68 pages 2 hours read

Julia Alvarez

Before We Were Free

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2002

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Exam Questions

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following words best describes Anita’s personality?

A) Introverted

B) Inquisitive

C) Diabolical

D) Depressed

2. Which of the following pairs of words describes the overall mood of the characters in Chapters 1-3?

A) Lackadaisical and genial

B) Aloof and disconcerted

C) Confident and brazen

D) Uneasy and tense

3. Throughout the novel, many of the characters use the adage “No flies fly into a closed mouth.” Which of the following sentences best describes the meaning of this adage?

A) Not telling secrets is inhumane.

B) It is best to always speak what is on your mind.

C) Keeping your opinion to yourself will stop problems in the future.

D) When you do not speak to others about your problems, it only makes you feel worse.

4. After speaking with Sammy and Oscar in Chapter 4, Anita reflects on the role that her new diary plays in her life: “It’s like my whole world is coming undone, but when I write, my pencil is needle and thread, and I’m stitching the scraps back together” (Chapter 4). Which literary devices does Anita use in this quote?

A) Hyperbole, metaphor

B) Allusion, simile

C) Personification, simile

D) Allusion, hyperbole

5. Which of the following best describes how Anita feels about Papi and Tío Toni?

A) Ashamed

B) Dismissive

C) Infuriated

D) Inspired

6. Chucha’s dream about Anita, her siblings, and Mami flying is an example of which of the following literary devices?

A) Personification

B) Paradox

C) Foreshadowing

D) Palindrome

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