With the Fire on High

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which statement best describes what Emoni learned from Chef Ayden?

A) Cooking is both a science and an art.

B) Cooking requires hard work and connections.

C) Cooking is about independence and audacity.

D) Cooking connects cultures.

2. ‘Buela tells Emoni that “a memory of Puerto Rico she hadn’t thought about in years reached out like an island hammock and cradled her close” (Chapter 4, “Magic”). This quote features which types of figurative language?

A) Simile and punning

B) Simile and personification

C) Paradox and personification

D) Metaphor and onomatopoeia

3. Which statement best describes the relationship between Emoni and Tyrone?

A) Emoni still has a crush on him, but Tyrone does not feel the same way.

B) Emoni wants to coparent with him but to otherwise maintain boundaries.

C) Emoni feels indebted to Tyrone and his family because they are wealthier.

D) Emoni wants Tyrone out of her and Emma’s life entirely.

4. Which statement best describes why Emoni named her daughter Emma?

A) Emoni couldn’t decide on a name that matched both her Puerto Rican and African American culture, so she chose a neutral name.

B) Emoni wanted her daughter to have a name similar to her own.

C) Emoni wanted her daughter to have a name that would prevent people from forming preconceived notions about her based on her name.

D) Emoni wanted to name her daughter after her favorite chef.

5. Which of the following best shows Emoni’s use of colloquial language from multiple cultures?

A) Emoni calls her daughter “Babygirl” and her best friend “Gelly.”

B) Emoni refers to the old men as “viejos” and children as “niñas.” 

C) Emoni refers to Leslie as “Pretty Leslie” and her neighborhood as the “hood.”

D) Emoni calls her grandmother ‘Buela and the Burger Joint the Burger “Jawn.” 

6. “The smile he put on my face is still clinging onto my lips when I walk through the house door” (“Phone Calls”) is an example of what type of figurative language?

A) Simile

B) Hyperbole

C) Personification

D) Onomatopoeia

7. Which of the following statements best describes an idea about adulthood and becoming an adult that is shown in the novel?

A) Drinking and sex do not make a person mature but rather require that a person be mature.

B) Drinking and sex are rites of passage into adulthood.

C) Achievements like having a child or preparing Angelica’s anniversary dinner mean a person has reached adulthood.

D) Experience with balancing cultures and families makes a person mature.

8. Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates the prejudice that Emoni faces?

A) Emoni being robbed in Sevilla

B) Julio choosing to live in Puerto Rico

C) Leslie asking Emoni about her daughter in front of Malachi

D) The woman on the bus reacting negatively when she learns Emma is Emoni’s daughter

9. How does Emoni approach the culinary arts class after she visits Café Sorrel?

A) With an open mind and a desire to learn

B) With anger and bitterness towards Chef Ayden

C) With the drive to prove her recipes are better

D) With humility and embarrassment

10. Which of the following statements best describes how Emoni changes after her return from Spain?

A) She feels ready to have more free time while Emma is at Tyrone’s.

B) She feels ready to stay home and care for Emma.

C) She feels ready to commit to a relationship with Malachi.

D) She feels more in control of her future.

11. Which behaviors and episodes best highlight the contrast between Emoni’s former relationship with Tyrone and her budding relationship with Malachi?

A) Tyrone is the father of her child but could not continue the relationship with Emoni. Malachi is not Emma’s father but seeks a relationship with Emoni and Emma.

B) Tyrone gets angry because Emoni was with Malachi. Malachi is supportive of her.

C) Tyrone spends his weekends with Emma. Malachi brought Emma to Disney on Ice.

D) Tyrone pressured Emoni to have sex, then abandoned her. Malachi brings her family to Disney on Ice and bandages her cut hand.

12. Which of Emoni’s actions best demonstrates a turning point in Emoni’s maturation as she attempts to figure out her future?

A) Emoni supports ‘Buela’s relationship with Mr. Jagoda.

B) Emoni returns to Chef Ayden’s class and takes responsibility for fundraising.

C) Emoni takes care of Leslie when she drinks too much.

D) Emoni goes to Spain.

13. Which of the following best states what the motif “smell and scent” signifies?

A) Hunger and passion

B) Challenge and adversity

C) Familiarity and memory

D) Love and tenderness

14. Which statement best describes how ‘Buela changes in the story?

A) She will no longer have to care for Emoni and Emma.

B) She is now able to focus on her own life and happiness.

C) She is inspired by Emoni to pursue her own career.

D) She will no longer receive disability checks and needs to find income.

15. What does it reveal about Emoni when she says, “I’d rather save money for my daughter’s college tuition instead of my own.” (Chapter 36, “School”)

A) She is willing to sacrifice for the benefit of her daughter.

B) She does not care about her own future.

C) She does not want to go to college.

D) She would rather get a job right after high school graduation.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Describe how Emoni’s relationship with her father develops over the course of the story.

2. What does Emoni mean when she says that she was a “walking PSA” while she was pregnant?