Students studying autobiographies may choose to read Beverly Cleary’s A Girl from Yamhill. The following is a short answer quiz over the content of the autobiography. This is a quiz for Part 1 of the novel.
1. “I’ll be glad when this war is over and we can have some decent bread” is a quote from page 4. What war is her father referring to in the story?
ANS. WWI
2. Who are Lloyd, Mabel and Beverly Cleary?
ANS. Lloyd is the father, Mabel is the mother and Beverly Cleary is the narrator.
3. What farm accident almost causes her father to faint because he is in so much pain?
ANS. A sudden jerk of the reins has dislocated his shoulder
4. What does mother mean when she says, “Remember your pioneer ancestors”?
ANS. Her ancestors had come West and they were tough.
5. What was important about either the Bunn or the Hawn side of the family?
ANS. The Hawns crossed the Great Plains and opened the first Mill. The Bunns had the first nice house in Yamhill.
6. Describe Beverly’s mother. Describe her personality.
ANS. She was very controlling and was not very affectionate.
7. What did her mother do before she married?
ANS. A teacher
8. What did her parents do in Yamhill?
ANS. Farmers
9. Why didn’t Beverly understand her mother’s logic about being cruel when she “tripped” the chickens?
ANS. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t tip them because they killed and ate them later.
10. What did Beverly and her mother do when they saw hawks?
ANS. Run and get the baby chicks
11. What did Beverly do when her father explained that the world was like an orange?
ANS. She started walking because she thought she could walk all around the world just like her dad explained about the lines on the orange.
12. Name two rules that mother told to Beverly.
ANS. No swearing, no swinging on gates, no picking other people’s flowers, no looking under saloon doors, little girls should be seen and not heard, etc.
13. What did Beverly do as a result of her mother telling her to “never be afraid”?
ANS. She climbed up on the roof of the house, and she stood up on the Ferris Wheel.
14. What “hair raising” thing did Beverly do at a friend’s house?
ANS. Beverly stuck her finger in an electrical socket.
15. How did Beverly describe her grandparents?
ANS. Very loving and attentive
16. What special place or thing did Beverly’s mother help bring to town?
ANS. A library
17. What special thing did grandpa take Beverly to in another town?
ANS. Dog and pony show
18. Why did the “cookhouse” not come to their farm in the last section?
ANS. They were struggling financially.
