Point of View & Perspective | FAST Practice Quiz

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Date:

Score:/10

Directions: Read the passage carefully. Analyze how perspective shapes understanding, identify characteristics of narration, and explain how the author's perspective choice creates effects.

"The Accident"

It wasn't my fault. I need you to understand that before I tell you what happened.

I was driving home from work, same route I always take. The light turned yellow just as I approached the intersection. Yellow means "proceed with caution," not "stop." Anyone would have gone through. There was no time to brake safely.

That's when the other car appeared from nowhere. She ran the red light - I'm almost certain of it. Or maybe it had just turned green for her. Either way, I was already in the intersection. What was I supposed to do?

The impact wasn't as bad as it sounds. Some damage to both cars, sure, but nobody was seriously hurt. The other driver made a huge scene, crying and calling the police like I'd done something wrong. Her daughter was in the back seat - that's what really upset her, I think. The girl was fine. Just scared.

When the police came, the other driver told them I ran a red light. That's not true. It was yellow - I'm 90% sure. The intersection has cameras, but the officer said those recordings aren't always available. It'll probably come down to my word against hers.

She had a witness, too. Someone walking their dog who "saw the whole thing." But eyewitnesses are unreliable - I read that somewhere. And this woman was across the street. How clearly could she have seen the light from that angle?

I've been driving for fifteen years without a single accident. Fifteen years. That has to count for something. The other driver looked young, barely old enough to have a kid that age. Maybe she's the one who should be more careful.

It wasn't my fault. I need you to believe that.

1

Which detail BEST suggests that the narrator might be unreliable?

A

The narrator has been driving for fifteen years

B

The narrator's certainty about the light decreases from "yellow" to "I'm almost certain" to "90% sure"

C

The police came to investigate the accident

D

The intersection has traffic cameras

2

What does the narrator's opening line - "It wasn't my fault. I need you to understand that before I tell you what happened" - REVEAL about their perspective?

A

They are certain they are innocent

B

They are trying to control the reader's interpretation before presenting facts

C

They have legal training

D

They want to describe events objectively

3

The narrator dismisses the eyewitness by saying "eyewitnesses are unreliable." This is an example of:

A

The narrator providing objective legal analysis

B

The narrator undermining evidence that contradicts their version

C

The narrator admitting they might be wrong

D

The narrator supporting the other driver's account

4

What does the narrator's description of the other driver ("made a huge scene," "barely old enough") REVEAL about their bias?

A

The narrator is presenting the other driver objectively

B

The narrator is minimizing the other driver's credibility and emotional response

C

The narrator feels sympathetic toward the other driver

D

The narrator wants the reader to believe the other driver's version

5

What does the narrator's perspective CONCEAL from the reader?

A

That there was an accident

B

The other driver's perspective and what actually happened

C

That the narrator has been driving for fifteen years

D

That there were cameras at the intersection

6

The narrator mentions their fifteen years of driving without an accident. Why might an unreliable narrator include this detail?

A

To establish their credibility and suggest they're not the type of person who causes accidents

B

To provide relevant driving statistics

C

To admit they might have been at fault

D

To sympathize with the other driver's experience

7

What EFFECT does the author create by choosing this perspective for the story?

A

The reader trusts everything the narrator says

B

The reader must critically evaluate the narrator's claims and consider what's being hidden

C

The reader learns objective facts about the accident

D

The reader understands both drivers equally well

8

The narrator repeats "It wasn't my fault" at the beginning and end. What does this repetition SUGGEST about their state of mind?

A

They are calm and confident

B

They may be trying to convince themselves as much as the reader

C

They are providing a logical argument

D

They are admitting guilt

9

Analyze the signs of unreliability in this passage. Identify at least THREE specific details that suggest the narrator's account cannot be fully trusted, and explain what each reveals.

10

How would this story be DIFFERENT if told from the other driver's perspective? What would be revealed that the current narrator conceals, and how would the reader's understanding of events change?

___Multiple Choice (8)

___Written Response (2)

___Total (10)