6. 5.

   Milo's inbox had a million messages waiting after the long weekend. Jun reads the sentence. Why might the writer use a figure of speech here instead of plain words?

   • It stresses how huge the pile of messages felt to Milo.
   • It tells the reader that Milo received a large number of messages over the weekend.
   • It gives the exact number of messages Milo received during the long weekend.
   • It shows Milo gave up and did not read any of them.

7. Story card (children's tale)

   Goldilocks walks into the home of three bears while they are out. She tries three bowls of porridge: one too hot, one too cold, and one just right. She also tries chairs and beds until she finds the ones that are just right.
   Sentence: Luz tested the pool, too cold at one end and too warm at the other, and then, like Goldilocks, found the middle just right.

8. 6.

   Kira reads the story card and the sentence. What does the Goldilocks comparison say about Luz?

   • Luz kept starting a job that did not get finished, again and again.
   • Luz kept testing choices until finding the one that fit exactly.
   • Luz walked into a stranger's home without asking, as Goldilocks did.
   • Luz gave up after the first try and left the pool.
9. 7.

   The first notes of the violin rose like birds leaving a branch. Milo reads the sentence. Why might the writer use a figure of speech here instead of plain words?

   • It makes the notes feel heavy and slow, like a stone sinking in a pond.
   • It tells the reader that the violin played its first notes at the start of the piece.
   • It shows that the music made the whole audience want to fly.
   • It makes the notes feel light and free, as if they lifted off together.

10. Story card (Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne)

    Eeyore is a gloomy gray stuffed donkey who expects things to go badly. He sighs a lot, and he even loses his tail.
    Sentences: Before the picnic, Tala sighed, “It will rain, the food will spoil, and we will get lost.” Zee said, “Stop being an Eeyore.”

11. 8.

    Noah reads the story card and the sentences. What does Zee mean by calling Tala an Eeyore?

    • Tala is cheerful and expects a great day.
    • Tala is gloomy and expects things to go badly.
    • Tala has a gift for making each plan a success.
    • Tala is a gray stuffed animal.
12. 9.

    Noah's thoughts raced around like pinballs. Each one bounced off the next before it could settle. Pia reads both sentences. Which choice names the figure of speech and says what it suggests?

    • simile: Noah's thoughts moved fast and bounced between ideas
    • simile: Noah was playing a pinball game
    • metaphor: Noah's thoughts moved fast and bounced between ideas
    • simile: Noah's thoughts stayed calm and settled in one place
13. 10.

    The old swing sighed whenever the wind pushed it, and Kira listened from the porch. Tala reads the sentence. Why might the writer use a figure of speech here instead of plain words?

    • It makes the swing sound new and happy, ready to be played on.
    • It tells the reader that the swing made a sound when the wind pushed it.
    • It shows that the swing was alive and wanted to leave.
    • It gives the swing a tired, sad feeling, as if it were a person.