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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. Where does Mrs. Allerton claim she learned about Jackie's innocence in the murder of Linnet Doyle in chapter 15?

2. Why does Jackie pull a gun on Simon Doyle in chapter 12?

3. What do many of the vacationers notice about Rosalie Otterbourne's behavior early in the novel?

4. What does Poirot always drink at dinner that is distinct because he is the only one who drinks it at his table?

5. What is the Karnak?

Short Essay Questions

1. In chapter 11, what does Linnet accidentally read? How does the injured party react to Linnet's actions?

2. What is Poirot's first assessment of Simon and Linnet when he sees them on board the Karnak? How does this assessment soon change?

3. In chapter 15, what common thing do three of the passengers report hearing about the time of the murder? What does this cause Poirot to believe happened just after the murder?

4. In chapter 2, what scene does Poirot witness between Linnet, Simon, and Jackie? What is significant about this scene?

5. In chapter 4, why does Linnet Doyle approach Poirot? What does she ask of him?

6. In chapter 13, who is Poirot's first suspect when he learns that Linnet Doyle has been killed?

7. In chapter 14, Poirot and Race interview Linnet's nurse. What is odd about her behavior? What does she reveal that Poirot and Race did not previously know?

8. In chapter 12, why does Jackie insist that Cornelia remain in the salon long after Cornelia would have preferred to retire to her own room? What happens?

9. What is the most significant thing about the character of Linnet Ridgeway as she is introduced in chapter 1?

10. In chapter 10, what happens to make Simon think that Jackie is trying to make an attempt on Linnet's life?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Jackie remain in the saloon long after everyone has left in chapter 12? Who does she encourage to remain with her? For what reason? With whom does Jackie pick a fight? For what apparent reason? How does this person respond to Jackie? What happens when Jackie pulls out a gun? Where does the gun end up? Who takes Jackie from the room? For what reason? Where is Jackie taken? Who is assigned to remain with Jackie? How does this provide Jackie with an alibi the following morning?

Essay Topic 2

Why does Poirot focus on Linnet's missing pearls in the investigation? Where are the pearls initially discovered? What does this reveal about Miss Van Schuyler? What does Poirot notice about the recovered pearls? What does he feel is significant about this? Who does it turn out stole the real pearls? For what reason? Who put this person up to the theft? For what reason? Why does Poirot agree to allow this thief to go free? How does this impact the future of the thief? How does this impact a relationship between the thief and a potential new lover?

Essay Topic 3

Who is Rosalie Otterbourne? What is her relationship to Poirot? How do most people see Rosalie upon first meeting her? What is Rosalie's mother like? What does Mrs. Otterbourne do for a living? How does this occupation embarrass Rosalie? For what reason? Who is Tim Allerton? How are the characters of Tim and Rosalie similar? How are they different? Why does Tim dislike Rosalie upon their first meeting? Is this opinion likely to change as the novel progresses? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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