The Crow Road: Vocab & Techniques

Question 1 of 10

A 'crematorium' is...

A) A place where weddings take place

B) A building where dead people's bodies are burned as part of a funeral

C) A type of museum for old artefacts

D) A restaurant that serves cream-based dishes

Question 2 of 10

The black armband was his 'concession' to the occasion. A concession is...

A) A gift he bought for the funeral

B) His favourite piece of clothing

C) The small, reluctant effort he made — a minor gesture when more was expected

D) A speech he gave at the funeral

Question 3 of 10

The 'solemnity' of the occasion means the occasion is...

A) Serious, formal, and dignified — as a funeral should be

B) Fun and celebratory, like a party

C) Boring and unimportant

D) Noisy and chaotic

Question 4 of 10

James looked 'distinctly' uncomfortable. Distinctly means...

A) Slightly and barely noticeably

B) Happily and cheerfully

C) Secretly, without anyone knowing

D) Clearly and obviously — his discomfort was easy to see

Question 5 of 10

James was 'fiddling' with his earring. This shows he is...

A) Playing a musical instrument called a fiddle

B) Nervously touching and playing with his earring because he's uncomfortable and doesn't know what to do with his hands

C) Trying to remove his earring because it hurts

D) Showing off his earring to other people at the funeral

Question 6 of 10

The mother was 'sporting' a dramatic black hat. Sporting means...

A) Playing sports while wearing the hat

B) Hiding the hat under her coat

C) Wearing proudly and with style — she's showing it off

D) Throwing the hat across the room

Question 7 of 10

He felt a 'pang' of loss. A pang is...

A) A sudden, sharp feeling of emotion — a quick stab of sadness

B) A loud noise like a gong

C) A long, slow feeling of happiness

D) A type of cooking pot used in Chinese food

Question 8 of 10

'It was the day my grandmother exploded' as an opening line is effective because...

A) It is a normal, expected way to start a story about a funeral

B) It gives a detailed, factual account of what happened

C) It creates a sad, sombre mood for the funeral

D) It shocks the reader with an absurd, darkly comic image that immediately makes you want to read more

Question 9 of 10

The writer describes each family member through physical details rather than directly stating their personalities. This technique is called...

A) Telling — directly stating character traits

B) Showing not telling — revealing character through actions, appearance, and habits

C) Alliteration — repeating the same sounds

D) Onomatopoeia — using words that sound like noises

Question 10 of 10

The hat is compared to a 'flying saucer' and then called a 'UFO'. This is humorous because...

A) UFOs are commonly seen at funerals

B) The mother is actually an alien from another planet

C) The writer extends the joke — first comparing the hat to a flying saucer (simile), then casually calling it 'The UFO' as if it really IS one, creating absurd comedy at a solemn funeral

D) The hat actually flies off her head during the ceremony

The Crow Road: Vocab & Techniques

Assessment complete