“Dirk the Protector” – Reading Check



Name_____________________________________________ Date __________________ 7 - ________

“Dirk the Protector” – Reading Check

______1. Which statement reveals that “Dirk the Protector is told from the first-person point of view?

A. “There weren’t many boys willing to do the work but with so few alleys, it was still very hard

to earn much money.”

B. “Because I was from ‘the wrong side of the tracks’ I didn’t think I could go to the authorities.”

C. “The bowling alley was on the second floor and had windows in the back of the pit area.”

D. “There were four of them, led by a thug – he and two of the others would ultimately land in

prison – named, absurdly, ‘Happy’ Suntan.”

______2. The author needed money for clothes, food, and school supplies. One effect of this need was

A. he asked a nice teacher for help.

B. he got a dog that could protect him.

C. he worked on farms during the summer.

D. he had jobs at the market and drugstore.

______3. Which of the following was the effect of Paulsen staying out late selling newspapers?

A. He made enough money to buy the dog Dirk.

B. He was too tired to study, so his grades in school went down.

C. He was on the street with the gangs, who attacked him.

D. He looked all over for odd jobs, but the good ones were all taken.

______4. Which of the following was the cause of Dirk rescuing the author?

A. The author shared his burger with Dirk.

B. Dirk had been abused by the gang.

C. The author took Dirk to a farm.

D. The author felt sorry for Dirk.

______5. Which effect did Dirk have on “Happy” and the gang?

A. The gang throws Happy out.

B. They were arrested for cruelty to animals.

C. Happy got a meaner, bigger dog.

D. The gang never bothered the author again.

______6. Which cause has more than one effect in this memoir?

A. Paulsen hunted and fished in the woods.

B. Paulsen was able to buy the clothes he needed.

C. Dirk was a mixed breed dog.

D. Paulsen’s parents were alcoholics.

______7. What causes Paulsen to leave Dirk on the farm?

A. He knew he did not need the dog anymore.

B. He knew Dirk was happy on the farm.

C. He did not have the money to feed Dirk.

D. He and Dirk were not getting along well.

______8. About how old was the author when this memoir took place?

A. middle or high school age C. an old man

B. college age D. an adult man

______9. Based on the events in this memoir, readers can conclude that Paulsen is ________.

A. very fond of animals. C. solitary and lonely

B. able to defend himself. D. determined and street-smart

_____10. What of the following words is a synonym for conventional?

A. practical C. realistic

B. liberal D. traditional

_____11. “And so we sat that first night. I had two boxes of Ritz crackers I’d hustled somewhere, a jar of peanut butter and another one of grape jelly, and a knife from the kitchen upstairs. (Paulsen 283).

In this passage from the memoir, what does hustled mean?

A. learn to dance C. gain by energetic effort

B. share with others D. keep clean and tidy

_____12.What is a cohort?

A. a shrub C. a partner

B. a teacher D. a relative

_____13. A decoy is used to __________________.

A. relieve a major illness or injury. C. demand payment for a debt

B. lead others in a different direction. D. keep track of inventory in a store

_____14. “I could have handed over the money, taken a few hits and been done with it, but something in me snapped and I hit Happy in the face with every ounce of strength in my puny body (Paulsen 281).

In this passage from the memoir, puny means __________________.

A. unappreciated B. weak C. intense D. abused

_____15. What is a forerunner?

A. the winner of a race C. someone or something that came before

B. a member of a street gang D. someone or something that followed

“These groups [gangs] were predatory, and they hunted the streets at night” (Paulsen 280).

_____16. In this passage from the memoir, predatory means _________________________.

A. criminal

B. vicious

C. after others

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