SPEAK

Final Unit Test

Hello! Thank you for purchasing this end of unit test for Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I created this
novel test with flexibility in mind so that you can best use this in your classroom.

As it stands, the test has five parts.

Part 1: Character Matching
Part 2: Symbol Matching
Part 3: Multiple-Choice Questions
Part 4: Literary Analysis
Part 5: Short Answer Questions

You can use this test in it’s entirety. If you choose this option, you have two choices for the short answer
responses: all five of the questions or students choosing three of the five choices. OPTION: You can also
use the short answer test at the very end of this document as a stand-alone assessment.

If you do not choose to use this test in its entirety, you can choose to either give parts 1-3 for a 25-
question final test, or you can give parts 1-4 for a 35-question final test. With either of these options, you
can choose to give the short answer test at a different date.

There is an answer key toward the end of this document. Please note that this answer key contains
suggested answers for all of the free-response type questions.

I hope that you find this final test helpful.

zacchristinajacobaubrey
The Daring English Teacher
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 SPEAK
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Date: ___________________ Per: ____________ Score: _________________

Final Unit Test

Part 1: Character Matching
Directions: Match each character to their correct description by writing the correct letter in the space
provided.

1. ______ Melinda A. uses Melinda to advance herself in the school’s social hierarchy
2. ______ Rachel B. the person who Melinda finally confides in
3. ______ Heather C. a predator
4. ______ Ivy D. a student in art who is friendly toward Melinda
5. ______ Andy E. a former Plain Jane who is super athletic
6. ______ David F. a racist teacher who thinks Melinda is up to no good
7. ______ Nicole G. Melinda’s lab partner who helps Melinda throughout the novel
8. ______ The Marthas H. turns against her former best friend
9. ______ Mr. Freeman I. begins freshman year feeling like an outcast
10. ______ Mr. Neck J. a group at school who Heather wants to be a part of  

Part 2: Symbol Matching

Directions: Match each symbol to its correct description by writing the correct letter in the space provided.

A. This symbolizes Melinda’s outward appearance to others.

11. ______ Trees and Seeds
12. ______ Lips B. This symbol connects to Melinda’s inability to deal with the real-world
problems she is facing.
13. ______ Mirrors
14. ______ Closet C. This symbol connects to the story’s theme of growth and
acceptance after a traumatic event.
15. ______ Water and Ice
16. ______ Rabbits D. This symbol connects to Melinda’s perception of herself. She does
not want to see herself, and she sees herself in a bad light, so she
cannot stand to look at herself.

E. This symbol connects to how Melinda views herself. Melinda sees

herself as prey, and Andy is the predator.

F. This symbol connects to the story’s theme of speaking up for oneself,

communication, and self-advocacy because Melinda is unable to
speak.

Part 3: Multiple Choice

Directions: Select the best answer for each question.
17. At the start of 9th grade, why don’t Melinda’s friends like her?
A. They are mad at her because Andy likes her
B. They are mad at her for calling the cops and ruining the party
C. They are mad because they think she lied to them
D. The are mad at her for not going to the Freshman welcome dance

© 2021 - The Daring English Teacher, Inc. – Not to be reproduced or published online.
 SPEAK
Final Unit Test
18. Who is Melinda’s only friend at the start of 9th grade?
A. Rachel
B. Ivy
C. Nicole
D. Heather

19. What was Melinda’s old crew called?

A. The Marthas
B. The Simpletons
C. The Plain Janes
D. The International Crew

20. How does Melinda’s secret help the plot advance from the first to second marking term?
A. Her secret explains why her friends no longer like her
B. Her secret helps explain the internal struggle Melinda is facing
C. Her secret helps explain why Melinda’s grades are suffering
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

21. Toward the beginning of the school year, how does Melinda cope with her internal struggle?
A. She seeks out counseling services at school
B. She opens up to her art teacher about what happened
C. She joins as many clubs and organizations as she can
D. All of the above
E. None of the above

22. Which description best describes Melinda’s family?

A. Warm and affectionate
B. Distant and aloof
C. Spiteful and malignant
D. Cheery and delightful

23. What class does Melinda find humiliating?

A. Art
B. English
C. PE
D. Spanish

24. Why does Melinda constantly bite her lips?

A. It is dry outside and her lips are super chapped
B. It is winter time, and it is something that always happens
C. It is a way for Melinda to physically cope with the pain from the rape
D. She doesn’t like her lips, so she is trying to change their appearance

25. Melinda’s grades are poor because of all of the following reasons except…
A. She is ditching class
B. She does not understand the content
C. She is not in an emotional state to focus on academics
D. She is dealing with the emotional trauma of her rape

© 2021 - The Daring English Teacher, Inc. – Not to be reproduced or published online.
 SPEAK
Final Unit Test
Part 4: Literary Analysis
Directions: Read each passage from the story and then answer the questions that follow.

“This was the girl who suffered through Brownies with me, who taught me how to swim, who
understood about my parents, who didn't make fun of my bedroom. If there is anyone in the
entire galaxy I am dying to tell what really happened, it's Rachel. My throat burns."

26. What literary element is most present in the bolded text?

A. Foreshadowing
B. Metaphor
C. Personification
D. Simile
E. Symbolism

27. What does Melinda want to tell Rachel?

A. That she is sorry for calling the cops and ruining the party
B. That she didn’t want to go to the party and was upset that Rachel ditched her
C. That she was raped at the party by Andy Evans
D. That she is upset that her parents are so aloof

28. What is the purpose of Anderson describing Rachel this way? _____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is getting harder to talk. My throat is always sore, my lips raw. When I wake up in the morning,
my jaws are clenched so tight I have a headache. Sometimes my mouth relaxes around
Heather, if we’re alone. Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.
What is wrong with me? It’s like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis.

