The Iroquois Creation Myth: "The World on Turtle's Back" Answers

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1
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"The World on Turtle's Back" is a creation myth because it

A
focuses on characters whom the Iroquois considered "gods."
B
is an Iroquoian story about people and animals who talk to each other.
C
explains how the Iroquois believe that the earth was created.
D
describes Iroquoian social and cultural values.
2
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In the beginning of "The World on Turtle's Back," why did the husband become "terrified"?

A
He was terrified that he would never again see his wife.
B
He was terrified that his wife might fall through the hole in the sky.
C
He was terrified that he would be punished for marring a sacred tree.
D
He was terrified that the Great Tree would fall into the ocean.
3

Read this excerpt from "The World on Turtle's Back."These two brothers had creative powers, and with these powers they took clay and modeled it into animals. They used these animals to contend with one another. Each brother created a more powerful or more cunning animal than the next. They also created fruits, plants, and medicines for good and for evil. Finally, the right-handed twin made man. It is unknown whether or not the left-handed twin assisted in the creation of man. Man was the right-handed twin's favorite creation.How does this support the idea that "The World on Turtle's Back" is a creation myth?

A
It explains the origin of people, animals, and plants.
B
It describes the rivalry between the two brothers.
C
It shows that animals and plants can represent good or evil.
D
It confirms that man was the right-handed twin’s favorite animal.
4

Read this excerpt from "The World on Turtle's Back."The conflict between the twins continued, and for some reason, the grandmother favored the left-handed twin. The right-handed twin became angry and resentful. He was the truthful twin who always did the right thing. The left-handed twin was deceitful and did everything backward. You could never trust him.The twins represented the two ways of the world which are in all people. The Indians did not call these good and evil. They called them the straight mind and the crooked mind, the righteous man and the devious man, the right and the left.The main purpose of this excerpt is to

A
demonstrate that right-handed people are good and left-handed people are bad.
B
explain why some people do the right thing and others do not.
C
provide the reason why the grandmother favored the left-handed twin.
D
clarify what the Iroquois considered the two different sides of human nature.
5

The Iroquois perform rituals to honor the twins in "The World on Turtle's Back," illustrating the Iroquoian belief that

A
they must perform certain rituals in order to sustain the Earth.
B
the twins are gods and it is important to show them devotion.
C
singing and dancing will ensure the safety of the twins.
D
the twins enjoy watching ritualistic singing and dancing.
6

Read this excerpt from "The World on Turtle's Back."Without knowing it, the right and left-handed twins built balance into the world. The plant-eating animals created by the right-handed twin balanced out the meat-eating animals created by the left-handed twin. And so the world thrived, and this was good.Which statement best describes the purpose of this excerpt?

A
to describe who created plant- and meat-eating animals
B
to explain that some animals are good and others are evil
C
to explain how balance came to exist in the natural world
D
to describe two different kinds of animals found in the world
7

Read this excerpt from "The World on Turtle's Back."With the deer antler, the right-handed twin demolished his brother. The left-handed twin died, but he didn't die. He was hurled off the edge of the earth by his brother. In this dark world below the earth, the left-handed twin still lives and reigns.The right-handed twin lives in the Sky-World and he is content with the world he helped to create. The left-handed twin lives in the world below. He, too, is content with the world of men. He delights in the sounds of warfare and suffering. These two beings rule the world and look after the affairs of men. During the day people have rituals to honor the right-handed twin. At night they dance and sing for the left-handed twin.Based on this excerpt, it is reasonable to conclude that

A
the right-handed twin hurt his brother but did not kill him.
B
the left-handed twin pretended to die but really survived.
C
neither twin could die because they were immortal gods.
D
the left-handed twin was immortal, but his brother was not.
8

The conflict between the right-handed brother and left-handed brother described in"The World on Turtle's Back" shows that the Iroquois most likely believed

A
right-handed children should be favored over left-handed ones.
B
there is an eternal battle between good and evil.
C
left-handed people are naturally evil.
D
most people are good and few are evil.
9

Read this quotation from "The World on Turtle's Back."The woman placed the dirt on Turtle's back and performed a ritual to create the earth. She walked around the dirt in the direction of the sun until the earth grew large enough. Then she planted the roots from the Great Tree and continued her ritual to keep the earth growing. Like the sun she kept moving around the earth, in the same direction the people still do in dance rituals today.The main purpose of this quotation is to

A
emphasize the importance of rituals in everyday life.
B
prove that animals played a major role in the creation of the Earth.
C
show why dancers move from east to west in rituals.
D
explain one theory of how the Earth was created from the sea.
10

Read this excerpt from "The World on Turtle's Back."The birds of the sea joined together to save the woman and they broke her fall. The great sea turtle floated in the ocean and received the woman on his back without harm. The frightened woman looked around and all she could see was water and sky. She felt helpless, but the animals were determined to save her. She told them that if they could find some soil, she could plant the roots from the Great Tree that were still tangled in her hands.Based on the animals' behavior toward the woman, it is reasonable to conclude that the animals

A
were frightened by a creature they had never seen.
B
felt compassion for the woman because she was scared.
C
were hoping to live on land that the woman would create.
D
wanted the roots from the sacred Great Tree.

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