1. Vocabulary and Comprehension Test
Little by Little
Vocabulary and Comprehension Test

2. Vocabulary
1. Because I can’t _______ her poor writing, I do not know what her letter says.
dismay
astonish
decipher
permit

3. Vocabulary
2. Jean did not expect to win, so she was ______ when the judges gave her first prize.
deciphered
dismay
despise
astonished

4. Vocabulary 3. The artist looked at his ruined painting with ______.
dismay
astonished
decipher
confession

5. Vocabulary
4. The actor was so convincing as the “bad guy” that everyone _______ him.
immobility
despised
decipher
retired

6. Vocabulary
5. The teacher walked with a slight limp because she had had _______ as a child.
dismay
astonished
polio
publicity

7. Vocabulary 6. That scare shocked me into _______. decipher immobility
astonished
gravelly

8. Comprehension
7. Why does Jean think Miss Marr will understand her seeing problem?
Her teacher is young and pretty.
Her teacher has a limp.
Her teacher has a gentle voice.
Her teacher likes Mr. Johnston.

9. Comprehension
8. Why does the teacher put Jean’s desk right against the front blackboard?
because there is no other place for it
because Jean is a discipline problem
because Jean wants to sit apart from the other students
because Jean is supposed to see the board better up close

10. Comprehension
9. Why doesn’t Jean explain her reading problem to her teacher?
because she is embarrassed
because she doesn’t think it is a big problem
because Miss Marr wouldn’t listen to her
because she doesn’t like Miss Marr

11. Comprehension
10. “Shirley had about her the magic of a story” means Shirley ______.
liked stories
had a lot of books
seemed to have an interesting life
knew how to do magic

12. Comprehension
11. In the selection, Shirley is referred to as the “War Guest herself” because she ______.
likes to pick fights on the playground
lives with her aunt and uncle
was sent from England to escape the bombings
has a charming English accent

13. Comprehension
12. Why is Jean excited that Shirley is going to help her?
Jean likes her brother, Ian.
Jean has always wanted to be friends with a girl.
Jean is always looking for someone to help her.
Shirley is from England.

14. Comprehension 13. Shirley turns out to be _______.
a very excitable person
a quiet, polite girl
a very good friend to Jean
an unkind person

15. Comprehension 14. Jean begins talking to a tree after ______.
Shirley leaves her in the schoolyard
she takes the arithmetic test
she tells Miss Marr what she did
Jamie meets her at school

16. Comprehension
15. Why doesn’t Jean write down a single answer on her test?
She can’t write fast enough.
She doesn’t know the addition facts.
She doesn’t know the multiplication facts.
She doesn’t have a pencil.

17. Comprehension
16. When Jean says that she has all the math problems correct, she feels ______.
pleased
guilty
excited
disappointed

18. Comprehension
17. This selection is like an autobiography because it _______.
tells a true story about an incident in the author’s life
tells a story about a time in school
explains why the author is nearly blind
tells about made-up events in a person’s life

19. Comprehension
18. “Ruth and Stella lurked near enough to hear what I said.” In this story, lurked means that Ruth and Stella _______.
sneaked
kept on staying
were dangerous
were hidden