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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the first thing that Rainsford does once he is on top of the cliffs?
(a) Yell for help.
(b) Sleep.
(c) Hide.
(d) Make a fire.

2. As Rainsford nears the island, what does he hear?
(a) Recorded music.
(b) The sound of his ship hitting the rocks.
(c) A scream and a gunshot.
(d) A splash as if something has fallen in the water.

3. What makes the General's servant intimidating when he first opens the door?
(a) He blocks Rainsford from seeing into the house.
(b) He has a deep scar on one side of his face.
(c) He shoves Rainsford back and refuses to allow him inside.
(d) He is huge and is holding a gun.

4. What is Zaroff's response to Rainsford's arrival?
(a) He is pleased to have company and gives Rainsford a tour of the house.
(b) He seems confused and changes his mind twice about what to do with Rainsford.
(c) He is welcoming and invites him to dinner.
(d) He seems suspicious and initially locks Rainsford in a bedroom.

5. Which word does the narrator use to describe General Zaroff's home?
(a) Palatial.
(b) Foreboding.
(c) Fanciful.
(d) Grotesque.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which animal does Rainsford call the most dangerous?

2. What is Rainsford's first reaction when he falls overboard?

3. When Zaroff says, on page 31, that there is "no greater bore than perfection," to what is he referring?

4. What does Zaroff tell Rainsford he lives for?

5. Which is the best description of Rainsford when he is in the water?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the discussion of the Cape buffalo introduce a possible meaning of the story's title?

2. What layers of irony are later revealed about Rainsford's suggestion that cannibals might live on Ship-Trap Island?

3. Describe Zaroff's dining room.

4. Describe Rainsford's first impression of General Zaroff.

5. Describe the early warning signs about Zaroff's island that Rainsford ignores.

6. What clues does Connell give right away that the relationship between Ivan and Zaroff developed in the military?

7. Once he falls overboard, what does Rainsford do and what does it show about his character?

8. Describe General Zaroff's house.

9. How did General Zaroff's early life prepare him to be a hunter?

10. What does Rainsford find in the jungle as he is walking toward Zaroff's house, and what does he conclude from it?

(see the answer keys)

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