Memory Keeper Practice Worksheet
Indiana Academic Standard 8.RC.1
ILEARN Practice: Textual Evidence & Inferences
Grade 8 • Reading Comprehension
Passage: Lois Lowry, The Giver
Name:
Date:
Class Period:
Directions: Read the passage carefully. Answer each question by analyzing explicit facts or drawing supported inferences. Pay special attention to two-part questions that require strong textual evidence.
Excerpt from The Giver by Lois Lowry Fiction • Literary Analysis
[1]Jonas stood frozen on the stage, the collective breath of the entire Community suspended in the auditorium around him. The Chief Elder had just bypassed his number—Nineteen—during the Ceremony of Twelve. When she finally turned back to him, her voice was not sharp with reprimand, but measured with immense gravity. "Jonas has not been assigned," she announced, the microphone carrying the solemn decree to every citizen. "Jonas has been selected. He has been selected to be our next Receiver of Memory."
[2]A murmur, hesitant at first and then swelling into a quiet wave of reverence, rippled through the rows of elders and family units. Jonas felt a sudden thumping in his chest, a strange vibration that was half pride and half cold terror. The Chief Elder enumerated the required qualities: Intelligence, Integrity, Courage, and Wisdom. "And one more," she added softly, her eyes searching his pale face. "The Capacity to See Beyond. Jonas, when you look at the audience, do you see it?"
[3]Jonas stared out past the lights. For an instant, the sea of identical gray tunics and uniform faces seemed to flicker—not changing shape, but vibrating with an elusive, inexplicable quality that vanished the moment he blinked. "Yes," he whispered into the silence. "I think I do."
[4]Later, standing outside the heavy wooden door of the Annex behind the House of the Old, Jonas gripped the folder containing his printed instructions. He felt utterly separated from Asher and Fiona, whose assignments as Assistant Director of Recreation and Caretaker of the Old seemed cheerful, familiar, and safely woven into the fabric of daily life. His own folder held only a single sheet of paper with eight numbered rules—the final one striking him like a physical blow: 8. You may lie.
[5]In a society founded on absolute precision of language and mandatory transparency, the permission to deceive dismantled every certainty he had ever possessed. He wondered if his parents, if the elders, if everyone in the Community had received the same permission upon turning twelve. He realized, with a chill that reached deep into his marrow, that he would never truly know if someone was telling him the truth again.
1. According to the text, what specific announcement does the Chief Elder make regarding Jonas? Explicit Detail
A. He has been assigned as the Assistant Director of Recreation alongside Asher.
B. He was skipped because the Elders could not determine his primary skillset.
C. He has not been assigned a standard role, but selected to be the next Receiver of Memory.
D. He is released from the Community due to his inability to follow standard precision of language.
2. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part A / Part B
Part A: How does Jonas feel when the Chief Elder announces his selection in paragraph 2?
A. Relieved and joyful that he will not have to work in manual labor.
B. Conflicted with both a sense of honor and an underlying dread.
C. Indifferent because he knew he was destined for a high leadership role.
D. Resentful toward the elders for singling him out in front of his peers.
Part B: Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "The Chief Elder had just bypassed his number—Nineteen—during the Ceremony of Twelve." (paragraph 1)
B. "A murmur, hesitant at first and then swelling into a quiet wave of reverence, rippled through the rows..." (paragraph 2)
C. "Jonas felt a sudden thumping in his chest, a strange vibration that was half pride and half cold terror." (paragraph 2)
D. "The Chief Elder enumerated the required qualities: Intelligence, Integrity, Courage, and Wisdom." (paragraph 2)
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Standard 8.RC.1 Analyzing Explicit Text & Drawing Supported Inferences
Student Name:
3. Which TWO details from paragraph 4 help the reader understand why Jonas feels isolated from his friends? Select Two
[A] Jonas is standing outside the heavy wooden door of the Annex behind the House of the Old.
[B] Asher and Fiona received cheerful, familiar roles that are safely integrated into the normal community.
[C] The Chief Elder told the audience that Jonas possesses the Capacity to See Beyond.
[D] Jonas holds a folder containing only a single sheet of paper with eight stark rules.
[E] The community auditorium erupted in a wave of reverent applause when he was selected.
4. This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part A / Part B
Part A: What inference can be made about how Rule 8 ("You may lie") alters Jonas's perception of his community in paragraph 5?
A. It convinces him that the Elders are deliberately malicious rulers who enjoy deceiving children.
B. It causes him to realize that the fundamental trust and honesty of his society may be an illusion.
C. It makes him eager to create false stories to entertain his friends during their evening sharing of feelings.
D. It proves that his parents have secretly lied about their own professional assignments.
Part B: Which TWO sentences from paragraph 5 provide the strongest evidence for the inference in Part A?
[A] "...the permission to deceive dismantled every certainty he had ever possessed."
[B] "In a society founded on absolute precision of language and mandatory transparency..."
[C] "He wondered if his parents, if the elders, if everyone in the Community had received the same permission..."
[D] "He realized, with a chill that reached deep into his marrow, that he would never truly know if someone was telling him the truth again."
5. Extended Response: Analyzing Inferences with Strong Textual Evidence Constructed Response • 4 Pts
Prompt: How does the author use the Community's reaction and Jonas's internal thoughts to show that being chosen as the Receiver of Memory is both an extraordinary honor and a terrifying burden?
Requirements: State a clear inference and cite at least TWO direct quotes from the text as strong supporting evidence.
Indiana Academic Standards • Grade 8 English Language Arts Page 2 of 2 • Assessment Complete
