"Surprise"

Passage from "Metamorphosis"

One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin.

He lay on his armor-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.

"What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls...

Gregor then turned to look out the window at the dull weather. Drops of rain could be heard hitting the pane, which made him feel quite sad.

"How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense", he thought. But that was something he was unable to do because he was used to sleeping on his right, and in his present state couldn't get into that position. However hard he threw himself onto his right, he always rolled back to where he was. He must have tried it a hundred times, shut his eyes so that he wouldn't have to look at the floundering legs, and only stopped when he began to feel a mild, dull pain there that he had never felt before.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1) In the first sentence of the above passage, the narrator finds that he has "transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin." Based on the description that follows, what is the meaning of the word "vermin"?

a. a snake

b. a bug

c. a beggar

d. a clown

2) In the above passage, Gregor Samsa experiences a wide range of emotions. Which of the following is NOT one of his emotions?

a. confused

b. anxious

c. joyful

d. distressed

3) The above passage is written from a "3^rd person omniscient" point of view. Which of the following explains why this is the case?

a. the narrator knows the actions and thoughts of the characters

b. the narrator is the main character of the story

c. the narrator knows only what can be seen by an observer

d. the narrator is a part of the story, but not the main character

4) In the above passage, Gregor Samsa is having what difficulty in his new "transformed" state?

a. moving his legs

b. rolling off of his back

c. hearing himself think

d. remembering where he is

5) In the above passage, what is the most likely reason why the author refers to Gregor Samsa's room as a "proper human room"?

a. because Gregor's room was not built by "humans"

b. because only Gregor would call it a "proper human room"

c. because it might not be "proper" in Gregor's new condition

d. because Gregor's "room" is the cause of all of his problems

6) The passage above includes the opening lines of a story. Which of the following best explains the author's method to introduce the conflict of the story?

a. subtle

b. sudden

c. prolonged

d. delicate

Answer Key

1) In the first sentence of the above passage, the narrator finds that he has "transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin." Based on the description that follows, what is the meaning of the word "vermin"?

a. a snake

b. a bug

c. a beggar

d. a clown

2) In the above passage, Gregor Samsa experiences a wide range of emotions. Which of the following is NOT one of his emotions?

a. confused

b. anxious

c. joyful

d. distressed

3) The above passage is written from a "3^rd person omniscient" point of view. Which of the following explains why this is the case?

a. the narrator knows the actions and thoughts of the characters

b. the narrator is the main character of the story

c. the narrator knows only what can be seen by an observer

d. the narrator is a part of the story, but not the main character

4) In the above passage, Gregor Samsa is having what difficulty in his new "transformed" state?

a. moving his legs

b. rolling off of his back

c. hearing himself think

d. remembering where he is

5) In the above passage, what is the most likely reason why the author refers to Gregor Samsa's room as a "proper human room"?

a. because Gregor's room was not built by "humans"

b. because only Gregor would call it a "proper human room"

c. because it might not be "proper" in Gregor's new condition

d. because Gregor's "room" is the cause of all of his problems

1) The passage above includes the opening lines of a story. Which of the following best explains the author's method to introduce the conflict of the story?

a. subtle

b. sudden

c. prolonged

d. delicate