La Linea

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. On his 15th birthday, Miguel reflects that, “Abuelita always left something for me to open, and I always knew what would be inside. Calcetines, una camiseta, chones. Something useful. Something my grandma could afford. Something I needed. Something I didn’t want.” Which of the following literary terms does Miguel use in this quote from Chapter 1?

A) Metaphor

B) Simile

C) Anaphora

D) Onomatopoeia

2. Which of the following sentences best describes the importance of the waterfall for Miguel and his friends?

A) It is the place they go to meet their girlfriends.

B) It is a secret hideaway where they can try new things.

C) It is the only location where they can laugh with each other.

D) It is the last area where Miguel saw his parents.

3. Which of the following words best describes life in San Jacinto?

A) Lively

B) Unpredictable

C) Promiscuous

D) Stagnant

4. As Miguel discovers more about his past and the challenges ahead of him, what does Abuelita warn him not to do?

A) Forgive people too quickly

B) Judge others too harshly

C) Trust strangers too easily

D) Love women too indiscriminately

5. What does the distribution of food on the bus in Chapter 15 show about the migrants?

A) They bond as a community.

B) They foster a sense of jealousy.

C) They have no choice but to compete with one another.

D) They regret their decision to leave their ancestral homes.

6. Which of the following phrases best describes why Miguel is frustrated with Elena?

A) Because he is jealous of her bond with Abuelita

B) Because he is annoyed that she doesn’t care about him leaving

C) Because he believes she ruined his plan for going north

D) Because he dislikes her relationship with Juanito

7. Which of the following phrases is the best example of why Miguel admires Elena’s “sneakiness?”

A) Her will to learn English

B) Her desire to cross the border

C) Her quick thinking to hide half of the money

D) Her efforts to wear a disguise

8. After the gang attacks the train car, how do Elena and Miguel feel about Javi?

A) Contemptuous

B) Fearful

C) Wary

D) Assured

9. According to Moisés, what is the most important item in their travel packs and why?

A) Raisins, to stave off hunger

B) Flashlights, to signal for help

C) Boots, to continue their journey

D) Water, to avoid dehydration

 10. Which of the following literary devices is in use in Chapter 27 as the four migrants set up their lavish “hotel room” in the middle of a rocky desert?

A) Allusion

B) Humor

C) Paradox

D) Personification

11. Which of the following phrases best describes how Miguel feels toward his companions in Chapter 29?

A) Determined not to let them give up

B) Concerned that they will betray him

C) Angry with their nonchalance

D) Ambivalent to their well-being

12. The final scene of the novel evokes which emotion?

A) Fear

B) Betrayal

C) Despair

D) Hope

13. Which of the following statements is true about the Epilogue?

A) It has a different narrator from the rest of the novel.

B) It focuses on the effects of migration from San Jacinto.

C) It occurs 10 years in the future.

D) It is a flashback to Javi’s childhood in El Salvador.

14. Based on the text, which of the following is true about la línea?

A) Everybody changes when they cross it.

B) The other side is always better.

C) Sometimes people do not know they have crossed a border until after.

D) Happiness only comes after one crosses the border.

15. Which of the following words best describes how Miguel feels about his baby twin sisters?

A) Ashamed

B) Discouraged

C) Apathetic

D) Jealous

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Describe the narration style of the novel. Who is the narrator, and how does this shape the way the story is told?

2. What are some of the possible “bad omens” that Miguel notes throughout the novel?