Question

the dog
by oliver herford
1
the dog is black or white or brown
and sometimes spotted like a clown.
he loves to make a foolish noise
and human company enjoys.
5
the human people pat his head
and teach him to pretend he’s dead,
and beg, and fetch and carry too;
things that no well - bred cat will do.
9
at human jokes, however stale,
he jumps about and wags his tail,
and human people clap their hands
and think he really understands.
13
they say “good dog” to him. to us
they say “poor cat,” and make no fuss.
why dogs are “good” and cats are “poor”
i fail to understand, i’m sure.

1. what do human people like about dogs?

a. human people clap their hands.
b. dogs jump about and wag their tails.
c. they say “good dog” to him.
d. the dog is black or white or brown.

1. in the fourth stanza, you can tell the speaker is ____

a. a dog
b. a human person
c. a cat
d. an outside narrator

1. the cat seems to ____

a. love dogs as pets
b. think dogs are too mean for a pet
c. think cats are too wild for a pet
d. be a little jealous of dogs

Explanation:

Question 1

To answer this, we analyze each option against the poem. Option A: The poem says "Human People clap their hands" for the dog (from stanza 9: "He jumps about and wags his tail, And Human People clap their hands"). Option B: The dog jumps and wags tail, not the action described in B. Option C: The phrase "Good Dog" is said to the dog, but the question is what Human People like about dogs—this is a statement, not a "like" action. Option D: Describes the dog's color, not what people like about dogs. So A matches.

In the fourth stanza (labeled 5? Wait, the stanzas: stanza 1 (1), then maybe numbering: stanza 4 (the one with "The Human People pat his head...")—the speaker's perspective: the poem uses "he" for the dog, and the speaker is outside, observing? Wait, no—wait the options: A is a dog, B human, C cat, D outside narrator. Wait, the speaker talks about "Human People" and the dog's actions. The speaker is not the dog (A), not a human (B, since it's observing humans and the dog), not a cat (C). So D: an outside narrator, as the speaker is describing events from a third - person, outside view.

Analyze the options. Option A: The poem doesn't say the cat loves dogs as pets. Option B: No, the poem says "no well - bred Cat will do" the dog's tricks, but not that dogs are too mean. Option C: The poem says "no well - bred Cat will do" the dog's tricks, but not that cats are too wild. Option D: The cat's perspective: the dog gets praise ("Good Dog"), and the cat is referred to as "poor Cat" with "make no fuss"—implying the cat is jealous of the dog's attention/praise. So D fits.

Answer:

A. Human People clap their hands.

Question 2