A. Comprehension. Answer the following questions by encircling the letter of your answer.

1. Who do you think the poet is addressing?

a. friends b. neighbors c. relatives d. everyone

2. The poem begins by describing conditions and ends by describing consequences.

In which line does it shift from describing conditions to describing consequences?

a. line 8 b, line 14 c. line 26 d. line 31

3. What might the word ‘knaves’ mean in stanza 2, line 14?

a. dishonest person b. enemies c. misfortune d. strength

4. What does the speaker say is necessary to be self-confident?

a. Accept some failures and losses c. Patience and time

b. Face uncertainty and disagreement d. Bravery and some recklessness

5. If people hate you, what does the author think you should do?

a. Hate them too. c. Not hate them back.

b. Pretend you don’t hear them. d. Ignore them.

6. We should have a strong determination in order to ___.

a. Steer the darkness to light. c. Steer the light to darkness.

b. Think of some great idea. d. Make a correct decision.

7. The world is ours only when ___.

a. We can improve politically. c. We can progress properly.

b. Enrich with positive qualities d. Enrich us with money.

8. To succeed in life, as advised by Kipling, we should cultivate the qualities of ___.

a. spirit b. religion c. morality d. intellect

9. The phrase “don't look too good, nor talk too wise” is about the virtue of ___.

a. Honesty b. Mediocrity c. Humility d. Vanity

10. Read the first stanza of the poem. Based on lines 5 and 6, what can you conclude about the speaker’s values?

a. The speaker values curiosity and creativity.

b. The speaker values patience and honesty.

c. The speaker values good looks and political debates.

d. The speaker values the opinions of other people.

11. The lines, “If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too” suggest
that it’s important to ___.

a. Believe in yourself, but recognize that no one is perfect.

b. Trust yourself to spend your allowance wisely.

c. Trust yourself, but doubt others.

d. Spend time with children because they will doubt you less.

12. What does the line “If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same”
suggest?

a. Triumph and disaster are how you interpret the situation.

b. Treat every win like it’s loss.

c. Stay emotionless.

d. Winning isn’t that great.

13. The line “If you can dream--and not make dreams your master” suggest that you should ____.

a. Spend your life trying to make your dreams come true.

b. Get lots of sleep so you will have a good dream.

c. Enslave your dreams.

d. Dream, but don’t let dreams distract you from what’s important.

14. Which statement best states the point of view of the speaker in lines 17 to 20?

a. It is okay to take risks as long as you keep winning and don’t boast too much

about it.

b. It is foolish to take risks under any circumstances unless you make sure you

can’t lose.

c. If you take a risk and win, you must keep it secret from others.

d. It is okay to risk everything if you have the courage to start over and don’t

complain about what you have lost.

15. What is the speaker referring to in lines 21-24?

a. A person’s wealth c. A person’s home

b. A person’s health and body d. A person’s family

16. Which of the following states the point of view the speaker expresses in lines 25 and 26?

a. Do not spend time with people who are rich and powerful.

b. It is important to be able to relate to people from all levels of society.

c. Kings are to be hated and avoided whenever possible.

d. It is important to befriend kings and other important people.

17. Read the last stanza of the poem. What is the speaker probably urging the reader to do in lines 29 and 30?

a. The speaker is probably urging the addressee to pay more attention to kings
than to common people.

b. The speaker is probably urging the reader to exercise more often.

c. The speaker is probably urging the reader to make the most of his time.

d. The speaker is probably urging the reader to relax and enjoy the moment.

18. Which of the following best sums up what makes someone a “Man”, or mature person, according to the speaker?

a. Being able to talk to many different kinds of people.

b. Being willing to take big risks.

c. Being able to make a lot of money and having many friends.

d. Acting in moderation and being in control of oneself.

19. To personify means to give human-like characteristics to something that is not human. What does the poet personify
in lines 10-15?

a. “thoughts” c. “knaves” and “fools”

b. “Triumph and Disaster” d. “tools”

20. Which of the following sentences below best describes the theme of the poem?

a. Becoming a grownup takes confidence, determination, and virtue.

b. Most people handle failure better than they handle success.

c. Talking about your problems is the first step toward solving them.

d. People should spend more time in crowds and less time around royalty