I know my head isn’t screwed on straight. I want to leave, transfer, warp myself to another
galaxy. I want to confess everything, hand over the guilt and mistake and anger to someone
else. There is a beast in my gut, I can hear it scraping away at the inside of my ribs. Even if I
dump the memory, it will stay with me, staining me. My closet is a good thing, a quiet place
that helps me hold these thoughts inside my head where no one can hear them.

29. What literary element is most present in the bolded text?

A. Foreshadowing
B. Metaphor
C. Personification
D. Simile
E. Symbolism

30. What is the beast Melinda is referring to? ________________________________________________________

31. Why does Melinda think that her closet is a good thing?
A. She can hide from her teachers when she is in the closet
B. The closet lets her bury her inner turmoil and not deal with the rape
C. She can take naps during the day
D. The closet lets her have a place to work on her art project

© 2021 - The Daring English Teacher, Inc. – Not to be reproduced or published online.
 SPEAK
Final Unit Test
Part 4: Literary Analysis
Directions: Read each passage from the story and then answer the questions that follow.

I stumble from thornbush to thornbush— my mother and father who hate each other, Rachel
who hates me, a school that gags on me like I’m a hairball. And Heather.

I just need to hang on long enough for my new skin to graft. Mr. Freeman thinks I need to find
my feelings. How can I not find them? They are chewing me alive like an infestation of
thoughts, shame, mistakes.

32. What literary element is most present in the FIRST bolded text?
A. Foreshadowing
B. Metaphor
C. Personification
D. Simile
E. Symbolism

33. What literary element is most present in the SECOND bolded text?
A. Foreshadowing
B. Metaphor
C. Personification
D. Simile
E. Symbolism

34. At this point in the story, how does Melinda feel about the rape? __________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

35. What major novel symbol is present in this passage?

A. Trees and seeds
B. Closets
C. Snow and Ice
D. Mirrors

© 2021 - The Daring English Teacher, Inc. – Not to be reproduced or published online.
 S P E A K Final Unit Test
Part 5: Short Answer
Directions: Answer each of the following questions in a complete multi-sentence response that answers the
entirety of the question.
36. What happened when Melinda told Rachel about the rape?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

37. Why doesn’t Melinda attend David Petrakis’ party after the basketball game, and how does she
feel about herself for making this decision?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

38. What happens at Christmastime that makes Melinda feel like she wants to tell her parents about
what happened on the night of the party?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

39. What happens to Melinda when she is dissecting the frog? Why does this happen?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

40. Once Melinda accepts the fact that she was raped and refuses to let the attack control her, what
are two things she does that shows she has grown from the incident?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2021 - The Daring English Teacher, Inc. – Not to be reproduced or published online.
 SPEAK
Final Unit Test
Part 5: Short Answer
Directions: Select three of the five short answer questions and answer in a complete multi-sentence response
that answers the entirety of the question. Be sure to write the question number above the response.

1. What happened when Melinda told Rachel about the rape?

2. Why doesn’t Melinda attend David Petrakis’ party after the basketball game, and how does she feel
about herself for making this decision?

3. What happens at Christmastime that makes Melinda feel like she wants to tell her parents about
what happened on the night of the party?

4. What happens to Melinda when she is dissecting the frog? Why does this happen?

5. Once Melinda accepts the fact that she was raped and refuses to let the attack control her, what
are two things she does that shows she has grown from the incident?

QUESTION #
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

QUESTION #
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

QUESTION #
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2021 - The Daring English Teacher, Inc. – Not to be reproduced or published online.
 SPEAK Quiz Answer Keys

1. I
2. H SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES. Answers will vary slightly.
3. A 36. Rachel did not believe her, accused Melinda of being
4. D jealous, said she was going to be sick, and left her in
5. C the library.
6. G 37. She does not attend because she has conflicting
7. E thoughts about the party. She is worried that she
8. J might put herself in harm's way, but she also thinks this
9. B thinking is irrational. She is upset with herself for not
10. F allowing herself to have fun.
11. C 38. Melinda’s parents got her drawing supplies as a gift
12. F because they noticed that she had been drawing
13. D more. Because they noticed, Melinda wants to open
14. B up, but she does not.
15. A 39. As Melinda is dissecting the frog, she has a flashback
16. E to the rape. She remembers the leaves and the smell
17. B of the dirt. She passes out and hits her head on the
18. D table.
19. C 40. Answers will vary but may include: riding her bike on
20. D the street, telling Mr. Freeman about the rape,
21. E cleaning out the closet, attending school more,
22. B planting flowers, pruning the trees, helping clean up
23. C the front yard.
24. C
25. B
26. A
27. C
28. Anderson describes Rachel this way to show just how close the girls were before the party.
This emphasizes Melinda’s secret.
29. B
30. The beast is Melinda’s secret.
31. B
32. D
33. C
34. She blames herself for the rape at this point in the story. She is ashamed of it, and she feels
guilty about it.
35. A

© 2021 - The Daring English Teacher, Inc. – Not to be reproduced or published online.
 SPEAK Name: ___________________________________________________________
Date: ___________________ Per: ____________ Score: _________________
Short Answer Test
Directions: Answer each of the following questions in a complete multi-sentence response that answers the
entirety of the question.
1. What happened when Melinda told Rachel about the rape?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why doesn’t Melinda attend David Petrakis’ party after the basketball game, and how does she feel
about herself for making this decision?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What happens at Christmastime that makes Melinda feel like she wants to tell her parents about
what happened on the night of the party?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What happens to Melinda when she is dissecting the frog? Why does this happen?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Once Melinda accepts the fact that she was raped and refuses to let the attack control her, what
are two things she does that shows she has grown from the incident?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2021 - The Daring English Teacher, Inc. – Not to be reproduced or published online.
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