Questions 1-7 pertain to the following passage from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum:
Dorothy carried the shoes into the house and placed them on the table. Then she came out again to the Munchkins and said: “I am anxious to get back to my aunt and uncle, for I am sure they will worry about me. Can you help me find my way?”
The Munchkins and the Witch first looked at one another, and then at Dorothy, and then shook their heads.
“At the East, not far from here,” said one, “there is a great desert, and none could live to cross it.”
“It is the same at the South,” said another, “for I have been there and seen it. The South is the country of the Quadlings.”
“I am told,” said the third man, “that it is the same at the West. And that country, where the Winkies live, is ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West, who would make you her slave if you passed her way.”
“The North is my home,” said the old lady, “and at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds this Land of Oz. I’m afraid, my dear, you will have to live with us.”
Dorothy began to sob at this, for she felt lonely among all these strange people. Her tears seemed to grieve the kind-hearted Munchkins, for they immediately took out their handkerchiefs and began to weep also. As for the little old woman, she took off her cap and balanced the point on the end of her nose, while she counted “One, two, three” in a solemn voice. At once the cap changed to a slate, on which was written in big, white chalk marks:
“LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS.”
The little old woman took the slate from her nose, and having read the words on it, asked, “Is your name Dorothy, my dear?”
“Yes,” answered the child, looking up and drying her tears.
“Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz will help you.”
“Where is this city?” asked Dorothy.
“It is exactly in the center of the country, and is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of.”
“Is he a good man?” inquired the girl anxiously.
“He is a good Wizard. Whether he is a man or not I cannot tell, for I have never seen him.”
“How can I get there?” asked Dorothy.
“You must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm.”
“Won’t you go with me?” pleaded the girl, who had begun to look upon the little old woman as her only friend.
“No, I cannot do that,” she replied, “but I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North.”
She came close to Dorothy and kissed her gently on the forehead. Where her lips touched the girl, they left a round, shining mark, as Dorothy found out soon after.
1. Where is Dorothy?
- Home
- The Land of Oz
- The City of Emeralds
- With her aunt and uncle
2. What does Dorothy want to do?
- Return to her aunt and uncle
- Live with the Witch of the North
- Stay in the Land of Oz
- Live in the City of Emeralds
3. How does Dorothy feel?
- Angry
- Happy
- Afraid
- Sad
4. How does the Witch of the North help Dorothy?
- She suggests that Dorothy live with the Munchkins and gives Dorothy her hat for protection.
- She suggests that Dorothy ask the Wizard of Oz for help and gives Dorothy a kiss for protection.
- She suggests that Dorothy should fly home and gives her a pair of shoes for protection.
- She suggests that Dorothy walk home and gives her a magic wand for protection.
5. Why does the Witch of the North suggest that Dorothy go to the City of Emeralds?
- To visit her aunt and uncle
- To visit the Witch of the North
- To ask the Wizard of Oz for help
- To ask the Witch of the North for help
6. What does the word weep mean in this sentence?
“Her tears seemed to grieve the kind-hearted Munchkins, for they immediately took out their handkerchiefs and began to weep also.”
- Cry
- Blow their noses
- Laugh
- Frown
7. What does the word pleasant mean in this sentence?
“You must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm.”
- Scary
- Nice
- Rough
- Silly
Imagine that you are the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Your job is to add sentences to the paragraph below to continue Dorothy’s story. For questions 8-10, choose the best sentences for this paragraph:
“You must follow the yellow brick road to the City of Emeralds,” the Witch of the North told Dorothy. “There you will find the help you need.” Dorothy signaled to her little dog, Toto, to follow her as she placed her foot on the first yellow brick. The little girl knew that she had a long journey ahead of her. Dorothy and Toto started walking.
8. Choose the best sentence for the beginning of the paragraph to tell what Dorothy does first.
- Dorothy and Toto walked all day and far into the night.
- “How do I find the City of Emeralds?” Dorothy asked the Witch of the North.
- Dorothy’s feet were tired from walking, so she took off her shoes and waded in the water.
- “Where should we sleep tonight?” Dorothy asked the Witch of the North.
9. Choose the best sentence to tell how Dorothy feels as she begins her journey to the City of Emeralds.
- “I should pack some food for the journey,” said Dorothy to Toto.
- “The Munchkins are very kind,” said Dorothy to the Witch of the North.
- “The Witch of the North gave me a kiss,” said Dorothy to her little black dog.
- “Stay right beside me, Toto,” said Dorothy nervously to her little black dog.
10. Choose the best sentence to describe what Dorothy sees during her journey.
- Dorothy followed the yellow brick road through the green countryside dotted with little blue houses.
- Dorothy was careful to follow the advice of the Witch of the North on her journey.
- Dorothy was surprised that she didn’t feel tired even though she had been walking for so long.
- Dorothy was anxious to see her aunt and uncle again.
Answers and Explanations
1. B: The Land of Oz. The Witch of the North refers to “this Land of Oz” and the great desert that surrounds it. The exact quote is: “‘The North is my home,’ said the old lady, ‘and at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds this Land of Oz. I’m afraid, my dear, you will have to live with us.'”
2. A: Return to her aunt and uncle. Dorothy says she wants to return to her aunt and uncle because they will be worried about her. She asks the Munchkins and the Witch of the North to help her. The passage states: “Dorothy carried the shoes into the house and placed them on the table. Then she came out again to the Munchkins and said: ‘I am anxious to get back to my aunt and uncle, for I am sure they will worry about me. Can you help me find my way?'”
3. D: Sad. Dorothy feels anxious and sad about her situation. Her emotions are evident when she begins to cry: “Dorothy began to sob at this, for she felt lonely among all these strange people. Her tears seemed to grieve the kind-hearted Munchkins, for they immediately took out their handkerchiefs and began to weep also.”
4. B: She suggests that Dorothy ask the Wizard of Oz for help and gives Dorothy a kiss for protection. The Witch of the North says: “Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz will help you.” At the end of the passage she gives Dorothy a kiss: “‘No, I cannot do that,’ she replied, ‘but I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North.’ She came close to Dorothy and kissed her gently on the forehead. Where her lips touched the girl, they left a round, shining mark, as Dorothy found out soon after.”
5. C: To ask the Wizard of Oz for help. The Witch of the North says: “Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz will help you.” Dorothy asks, “How can I get there?” The Witch of the North replies, “You must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm.”
6. A: Cry. Students should use context clues to determine that Dorothy’s tears cause the Munchkins to create their own tears.
7. B: Nice. Students should use context clues to determine that the word pleasant means the opposite of “dark and terrible.”
8. B: “How do I find the City of Emeralds?” Dorothy asked the Witch of the North. Before Dorothy can begin her journey, she needs to know how to find the City of Emeralds. Choices A and C tell what might happen later in Dorothy’s journey. Choice D is a question Dorothy might ask, but it is not necessary to beginning her journey.
9. D: “Stay right beside me, Toto,” said Dorothy nervously to her little black dog. This sentence best conveys Dorothy’s feelings of anxiety at being in a strange land and beginning what is sure to be a difficult journey. The other sentence choices are statements of fact (Choice C), opinion (Choice B), or a practical statement that does not express any particular emotion (Choice A).
10. A: Dorothy followed the yellow brick road through the green countryside dotted with little blue houses. This is the only sentence choice that describes the setting of the story for the reader. The other sentence choices describe what Dorothy does (Choice B) and how she feels (Choices C and D).
