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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 5, The Big Dictionary Conceived.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How many years later did the second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary come out after the original?
(a) Thirty years.
(b) Forty-five years.
(c) Thirty-eight years.
(d) Fifty years.

2. England's power grew, and it felt embarrassed for not studying its language. Why did citizens want a proper dictionary?
(a) Many wanted a dictionary for helping immigrants.
(b) Schools made more demands on scholars to make a new dictionary.
(c) Many wanted to sell them in bookstores.
(d) Many wanted a dictionary for the English language in its entirety.

3. Many critics find the Oxford English Dictionary to be ______________.
(a) Strange and racist.
(b) Ridiculous and sexist.
(c) Racist and sexist.
(d) Thoughtless and ridiculous.

4. Who would publish the first Oxford English Dictionary?
(a) Oxford University Press.
(b) Penguin Books.
(c) Academic Press.
(d) Harper and Row.

5. How did the author describe the man who chased George Merrett on the night of his death?
(a) He wore a black jacket and was carrying a gun,
(b) He wore a black mask and was carrying a blade.
(c) He wore a black mask and was carrying a gun.
(d) He wore a black cloak and was carrying a blade.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does the author describe the words in the early English dictionaries in Chapter 4, Gathering Earth's Daughters?

2. When was the project to create the first Oxford English Dictionary commissioned?

3. In what century did some Latin-English dictionaries began to appear?

4. According to Mr. Trench, who approved of the global spread of the English language?

5. How long after the Minors settled in Ceylon was William Minor born?

(see the answer key)

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