PART A: Which of the following identifies the theme of the short story? A. A simple misunderstanding can easily spin out of control.
B. Lying is acceptable when it’s meant to protect someone you care about.
C. It’s important not to underestimate people, as they may surprise you.
D. Facing something scary is easier when you have the support of your family.
2. PART B: Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “‘There’s something downstairs!’ I said. He got up and followed me to the head
of the back staircase. We listened together.” (Paragraph 3)
B. “So she had heard the steps, too! We just looked at her. ‘Burglars!’ she shouted
intuitively.” (Paragraph 4)
C. “‘Just what the h— is the real lowdown here, Bud?’ he asked. I decided to be
frank with him. ‘We had ghosts,’ I said.” (Paragraph 12)
D. “We thought at first he had forgotten all about what had happened, but he
hadn’t.” (Paragraph 14)
3. How do the boys respond to the potential ghost in the house?
A. They tell their mother so she doesn’t call the police.
B. They keep it from their mother so as not to worry her.
C. They try to find out what the ghost wants.
D. They ignore the ghost, hoping that it will go away on its own.
4. Reread the following passage: “He gazed at me a long time as if I were a slot machine into
which he had, without results, dropped a nickel” (Paragraph 12). What does the simile
reveal about the exchange between the two characters?