English Language Arts: 8th Grade- Unit 3 Test

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify figurative language devices used by the author in a given text.

Define figurative language terms.
Explain why authors use these techniques in their writing.
Evaluate the impact of figurative language in written works.
Use concrete phrases and figurative language interchangeably to communicate the same concept.

1.​​ True or False: Authors use foreshadowing to tell the reader exactly what will happen, as a test to see if
the reader will still be interested.

2. ​True or False: Metaphors, Similes, and oxymorons are all literary devices that are used to compare one
noun to another.

3. ​http://www.helpteaching.com/questions/Figurative_Language/Grade_6

"BANG" is an example of onomatopoeia.

a. True
b. False

4. ​True or False: Figurative language is used to help the reader understand the story more.

5.
https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/figurative-language-worksheets/figurative-language-worksheet-08-answers.ht
m

“Weeds climb about the stoop

And clutch the crumbling walls;
The drowsy grasses droop--
The night wind falls.”

Which technique is used?

a. Simile
b. Metaphor
c. Personification
d. Hyperbole

6​​. ​Of the choices below, which literary term is the most appropriate to use when trying to communicate
complex ideas using only a word or two?
 a. Idiom
b. Alliteration
c. Simile
d. Allusion

7.​​ With the sentence “Whoopee! I didn’t know you liked John,” what is the function of the
onomatopoeia?
a. The speaker is mad that you may like John
b. The speaker is comparing you liking John to an exciting event
c. The speaker is excited you may like John
d. The speaker is comparing you liking John to an event that made her mad

8.​​ Which of the following best contains the same meaning as the sentence:
I will believe that when pigs fly!
a. I believe it.
b. I don’t believe it now, but I may believe it later.
c. I will never believe that.
d. I could believe that.

9. ​How does alliteration in a poem impact the reader?

a. It makes the reader tongue tied
b. It makes the reader confused
c. It lets the reader know something is about to happen
d. It makes the reader pay attention to the sentence

10. ​“After the last shovel of dirt was patted in place, I sat down and let my mind drift back through the
years. I thought of the old K. C. Baking Powder can, and the first time I saw my pups in the box at the
depot. I thought of the fifty dollars, the nickels and dimes, and the fishermen and blackberry patches.”
Which of the following figurative language devices is utilized in the passage above?
A. Flashback
B. Alliteration
C. Simile
D. Metaphor

11.​​ ​http://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-comparing-literal-figurative-language.html

Which of the following would you NOT find in literal language?

A. Descriptive words
B. Direct language
C. Similes
D. Exactly what's happening in the story

12. ​ ​http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/accountability/testing/releasedforms/grade8readingreleased.pdf
Temperatures fell only into the 20s (above zero F), but the wind pushed the wind chill down to around 10
degrees while we were there. We know we were lucky. Earlier in the season temperatures might be 50
degrees colder for the school. I was comfortable in the sleeping bag in the mountain tent and even the
dehydrated food wasn’t bad.

In the last paragraph, what was most likely the author’s reason for mentioning the wind chill?
a. To emphasize the actual weather
b. To show his acceptance of discomfort
c. To discourage others from camping in Antarctica
d. To admit that the journalists who avoided the trip were wise

13. ​ ​http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/releasedforms/g6elapp.pdf

Song (1914)
by Rupert Brooke

All suddenly the wind comes soft,

And Spring is here again;
And the hawthorn quickens with buds of green,
And my heart with buds of pain.

5 My heart all Winter lay so numb

The earth is dead and frore, *
That I never thought the Spring would come,
Or my heart wake any more.

But Winter’s broken and earth has woken,

10 And the small birds cry again;
And the hawthorn hedge puts forth its buds,
And my heart puts forth its pain.
*​frore: ​frozen

In the second stanza, how does the poet’s choice of words impact the meaning of the poem?
a. The words tell the differences between the types of birds.
b. The words describe how cold it gets when seasons change.
c. The words explain how the speaker views all of the seasons.
d. The words emphasize the despair the speaker feels.

14. ​Select the literary device that best describes each lyric or phrase
a. Simile - “the stars lean down to kiss you”
b. Metaphor - “like a G6, now we are feeling so fly like a G6”
c. Personification - “Boom, Bang, Firepower!”
 d. Onomatopoeia - “Ain’t no mountain high, ain’t no valley low, ain’t no
river wide enough baby to keep me from getting to
you”
e. Oxymoron - “make me your Aphrodite”
f. Hyperbole - “the angel from my nightmare”
g. Alliteration - “Alli always asks for ambrosia apples”
h. Allusion - “this big dog’ll fight when you rattle his cage”
i. Idiom - “darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is
close at hand”
j. Foreshadowing - “baby ​you’re a firework​”
k. Symbolism - “​hold your horses​, boy!”

15.​​ Rank the following sentences from most concrete (1) to most figurative (4)
______ My favorite color is a lot like red
______ The blush of her lips was so gentle, it reminded me of my favorite color
______ My favorite color is red
______ My favorite color is the plaid of a sunny-day picnic blanket

16.​​ List the three types of literary devices that are used in the sentence below.

“CRASH!” Cocoa, the cocky cat, coaxed the cabbie to carry his clothes carefully.

1. _________________
2. _________________
3. _________________

17. ​Explain the difference between hyperboles and idioms.

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18. ​Why do authors use hyperboles? Consider the sentence “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse” in your
response.
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19.​​ Why would readers prefer reading a book with more figurative language?
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20.​​ Rewrite the following sentences, using figurative language to convey the same idea. Then, label which
figurative language method you used. ​You may only use each form ONCE.
ex. The tree is tall. ​The tree was taller than the Eiffel Tower- h​ yperbole​)
a. Her eyes were blue.
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b. Because of traffic, we drove slowly.

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c. She sneezed.
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