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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 6, After the Fall of the Elves.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What point does Tolkien make about his book, The Silmarillion, in Letter #131?
(a) The themes of the book are intentionally complex.
(b) The themes of the book are intentionally simple.
(c) It is about humans.
(d) It is not about humans.

2. In Letter #130, what distinction does Tolkien make about the artificial languages he creates for his books?
(a) They are the opposite of an actual real life language.
(b) They are a combination of two real-life languages.
(c) They are never used in real life.
(d) They are seldom used in real life.

3. How long does Tolkien indicate he has been working with the imaginary realms in Letter #130?
(a) Months.
(b) Years.
(c) Weeks.
(d) Decades.

4. How old is J.R.R. Tolkien in the first letter?
(a) Twenty-one.
(b) Eighteen.
(c) Twenty-four.
(d) Twenty-three.

5. What book inspired a schoolboy to write to Tolkien, prompting his response in Letter #114?
(a) The Hobbit.
(b) The Silmarillion.
(c) The Lord of the Rings.
(d) Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.

Short Answer Questions

1. As mentioned by Tolkien in Letter #131, when do the Hobbits first come into being?

2. Which school is Tolkien attending when the first letter begins?

3. As mentioned in Letter #66, why does Tolkien think that he will have to move some of the sections of his book?

4. What is the skill or ability of the Elves'?

5. Where is the man whose accent Tolkien refers to as "English after being wiped over with a dirty sponge" from?

(see the answer key)

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