The Ice-Cream Man — Practice Quiz

Honeybees

Step 1: Look at the last stanza of the poem for this comparison. Step 2: The poem says 'The way the children cluster round as thick as honeybees.' Step 3: Children gather closely around the cart, just like honeybees cluster thickly around flowers. Step 4: This comparison shows how excited and numerous the children are. Step 5: Butterflies, ants, and sparrows are not mentioned in the poem, making them incorrect choices.

Bright flame or fire

Step 1: The word 'blaze' appears in the line 'And brick's a blaze of heat.' Step 2: The textbook's New Words section defines 'blaze' as 'bright flame or fire.' Step 3: The poet uses this word to show how extremely hot the bricks are during summer — as if they are on fire. Step 4: A cool breeze is the opposite of what 'blaze' means. Step 5: Heavy rain and dull colour have nothing to do with heat or fire, so they are incorrect.

A chilled drink that makes a hissing, bubbling sound

Step 1: The phrase 'frosty-fizz' appears in the third stanza — 'From bottles full of frosty-fizz.' Step 2: The textbook defines 'frosty-fizz' as 'chilled drink making a hissing, bubbling sound.' Step 3: 'Frosty' tells us the drink is very cold, and 'fizz' tells us it is bubbly, like a cold soda or fizzy drink. Step 4: It is not an ice cream flavour — ice cream flavours are mentioned separately in the poem. Step 5: The sound of wheels and frozen ice are not what this phrase refers to.

Ice cream and chilled fizzy drinks

Step 1: Read the third stanza carefully for what the Ice-cream Man is selling. Step 2: He fills cones with ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry). Step 3: He also sells 'chilly things to drink from bottles full of frosty-fizz.' Step 4: So the two things he sells are ice cream (in cones) and chilled fizzy drinks (in bottles). Step 5: Hot tea is the opposite of what he sells. Flowers, sweets, fruits, and juices are not mentioned in the poem.