The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Name:___________________________________________________________ Date: ______________

SHORT ANSWER STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

Chapters 17-22

1. How did Becky react to Tom's "death"?

2. What was one "poor chap's" claim to fame?

3. Where did the boys hide during the funeral sermon?

4. What did Aunt Polly do to Tom and Huck upon their return?

5. What was Tom's "dream"?

6. What did Tom do to anger Becky? Why?

7. What did Alfred do to Tom's spelling book?

8. Why was Aunt Polly angry with Tom?

9. How did Aunt Polly know Tom was telling the truth about the bark?

10. What made Becky tear the teacher's book?

11. What noble thing did Tom do?

12. How did the boys steal Mr. Dobbins' wig? Why?

Vocabulary - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Chapters 17 - 22

Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues

Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence.

Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you

think the underlined words mean on the lines provided.

33. In the afternoon Becky Thatcher found herself moping about the deserted schoolhouse yard, and

feeling very melancholy.

34. Aunt Polly, Mary, and the Harpers threw themselves upon their restored ones, smothered them

with kisses and poured out thanksgivings, while poor Huck stood abashed and uncomfortable, not

knowing what to do or where to hide from so many unwelcoming eyes.

35. He did not hear what Amy was saying, and whenever she paused expectantly he could only

stammer an awkward assent, which was as often misplaced as otherwise.

36. His smartness of the morning had seemed to Tom a good joke before, and very ingenious.

37. As the great day approached, all the tyranny that was in him came to the surface; he seemed to

take a vindictive pleasure in punishing the least shortcomings.

38. Homely truth is unpalatable.

39. He promised to abstain from smoking, chewing, and profanity as long as he remained a member.

Part II: Determining the Meaning: Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions.

___ 33. melancholy                              A. ruler's unjust use of power

___ 34. abashed                                   B. stop doing something by one's own choice

___ 35. assent                                      C. clever; inventive

___ 36. ingenious                                 D. agreement

___ 37. tyranny                                    E. depressed; sad; gloomy

___ 38. unpalatable                              F. ashamed; uneasy; disconcerted

___ 39. abstain                                     G. unacceptable to the mind or senses