1the television set produced the only light in the room as my siblings and i sat curled upon the couch underneath several wool blankets. a massive winter storm had bombarded the region last night, leaving the city covered in a foot of snow. we held our breath and waited for the news anchor to announce the school closings. after several agonizing minutes, we finally heard the news we’d been waiting for: city officials had canceled school for the day. a jubilant squeal erupted from my siblings as they abandoned the warmth of the couch to tell our mom the incredible news.

2still wrapped in my blanket, i pulled the heavy curtains aside to judge the circumstances outside our apartment. the city below was a ghost town. normally, buses, cars, and taxis whizzed down the avenue. people usually crowded the sidewalks, hurrying off to work. even at this early hour, honks and shouts would drift up from the streets below. you grow accustomed to the commotion after you reside in the city for a while. the city was eerily silent today, paralyzed by the storm. the only distinct noise was the vigorous whipping of the wind. the glittering snowflakes hypnotized me—it was as if someone had changed the city into a picturesque winter wonderland overnight.

3as i stared out the window, i spotted a man and his dog trekking through the dark landscape. the flimsy scarf wrapped around his head was hardly effective against the cold. by the way he trudged down the sidewalk, i assumed that he was reluctant to be out and about in such frigid weather. his dog, however, was having a fantastic time—the labrador retriever enthusiastically leapt into the drifts, rooting around in the snow with his nose. i laughed as the dog tried to involve his owner in the merriment, but the owner didn’t look very amused. as they turned the corner, the spectacular scent of syrup and cinnamon wafted into the living room. from the smell, i was certain that mom was making french toast. i knew that my brother and sister would consume all of it if i didn’t get to the kitchen soon.

answer these questions

in paragraph 2, when the narrator compares the city to a ghost town, this is an example of
a) a simile.
b) a metaphor.
c) foreshadowing.
d) personification.

what is the effect of the use of first person point of view in this story?
a) it allows the reader to sympathize more with the story's characters.
b) it allows the reader to see how the speaker feels about the snowed in town and school cancellation.
c) it allows the reader direct insight into how the speaker's siblings feel about school being canceled.
d) it allows the reader to see how everyone in the town is reacting to the snowstorm and school cancellation.

what literary technique does the author use in the second paragraph to describe his city once it has been snowed in?
a) hyperbole
b) metaphor
c) alliteration
d) simile

the glittering snowflakes hypnotized

what literary technique is used by the author to describe the snowflakes?
a) flashback
b) foreshadowing
c) metaphor
d) personification