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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old is Amelia when her father dies?

2. Who wrote the book of hieroglyphics that Amelia has with her on the trip?

3. Where do Amelia and Evelyn spend their time while in Cairo?

4. Which is the largest of the pyramids?

5. What do Radcliffe and Amelia discuss the day after his illness, as he recovers?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Amelia Peabody first meet Evelyn Barton-Forbes, and under what circumstances? What does this meeting tell the reader about Amelia Peabody's character?

2. What do we learn about Evelyn Barton-Forbes as she tells the story of how she has come to her current situation? Is she a wealthy English woman like Ms. Peabody? What has brought Ms. Barton-Forbes to Rome?

3. What does Lucas tell Evelyn that her grandfather had done with all of her possessions? How does she react to this story? How does Amelia react?

4. The night after Alberto's appearance, another gentleman from Evelyn's past comes to their hotel to say hello: Lucas Hayes. Who is Lucas Hayes, and why has he come to Cairo to see Evelyn? How does Evelyn respond to his visit, and why? What does Amelia think of Lucas, and why?

5. While in Beni Hassan, what does Amelia come to understand about Radcliffe Emerson's tirade on the antiquities of Egypt? How does this affect her?

6. Amelia goes to bed after meeting Alberto and has a disturbing experience. What does she see and what happens? What qualities of Amelia's are reinforced in this event?

7. What plan does Amelia come up with to solve the problem and catch the walking mummy? What characters are involved in the plan? Who do they suspect to be the mummy who comes out at night?

8. Why does Amelia believe Evelyn's story and take her on as a traveling companion? Does she check any of the facts Evelyn presents about herself?

9. The novel takes place in the late 1800's, and at that time it was unusual for two women to travel abroad together without male companionship. What do we learn about these two women and their attitudes about the conventions of the times?

10. How does Alberto explain to Evelyn his disappearance in Rome? Does Evelyn believe him? What important quality of Evelyn's is reinforced in this scene? How does Amelia rid Evelyn of Alberto?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In a mystery novel, there must be motivation for the main character or characters to solve the mystery. What are some of the motives the four central characters reveal for wanting to solve the mystery? Are these believable motives? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Often, mystery writers are accused of withholding information from their readers in order to make it impossible to solve the mystery before the protagonists do. Was all the information needed to solve the case fairly presented in the novel? If you think so, outline some of the important details about the antagonists that were revealed earlier in the story, If not, what pieces of information were withheld, and were they important to solving the mystery?

Essay Topic 3

Amelia explains to the reader that Evelyn is "too kind, and too truthful." She also states "both, I have found, are inconvenient character traits." Is Evelyn indeed too kind and too truthful? Why does Amelia believe these traits to be inconvenient? What is an example of this quality in Evelyn?

(see the answer keys)

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