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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. What is Duffy's attitude as he listens to Mrs. Stevenson explain what she wants?

2. What is the prefix for Mrs. Stevenson's phone number?

3. How does Mrs. Stevenson hang up the phone after the man who calls her in Act I, Part 4, hangs up?

4. What does Mrs. Stevenson decide she is when she decides to make a second call after she heard the telegram read?

5. How many murders does Duffy say are committed in the city every day?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mrs. Stevenson say about her daily schedule?

2. How does the call end with the Western Union messenger?

3. What does Mrs. Stevenson to do after trying her husband's office number again at the end of Act I, Part 4?

4. What does Mrs. Stevenson say and do after the operator tells her that she cannot put through the calls that Mrs. Stevenson missed?

5. How does Mrs. Stevenson react after hearing the telegram her husband sent?

6. What does Mrs. Stevenson say to the Chief Operator right before she hangs up in Act I, Part 3?

7. At the beginning of Act I, Part 4, what does Mrs. Stevenson say and do after getting a busy signal on her husband's number again?

8. What does Mrs. Stevenson tell Duffy about her situation after he takes her name and address?

9. Why does the operator tell Mrs. Stevenson that she cannot put through the missed calls Mrs. Stevenson received?

10. What does Mrs. Stevenson do after ending her call with Duffy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The play is very short and the timeline in the play is very abbreviated. How much time is there between when the curtain rises and falls? How does the time span affect characters, especially Mrs. Stevenson? How does time influence behavior? How does the use of time affect the plot and storyline? What might time symbolize?

Essay Topic 2

There are internal and external conflicts in the play. What are the main conflicts in the play? Are most of the conflicts internal or external? How are conflicts developed? How are those conflicts resolved?

Essay Topic 3

At first, Mrs. Stevenson is just concerned that someone is going to be murdered. What conversation does Mrs. Stevenson have that puts the idea in her head that she might be the intended victim? Has that thought crossed her mind before? What type of reasoning does Mrs Stevenson use to determine that she is going to be the victim?

(see the answer keys)

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