English Study Guide UNIT 2 TEST

English Study Guide – UNIT 2 TEST

The People Could Fly – The Oxcart – The Snake Chief – The Bunion Derby

The People Could Fly pg. 162

Vocabulary: scorned – looked down upon by someone; snarled – made tangled or knotted

Summary: The story is set in the time of slaves. Toby has magical powers and can whisper words to make his fellow slaves fly away to freedom. This story is a folktale because it is not written; it is a story that has been told by people and passed down through the generations. The lesson in the story is to keep hope alive that freedom is possible.

The Oxcart pg. 194

Vocabulary: procession – a group of individuals walking forward; elegant – beautiful and tasteful; lurching – rolling or swaying in a jerky motion; distinguished – well-known for excellence and honor

Summary: This is a folktale that was told for hundreds of years before it was written down. It is set in Japan where there are strict rules regarding how people should behave and how social classes are organized. In the story, a samurai wants to go to a festival but cannot because of the crowded streets. They decide that instead of riding their horses, they will ride in an oxcart, which was typically reserved for women. The three samurai wind up getting sick in the cart from the bumps and throw up all over each other. The samurai go on to be brave men, but they never go in an oxcart again. The moral of the story is to not take the easy way out.

The Snake Chief pg. 206

Vocabulary: induce – convince to do something; influence; quavered – spoke in a shaky or trembling voice; incompetence – lack of ability or skill; reluctantly – against one’s wishes

Summary: This is a folktale first told by a group of South African tribes. Two sisters have not yet found husbands. The older sister is sent to meet a village chief, but she does not take the advice of the many people and creatures she encounters on her journey. In the end, she is killed by the chief. The younger sister listens to the advice, is humble, and obedient. She ends up marrying the chief and having a good life.

The Bunion Derby pg. 267

Vocabulary: furnished – supplied, given; promoter – a person who organizes and pays the costs of a sporting event; grimacing – making a face that shows discomfort or disgust

Summary: Andy enters a race in order to win money to help his family. He changes shoes frequently so he does not get blisters on his feet and is kind to all the other runners. He ends up winning the race.

Know these literary elements: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling action, Resolution (pg. 195), Conflict – External and Internal (pg. 207), Characters – protagonist/antagonist, dynamic/static (pg. 163)