These A Raisin in the Sun comprehension questions are available in two formats. You can use one A Raisin in the Sun quiz for each act or use the A Raisin in the Sun Test (recall and comprehension) for the entire play. A unit test for A Raisin in the Sun which addresses literary knowledge and analysis is also available.
Jump to: A Raisin in the Sun Quiz for Act I
Jump to: A Raisin in the Sun Test (comprehension questions for the entire play)
A Raisin in the Sun Quiz (Act I):
Note: You can copy individual questions from the list below.
RESOURCE OPTIONS:
1) A Raisin in the Sun Quizzes by Act
10 multiple choice questions for each act. Easy to administer and quick to score. Your lessons can be engaging and productive when students read with fidelity.
2) A Raisin in the Sun Reading Test (entire play)
Check comprehension with multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and an essay prompt. Customize or print as-is.
3) A Raisin in the Sun Comprehension Bundle
Includes the multiple choice quizzes, the reading test, and discussion sets for each act.
A Raisin in the Sun Quiz questions for Act I:
A RAISIN IN THE SUN Act I, Scene 1
1) The Youngers’ apartment is best described as…
A. Luxurious but messy.
B. Shabby but clean and orderly.
C. Luxurious and spotless.
D. Shabby and filthy.
2) The relationship between Ruth and Walter is best described as…
A. Tense.
B. Loving.
C. Violent.
D. Indifferent (they ignore each other).
3) Ruth and Travis argue because Travis…
A. Skipped school.
B. Wants his own room.
C. Wants some money.
D. Keeps breaking things.
4) What does Walter want to do with the life insurance money?
A. Start a business
B. Buy a new car
C. Move to another city
D. Trick question! He offers no opinion.
5) What does Beneatha want to do with her future?
A. Marry a rich man
B. Become a flight attendant
C. Become an author
D. Become a doctor
6) Why does the family have a hectic (rushed and confused) routine in the morning?
A. The bus is unpredictable.
B. They must contend (fight) for use of the bathroom.
C. They never know when Walter will be called to work.
D. Mama needs constant attention and assistance.
7) What does Mama do when Beneatha disrespects her beliefs?
A. She ignores her.
B. She takes away her allowance.
C. She faints (passes out).
D. She slaps her.
8) Beneatha is not serious about dating George Murchison because…
A. He does not share her values.
B. He is too old.
C. He is too poor.
D. They do not have “the spark.”
9) Beneatha practices the religion of…
A. Buddhism.
B. Christianity.
C. Islam.
D. Trick question! She is not religious.
10) If mama had the means (opportunity and time), her hobby would be…
A. Singing in the choir.
B. Gardening.
C. Traveling.
D. Fine arts (painting, sculpting, etc.)
A RAISIN IN THE SUN Act I, Scene 2
11) What is the Younger family doing at the beginning of Act I, Scene 2?
A. Playing card games
B. Preparing a big meal
C. Learning a new dance
D. Cleaning the apartment
12) Ruth’s big news to the family is that…
A. She lost her job.
B. She is pregnant.
C. She got a better job.
D. She filed for divorce.
13) What gifts does Joseph Asagai bring for Beneatha?
A. Records (music) and clothes
B. A telephone and soft gloves
C. Flowers and chocolates
D. A camera and film
14) ) Beneatha and Joseph Asagai mostly talk about…
A. Politics.
B. A class assignment.
C. Money and poverty.
D. Their relationship.
15) How does Mama react to the arrival of the insurance check?
A. She is joyful.
B. She is sad.
C. She is angry.
D. Trick question! The check does not arrive.
A Raisin in the Sun Comprehension Test (PDF preview):
A Raisin in the Sun Reading Test (PDF)
A Raisin in the Sun Test questions to copy-and paste:
1) This play is set in _______________in the _______________.
A. Atlanta (in the) 1890s
B. New York (in the) 1910s
C. Los Angeles (in the) 1930s
D. Chicago (in the) 1950s
2) The Youngers’ apartment is best described as…
A. Luxurious but messy.
B. Shabby but clean.
C. Luxurious and spotless.
D. Shabby and filthy.
3) What is Beneatha Younger’s main hobby?
A. Singing in the chorus
B. Writing plays
C. Photography
D. Trick question! She likes to jump from one hobby to another.
4) What does Walter Younger want to do with the life insurance money?
A. Start a business
B. Buy a new car
C. Move to another city
D. Gift it to a charity.
5) What does Beneatha plan to do with her future at the start of the play?
A. Marry a rich man
B. Get a job as a flight attendant
C. Publish books and articles (writer)
D. Practice medicine (doctor)
6) Beneatha is not serious about dating George Murchison because…
A. He does not share her values.
B. He is too old.
C. He is too poor.
D. They do not have “the special spark.”
7) If mama had the means (opportunity and time), her hobby would be…
A. Singing in the choir.
B. Gardening.
C. Traveling.
D. Fine arts (painting, sculpting, etc.)
8) What do both Ruth and Mama do for employment?
