Question 1 of 10
In the opening, snow-cloud hung like a threat over the afternoon. What technique is this?
A) Simile — comparing the cloud to a threat using 'like'
B) Personification — giving the cloud human feelings
C) Metaphor — saying the cloud IS a threat
D) Onomatopoeia — using a word that sounds like what it describes
Question 2 of 10
Ed's anger is described as being fed by their loud voices and stupid remarks. What does this suggest?
A) Ed is hungry and thinking about food
B) The council workers are shouting instructions about feeding animals
C) His anger is like a fire or living thing — it grows stronger when given fuel
D) Ed is pretending to be angry to get attention
Question 3 of 10
What does vagrants mean when Miss Roberts says 'a hostel where vagrants can sleep'?
A) Tourists visiting from another country
B) People without a fixed home who wander from place to place — an unkind, official word
C) Workers who travel for seasonal farm jobs
D) Children who have run away from school
Question 4 of 10
The writer describes Ed as shapeless in his bundled clothes, shuffling in his too-big boots, bearded and resentful and smelly. What is the effect of listing these details?
A) It makes the reader laugh at how silly Ed looks
B) It shows that Ed doesn't care about his appearance at all
C) It proves that Ed deserves to have his home destroyed
D) It shows how others see him — but sneaks in 'resentful' to remind us he is a thinking, feeling person
Question 5 of 10
What does sullen mean when describing the sky?
A) Moody, silent, and resentful — a human emotion given to the sky
B) Bright and sunny with no clouds
C) Moving quickly with fast-changing weather
D) A scientific term for a particular type of cloud formation
Question 6 of 10
The contrast between the filthy man and the well-groomed horse in its tidy rug is significant. Why?
A) It shows that Ed stole the horse from a wealthy person
B) It proves that Ed is a bad person who can't look after himself
C) It highlights that society cares for the horse better than it cares for Ed — both are living creatures, but only one is valued
D) It shows that Ed is jealous of the horse's lifestyle
Question 7 of 10
What does the phrase the dying afternoon suggest in the final sentence?
A) The afternoon is hot and the sun is blazing
B) The light is fading, and the word 'dying' adds sadness and finality to Ed's disappearance
C) Ed is in danger of dying from the cold
D) It's just another way of saying 'late afternoon' with no special meaning
Question 8 of 10
Ed had run away from schools, from children's homes and then the army. What does this list reveal about his life?
A) He is lazy and refuses to work or study
B) He had a happy childhood but got bored of normal life
C) He is a criminal who has been in trouble his whole life
D) He has been in institutions his entire life and can't bear being confined — he grew up without a real family
Question 9 of 10
When Ed accepts the cigarettes, the writer says it was something given, something received. Why does the writer use this formal, balanced phrase?
A) It makes the exchange feel solemn and ceremonial — a wordless moment of understanding between two very different men
B) It shows that Ed doesn't understand what cigarettes are
C) It proves that Mr DuPont is forcing the cigarettes on Ed against his will
D) It's just a fancy way of saying Ed took the cigarettes — nothing special
Question 10 of 10
Why do you think Ed has chosen to live the way he does? Which answer is MOST supported by the passage?
A) He has no money and can't afford a house, so he has no choice
B) A lifetime in institutions taught him that confinement is worse than hardship — freedom is the only thing that matters to him
C) He enjoys living outdoors and thinks of it as a fun adventure
D) He is hiding from the police because he committed a serious crime