Marilla Cuthbert Is Surprised
by Lucy Maud Montgomery from Anne of Green Gables
CHAPTER III passage: Lucy Maud Montgomery's beloved novel "Anne of Green Gables" follows orphaned Anne Shirley as she makes a new life with the aging Cuthbert siblings. In this passage, Anne meets Marilla Cuthbert for the first time. After reading the passage, students will respond to questions on the characters and the language.
Reading Comprehension Passage
Marilla Cuthbert Is Surprised
by Lucy Maud Montgomery from Anne of Green Gables
Reading Comprehension Questions
Vocabulary List
Vocabulary List
Each of the vocabulary words below are used in the reading passage. As you read the passage, pay attention to context clues that suggest the word’s meaning.
- flighty
- fashion
- superfluous
- fractious
- passionately
- shatter
- crossly
Context Clues
Context Clues
Using context clues from the sentences in the passage, underline the correct meaning of the word in boldface.
1) “Nancy is a terrible flighty thing. I’ve often had to scold her well for her heedlessness.”
a. scatterbrained b. fast moving c. flying d. talkative
2) “We should have come to you ourselves and not left an important message to be passed along by word of mouth in that fashion.”
a. outfit b. way c. speed d. greeting card
3) “She knew Mrs. Peter Blewett only by sight as a small, shrewish-faced woman without an ounce of superfluous flesh on her bones.”
a. wrinkled b. suntanned c. freckled d. extra
4) “The baby’s awful fractious, and I’m clean worn out attending to him.”
a. happy b. difficult c. whiny d. sleepy
5) “I’d rather go back to the asylum than go to live with her,” said Anne passionately.
a. with feeling b. loudly c. quietly d. sarcastically
6) “Oh, Miss Cuthbert, did you really say that perhaps you would let me stay at Green Gables?” she said, in a breathless whisper, as if speaking aloud might shatter the glorious possibility.”
a. break b. ruin c. save d. improve
7) “I think you’d better learn to control that imagination of yours, Anne, if you can’t distinguish between what is real and what isn’t,” said Marilla crossly.”
a. with arms crossed b. angrily c. happily d. religiously