"Called Out" by Barbara Kingsolver

1.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

What is a "desert ephemeral?"

a hot desert

a short lived flower

a desert with male and female rains

a tasty desert

2.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

Who is the author of "Called Out?"

Barbara Kingsolver

Jackie Robinson

Corey Brewer

Brandon Ingram

3.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

What does "germination" mean?

a plant is develping from a seed

a plant caught a germ

a seed is dormant

a seed is dying

4.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

What is a "dormancy" period?

seeds sprout quickly

seeds sprout all at once

seeds don't sprout during this period

seeds need a lot of rain during this period

5.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

Why does the author compare the 1998 flower season to "Halley's Comet" or "El Nino?"

to make the story funny

to highlight the rare flower season

to confuse the reader

to teach history

6.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

Why did so many desert flowers bloom during the 1998 rain season?

the flowers adapted to a harsh desert environment and became good at survival

the flowers had a lot of water

the flowers were planted by good samaritanss

flowers like the desert heat

7.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

“Highway medians . . . looked like the seed-packet promises come true,” provides support for which of the following excerpts from the essay?

“Our mountains wore mantles of yellow brittlebrush on their rocky shoulders . . .” (lines 6–7)

“The spring of 1998 was the Halley's Comet of desert wildflower years.” (lines 1–2)

“While nearly everyone else on the planet was cursing the soggy consequences of El Niño's downpours . . .” (lines 2–3)

“Our desert hills and valleys were colorized in wild schemes of maroon, . . .“ (lines 4–5)

8.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

Why does the author insert the dialogue between the narrator and a friend from the East (lines 29–42)?

to show that everyone in the country knows about the wildflowers

to define significant scientific terms

to emphasize how special and mysterious the annual blooming is

to entertain readers with humor

9.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

The wildflowers seen in the Sonoran Desert

are equipped with no survival mechanisms to help them thrive.

produce seeds that vary in the time they spend dormant.

have less resistance to drought than other species.

grow only from seeds dropped from migrating birds.

10.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

Which set of words shows the author's view of the desert flowers?

miracle, magic, remarkable

flat, salinized, rocky

fuss, prognosticating, waiting

fragile, bloom, death

11.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

The colorfulness of the desert spring is determined by the amount of rain that falls in the

previous autumn.

preceding winter.

spring itself.

previous summer.

12.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

What is the meaning of the metaphor “It's just a blink, or maybe a smile . . .” (line 115)?

Each spring flowering includes a variety of blindingly brilliant colors.

Each spring flowering is unique.

Each spring flowering brings joy to of those who see it.

Each spring flowering is a relatively brief moment.

13.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

To prognosticate is to

figure out the source of an illness.

complain about the present situation.

put off doing something unpleasant.

guess what might happen in the future.

14.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

What word or phrase is related to ephemeral?

long-living

quickly over

surprising

bubbly

15.

Multiple Choice

2 mins

1 pt

What does botanical mean?

plant-related

having to do with the body

having to do with mechanics

all natural

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