A. Assembly (factory work)
B. Serving (in a restaurant)
C. Domestic work (housekeeping and cooking)
D. Trick question! They cannot find work.
9) What does Walter think of his job?
A. It is difficult, but it pays well.
B. It is leading him nowhere.
C. It is fun and exciting, but it pays too little.
D. It will lead to something better over time if he can be patient.
10) How does Walter react to Beneatha’s performance of African culture?
A. He demands that she stop.
B. He laughs at it and makes fun of her.
C. He joins in.
D. He gets angry and leaves.
11) Mama implies that Big Walter (her husband) died from…
A. Guilt over his past.
B. Living an “unclean” life.
C. Working too hard.
D. Keeping his anger inside.
12) What news about Ruth shocks Walter?
A. She plans to have an abortion.
B. She plans to divorce him.
C. She has been having an extramarital affair (cheating on him).
D. She was married once before.
SHORT ANSWER TEST QUESTIONS:
35) Character values: Choose ONE of the main characters (Walter Lee, Mama, Beneatha, or Ruth) and describe his/her personality and values. Include details from the play in your description. (In other words, how does the author show what the character values?)
36) African heritage: One element of A Raisin in the Sun is an exploration of the importance of
heritage to African Americans. How does Hansberry use the characters to explore this topic? (Hint:
Opposing points of view are demonstrated.)
Why use A Raisin in the Sun quizzes?
Getting students to read outside the classroom is essential.
I have tried many different methods over the years, from lit. circle role sheets to online forums to guided reading questions. In my experience, all of these methods result in a lot of faking. Many students will Google the questions, copy from classmates, and generally go to great lengths to avoid reading.
Getting the students to read regularly and independently is essential to achievement. No amount of foldables, graphic organizers, drills, or activities will ever impact Language Arts development as much as reading regularly.
CASE STUDY: Jose the Reading Machine
I am reminded of a student who perennially failed Language Arts. Jose quietly failed to complete any assignments. But Jose, an avid reader, hacked my grading system by earning more Accelerated Reader points than anyone thought possible. As a result, his grade average was well over 100% (despite turning in no assignments). Jose’s peers celebrated the success of his scheme, and I had to reconsider my grading policy. How could I be upset when Jose scored the highest in the school on the state test?
You need to know if students are reading with fidelity.
Since these quizzes are simple and fast to process, I can identify who did the reading very easily. Since the questions are in chronological order (roughly), I can often tell who started the reading but did not finish. This data enables me to determine who is prepared to engage in the lesson and who is not.
The results also enable me to engage parents in an objective fashion. If the student is failing the reading quizzes, what is going on? Do they need more support? Do they need guidance in their homework habits? The objective scores signify that no one is being “singled out.”
A Raisin in the Sun quizzes reduce your paper load.
On a practical note, grading stacks of homework handouts is not an effective use of time. It is more important that I be planning engaging lessons and assessing more meaningful assignments.
When a teacher does not grade every homework packet thoroughly, the students catch on very quickly. This inevitably leads to students turning in poor quality work to be “checked for completion.”
Maximize instructional time.
A Raisin in the Sun reading quizzes do not waste much class time. I say waste because the ten minutes used for the quiz is a waste. No one learns anything during the quiz. If I believed that everyone would read the assignment without them, I would happily eliminate them.
What is even more wasteful, however, is spending an entire lesson trying to analyze a reading when the majority of the students did not read. I would rather waste the ten minutes for the sake of a successful lesson.
You cannot skip comprehension and engage in analysis.
My reading quizzes are purely comprehension questions. They do not ask about symbolism, figurative language, point of view, or structure. I am not assessing their Language Arts knowledge from previous years (or even the current year). If a student can miss a question because they do not remember what hyperbole is, it is not a reading quiz.
The reading quizzes are a means to an end. Once I am confident the students read the material we can start mastering the Language Arts content.
Set students up for success.
The reading quizzes should be easy to pass. Students should know that if they actually read, they will succeed. To make the quizzes even more “winnable,” I usually grade them out of nine (or even eight) rather than ten. If a student did the reading, I want them to be rewarded with a high score.
A Raisin in the Sun quizzes ensure engagement.
My students are rarely at a loss for opinions or insights. They love to give their points of view. When the majority of the class has actually read, it is amazing how engaged they can become over even the most banal questions. Even when their are no participation points in play, they are intrinsically motivated to express their ideas.
RELATED POST: A Raisin in the Sun Discussion and Analysis Sets
RELATED POST: A Raisin in the Sun Unit Plan
Thanks for checking out A Raisin in the Sun Quizzes and Test!
Making effective A Raisin in the Sun comprehension questions is not difficult, and it can make a huge impact on student achievement and engagement. The details of your reading schedule is unimportant. What is important is that students read regularly. I hope that my A Raisin in the Sun quizzes enable you to maximize student achievement.
M. Towle is a veteran Language Arts and Social Studies teacher with fourteen years of classroom experience in urban schools in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. M. Towle holds an M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and is the founder of TeachNovels.com.