Test: Common Core: 5th Grade English Language Arts

1.

Mother to Son By Langston Hughes (1922)

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

 

Which of the following describes the theme of this piece of poetry?

Coming from somewhere that is run-down will make it impossible to achieve your goals.

Life is hard, so there is no use trying to pursue something bigger than ourselves.

It is easy to achieve your goals when you have a crystal staircase.

We will face difficulties and dangers in life, but we must keep working towards our goal.

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