#4127. Catalyst Test Laurie Halse Anderson

Literature, level: Senior
Posted Fri Mar 7 09:50:27 PST 2008 by Catherine Nutter (Catherine Nutter).
Anchor Bay Schools, New Baltimore, MI USA
Concepts Taught: Email me for Word-formatted file.

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson Test

Part 1: Match the character descriptions with the appropriate names.

A. Good Kate E. Kate's mom I. Ms. Cummings
B. Bad Kate F. Sara J. Mikey
C. Toby G. Mitch K. Mrs. Litch
D. Teri H. Travis L. Jack Malone

___1. younger brother with health problems that causes his sister much worry
___2. Harvard-bound, humanities-loving person who is the opposite of the protagonist
___3. a shell of a woman whose previous bat-to-the-head injury makes her an inadequate mother
___4. a "ghost" from whom the protagonist seems to be "running"
___5. a Wiccan-Jewish poet with perfect parents
___6. chemistry teacher / part-time social worker
___7. outcast who mysteriously "gained 100 pounds" during her freshman year of high school
___8. the protagonist's idea of the perfect daughter
___9. a happy, rambunctious two-year-old
___10. the protagonist feels the distance between herself and this person is an icy abyss; she is unable to connect with this person because he is his job
___11. the part of the protagonist that rebels against her ideas of perfection
___12. a good soul in a tattoo-covered body

Part 2: Choose the best answer.

___13. Why can't the protagonist sleep at the beginning of the novel?
A. She has breathing problems that keep her awake.
B. She is nervous about getting into college.
C. She has too much housework to catch up on.
D. She enjoys running at night too much to sleep during that time.

___14. How does the alien in the movie parallel Kate?
A. The alien ends up beating the odds, just like Kate thinks she will.
B. Kate feels like she's an alien in all her honors classes.
C. Both the alien and Kate are being transformed into something they are not because of other people's wants and needs.
D. Kate and the alien both have more scientific knowledge than those around them.

___15. When Kate sees Teri being teased in the cafeteria, what does she do?
A. She does nothing even though she knows she ought to help.
B. She tells her ex-boyfriend to get his friends to bug off.
C. She rallies her friends to go to Teri's rescue.
D. She does nothing and does not think twice about it.

___16. What is the purpose of the title "The Crucible" in chapter 2?
A. It is Kate's nickname for her unpleasant English class.
B. It is Kate's nickname for one of her teachers whose name is Mr. Miller.
C. The author alludes to at least one literary work in each chapter's section.
D. It refers to the fact that Kate feels as though she is the object of a "witch hunt."

___17. What surprising fact does Kate discover at the end of the first section (Solid)?
A. Teri has a watch just like the one her mother left her.
B. Her father is closer to the Litch family than she previously thought.
C. Ms. Cummings spends two nights a week visiting the Litches.
D. Teri is a gentle, caring girl.

___18. Why is Kate so devastated when she learns MIT has rejected her?
A. She can't believe her mother's donation to the school was so overlooked when considering her admission.
B. Her father expresses his deep disappointment in her failure.
C. Now she won't be able to attend the same school as Mitch.
D. She has no other options since she neglected to apply elsewhere.

___19. What characteristic of math and science does Kate find comforting?
A. The necessary use of excessive brain power to understand them.
B. The fact that she has these classes right before and after lunch.
C. The fact that the teachers of these subjects have highly developed senses of humor.
D. The orderly and exacting nature of them.

___20. What event causes Teri and Mikey to come and stay with Kate and her family?
A. The Litches' barn burns down, causing damage to their house.
B. Mrs. Litch is hospitalized for dementia.
C. Kate's dad decides his home is a better environment for Mikey.
D. Kate's dad suggests Teri stay with them until things with her school fight blow over.

___21. At certain instances, Kate almost seems to see Teri's moving in as a blessing. What purpose does it serve for her at first?
A. It gives her someone to whom she can compare herself so that she feels better about herself.
B. It allows her to avoid her friends and boyfriend, whom she has wanted to break away from for over a year.
C. It gives her an opportunity to show her father how Christian "Good Kate" can be.
D. It gives her an excuse not to talk to anyone about her college dilemma.

___22. How does the title of chapter 5 ("Alchemy") relate to Kate's desperate prayers to every god she knows for admission into MIT?
A. She believes she will get into MIT if she just believes strongly enough.
B. She believes her not getting into MIT was mistake just like early scientists were mistaken about the possibility of making gold.
C. It indicates that when she is finally admitted to MIT it will be worth more than gold.
D. It indicates that her chances of getting into MIT are as good as a scientist's chances of turning metal into gold, no matter how much or to whom she prays.

___23. When Teri starts taking charge of the construction of her house, what is revealed about her?
A. That she has always dreamed of being a builder and owning her own business.
B. That she is finally taking charge of her own life (and Mikey's); she will construct the life that she wants and no longer be victimized.
C. That she has always admired Kate's ability to build things.
D. That she set the fire to the barn herself and had always planned to trick the church into financing her new home.

___24. Which character seems to have the greatest effect on others and helps form the bonds among them?
A. Rev. Malone
B. Kate
C. Mikey
D. Mitch

___25. As Kate continues to get more involved with the Litches, how do her priorities change?
A. She realizes that she would be happier going to a State college instead of MIT.
B. She realizes that one day she wants to be a mother and have a family of her own to care for.
C. She realizes how much she truly loves Mitch and how much she will miss him when he's gone.
D. She realizes that, although she still wants to go to MIT, helping Teri and Mikey has become the main priority in her life.

___26. What is the significance of the out-of-numerical-order chapter number for the last chapter of section 2 ("0.0.0")?
A. Kates feels like a complete loser and it represents how she thinks she is a big zero.
B. It is the chapter where Mikey dies, and it represents how empty everyone feels from the loss of him.
C. It indicates that the three friends to Kate was closest no longer mean anything to her.
D. It shows that, in general, Kate's life no longer follows any orderly or logical path.

___27. What does Kate learn about Teri when Mikey dies?
A. Teri is a tremendously caring big sister, making up for all the shortcomings of her and Mikey's mother.
B. Teri has come to care for Kate as a sister.
C. Teri is actually Mikey's mother and her fater is also his father.
D. Teri had been planning on attending college, but her scholarship depended on having Mikey as a dependent.

___28. In what way does Mikey's death change Mitch?
A. He decides that studying history would be a waste of time and wants to do something more usefully with his life.
B. He loses his faith in the world and is utterly depressed.
C. He shuts down and decides he no longer wants to put himself at risk of getting hurt by others, including Kate.
D. He decides Harvard is a waste of money and wants to stay home with Kate.

___29. Why does Kate run so much throughout the story? What does it symbolize?
A. fear
B. confidence
C. control
D. happiness

___30. What does Kate dropping the glass of water at the diner signify?
A. It signifies that she is ready to deal with her past issues.
B. It signifies that she has nothing left to hold her together.
C. It signifies that she and Mitch are breaking up.
D. It signifies that her bonds with Teri are broken.