Cultural Allusions and Word Meaning · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Herculean Tasks and Achilles' Heels: Understanding Allusions

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 9-10
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Where does the phrase 'the Midas touch' come from?

    • A myth about a warrior whose heel was the place where he could be hurt
    • A myth about a king whose touch turned things to gold
    • A myth about soldiers hidden inside a wooden horse offered as a gift

  2. A story says, 'The wolf's kind offer turned out to be a Trojan horse.' What is the writer telling you?

    • The offer looked friendly but concealed a trick
    • The wolf handed every animal a small wooden toy horse
    • The wolf wanted to help and had no hidden plan at all

  3. A character calls cleaning a messy garage 'a Herculean task.' What does the phrase mean?

    • The cleaning job requires great effort
    • The garage belongs to a person named Hercules
    • The cleaning must be divided into exactly twelve jobs

  4. An allusion is a reference to a famous story, myth, or event that adds extra meaning to a sentence.

    Circle one:   True   False

  5. Rook the robot can lift a bus, run all day and go without sleep. One drop of water makes his gears seize up. What is Rook's Achilles' heel?

    • He can lift a bus without needing help from another robot
    • He never needs sleep even after running for an entire day
    • Water makes his gears seize up

  6. Pirates roll a big barrel of apples up to the fort gate as a present. Two pirates are hiding inside the barrel. Which phrase fits the barrel best?

    • A Midas touch
    • A Herculean task
    • A Trojan horse

  7. In a poem, a hiker calls a mountain climb 'Herculean.' What feeling does that word add?

    • It makes the climb sound restful, with little effort needed
    • It makes the climb sound difficult and heroic
    • It states that the mountain has been officially named after Hercules

  8. In a retelling of Midas's myth, the king touches a cup and it changes into solid gold. Is that change literal or figurative within the story?

    • Literal: the cup really becomes gold in that story
    • Figurative: the cup stays unchanged and only becomes more expensive
    • Literal: this proves that people outside myths can make gold this way

  9. A reporter writes, 'Changing the rule may open Pandora's box.' What attitude towards the change does that phrase suggest?

    • Confidence that the change will settle every problem without discussion
    • Certainty that someone will open a physical box during the rule change
    • Concern about unexpected problems the change could start

  10. A story ends, 'The villagers wheeled the beautiful gift cart through their gate, never guessing it was a Trojan horse.' What does that phrase get you ready for?

    • The villagers already know the cart's secret and plan to sell it for money
    • Something concealed in the cart will bring trouble
    • The cart will be empty, and the villagers will have no further problems
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Herculean Tasks and Achilles' Heels: Understanding Allusions W1-mt_ZanQuV90qi-s1

  1. A myth about a king whose touch turned things to gold · King Midas turned whatever he touched into gold, so his name now stands for things turning out well.
  2. The offer looked friendly but concealed a trick · In the old story the horse looked like a gift, but soldiers were hiding in it. A Trojan horse now means something friendly on the outside with trouble hidden inside.
  3. The cleaning job requires great effort · The phrase connects the difficult cleaning with the great effort of Hercules' labors.
  4. True · That is exactly what an allusion is: a quick nod to a story the reader is expected to know.
  5. Water makes his gears seize up · Water stops Rook's gears, so it is a weakness despite his other abilities.
  6. A Trojan horse · The barrel looks like a gift and carries hidden trouble inside, which is exactly what a Trojan horse means.
  7. It makes the climb sound difficult and heroic · The reference to Hercules' labors makes the climb sound demanding and heroic.
  8. Literal: the cup really becomes gold in that story · The transformation happens within the myth. That does not establish that such magic happens outside the story.
  9. Concern about unexpected problems the change could start · The reference suggests concern about possible consequences. 'May' leaves them uncertain.
  10. Something concealed in the cart will bring trouble · Calling the cart a Trojan horse draws on the old story's ending: what was hidden inside caused the harm.
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