Thomas Jefferson

The rain was beating on the window. Everyone in the city of Philadelphia was sleeping. Everyone except for Thomas Jefferson. He worked by candlelight, his feather pen dancing across the page. He knew that this was the most important piece of paper that he would ever sign his name to. This piece of paper was saying that the colonies were no longer under British control. This piece of paper was a Declaration of Independence. This piece of paper was the key to freedom.

Mr. Jefferson decided that he needed to take a walk. He didn't care that it was raining. He grabbed a hat and strolled out the door into the night. "What an amazing city," he thought to himself. The streets of Philadelphia were covered with incredible buildings. During the day, this city would be humming with businessmen and merchants. Right now—in the middle of the night—everything was silent. The city with nearly 50,000 people was as silent as a mouse. The future of this city—and all of the cities in all of the colonies—was on his shoulders.

Thomas Jefferson took a deep breath. He was up to the task. He was ready to go and finish writing the Declaration of Independence.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1) The above story is not true, but it is based on real events. This places it into which genre?

a. biography

b. autobiography

c. historical fiction

d. historical non-fiction

2) Which of the following best describes the point-of-view of the above passage?

a. the narrator is the main character in the passage

b. the narrator knows all of the thoughts and actions of the characters

c. the narrator knows only what he sees the characters do

d. the narrator is causing the events to happen to the main character

3) In the 1^st paragraph, the phrase, “this piece of paper” is used four times. This use of repetition is used to say what about the “piece of paper”?

a. it is significant

b. it is plentiful

c. it is dangerous

d. it is well-known

4) The phrase, “…his feather pen dancing across the page,” is an example of which of these?

a. oxymoron

b. metaphor

c. simile

d. personification

5) The phrase, “The city with nearly 50,000 people was as silent as a mouse,” is an example of which of these?

a. exaggeration

b. metaphor

c. simile

d. personification

6) The phrase, “This piece of paper was the key to freedom,” is an example of which of these?

a. a “slang” term

b. metaphor

c. simile

d. personification

Answer Key

1) The above story is not true, but it is based on real events. This places it into which genre?

a. biography

b. autobiography

c. historical fiction

d. historical non-fiction

2) Which of the following best describes the point-of-view of the above passage?

a. the narrator is the main character in the passage

b. the narrator knows all of the thoughts and actions of the characters

c. the narrator knows only what he sees the characters do

d. the narrator is causing the events to happen to the main character

3) In the 1^st paragraph, the phrase, “this piece of paper” is used four times. This use of repetition is used to say what about the “piece of paper”?

a. it is significant

b. it is plentiful

c. it is dangerous

d. it is well-known

4) The phrase, “…his feather pen dancing across the page,” is an example of which of these?

a. oxymoron

b. metaphor

c. simile

d. personification

5) The phrase, “The city with nearly 50,000 people was as silent as a mouse,” is an example of which of these?

a. exaggeration

b. metaphor

c. simile

d. personification

6) The phrase, “This piece of paper was the key to freedom,” is an example of which of these?

a. a “slang” term

b. metaphor

c. simile

d. personification