Grade 8 ELA Practice Test: Allusions and Analogies in Literature
- Allusions and Analogies
- 10 questions
- 12 minutes
These 10 questions practice allusions, short references to well-known stories, people or events, and analogies that explain an idea by comparison. Tip: if you know the original story, ask which quality of it the writer is borrowing.
Tap an option to mark your answer. You can change your mind, or tap the same option again to leave the question blank. The correct answers and explanations appear when you finish the test.Tap an option to answer; tap it again to leave the question blank.
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Question 1
What is an allusion?
Correct answer: B
An allusion points to something readers are expected to recognize, such as a myth or a famous book. A comparison with like or as is a simile.
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Question 2
Science tests are easy for me, but remembering to take out the trash is my Achilles' heel.
What does the allusion mean?
Correct answer: D
In Greek myth, Achilles could be wounded only in his heel, so an "Achilles' heel" is a weakness. The speaker is not talking about a real injury.
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Question 3
Opening that old box of family letters turned out to be like opening Pandora's box.
What does the allusion suggest?
Correct answer: A
In the Greek myth, opening Pandora's box let troubles loose into the world. The allusion signals problems, not treasure or happiness.
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Question 4
The new running back was a Hercules on the football field.
What does this allusion suggest about the player?
Correct answer: C
Hercules is the mythical hero famous for great strength. Speed and cleverness are not what he is known for.
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Question 5
My aunt has the Midas touch when it comes to running small businesses.
What does the phrase mean?
Correct answer: B
King Midas turned everything he touched into gold, so the phrase means great success. In the myth his gift also brought trouble, but the modern phrase praises skill.
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Question 6
My brother is a real Scrooge; he never shares his candy with anyone.
Where does this allusion come from?
Correct answer: C
Ebenezer Scrooge is the stingy main character in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. He does not appear in myths, the Bible or Shakespeare.
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Question 7
Our tiny school playing the state champions was a real David and Goliath game.
What does the allusion mean?
Correct answer: A
In the Bible story, young David defeats the giant Goliath, so the phrase describes an underdog against a much stronger opponent.
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Question 8
A cell's nucleus works like a school's main office, sending instructions out to every classroom.
What is the purpose of this analogy?
Correct answer: D
The writer compares the unfamiliar nucleus to a familiar school office to make its job easier to understand. The real topic is the cell, not the school.
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Question 9
The champion quarterback finally met his Waterloo in the last game of the season, throwing three interceptions.
What does Waterloo mean here?
Correct answer: B
Napoleon suffered his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, so "meeting your Waterloo" means a decisive loss. Three interceptions point to defeat, not victory.
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Question 10
Why do writers use allusions?
Correct answer: C
One well-chosen reference can bring a whole story's meaning with it. Writers expect readers to recognize the allusion, not to be confused by it.
Questions you leave blank are not counted as wrong.
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