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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In a poem that Lincoln reads in the first scene, what is it that the poet finds strange about people?
(a) They look forward to death, even when life is good.
(b) They think of death as an awakening.
(c) They are afraid to face death alone.
(d) They dance through life unaware of pleasure.

2. What are three things Lincoln likes about Ann Rutledge?
(a) She's good-looking, sensible and wants a large family.
(b) She's sensible, brave and good-looking.
(c) She's brave, pretty and a political asset.
(d) She's smart, pretty and owns property.

3. What happens to Ann Rutledge?
(a) Bitten by a mosquito, she is paralzyed and left speechless.
(b) She dies of a brain sickness.
(c) She meets a wealthy man, marries him and moves West.
(d) She runs away to Chicago to attend law school.

4. What is the true reason Lincoln wants to end the engagement with Mary Todd?
(a) He believes she really wants to marry Stephen Douglas.
(b) He knows he is losing his mind and wants to spare her from sharing his pain.
(c) She has taken to wearing spurs and brandishing a whip when they are alone.
(d) He hates her ambitions for him and doesn't want to be driven to achieve her goals for the rest of his life.

5. What advice does Josh Speed give Lincoln regarding his mental health?
(a) He suggests Lincoln see a doctor.
(b) He thinks a good night's sleep will work wonders.
(c) He suggests a lobotomy.
(d) He prescribes anti-depressants.

6. What is Lincoln's attitude about people before he meets Ann Rutledge?
(a) Getting close to others is the best antidote in the world to loneliness.
(b) It's best not to get too close to people; they see the insanity behind the surface.
(c) The best thing is to take a vow of silence in order not to be bothered by fools.
(d) All people are to a degree insane, but that shouldn't stop one from getting close to them.

7. How does Lincoln surprise Ann Rutledge while she is clearing tables during Act 1, Scene 2?
(a) By delivering a package from her fiance.
(b) By declaring his love for her.
(c) By asking her to dance on the bar.
(d) By bursting into song when she agrees to talk with him.

8. According to Nancy Green in Act 1, Scene 3, why can't Lincoln face life without a woman by his side?
(a) Because he hears voices in the night and they give him contradictory directions.
(b) Because he goes into trances when under stress and needs someone to help him snap out of it.
(c) Because he listens to strange voices that speak to him in church and they command him to do bad things.
(d) Because he hears the whispers of the dead women in his life, including his mother, and he can't understand what the whispers mean.

9. What is the local gossip in New Salem about Ann Rutledge?
(a) She has been jilted by her fiance, who left town.
(b) She is in line for a job as the town's teacher.
(c) She is secretly a witch.
(d) She is in love with Abe Lincoln.

10. In Scene 2, Act 4, Lincoln receives a letter from his old friend, Seth Gale. What is Gale worrying about?
(a) Gale's property taxes are going sky-high to pay for liberation of the slaves.
(b) The prospect of his father's death and the debts he will inherit.
(c) His wife's increasingly bizarre behavior.
(d) The possible annexation of Texas, which would result in the extension of slavery through all the territories.

11. Who is with Lincoln at the beginning of Act 2, Scene 6?
(a) Bowling Green.
(b) Ann Rutledge.
(c) Seth Gale.
(d) Josh Speed.

12. Why is Mary Todd so sure that Lincoln will be a success, and not stop to tell jokes, as her sister predicts?
(a) Because Lincoln has confided his dream of becoming a successful merchant and moving to New York.
(b) She doesn't care if he's a success; she has a huge inheritance that will support them both.
(c) Because she is strong enough to make sure he moves along the road of success without stopping.
(d) Because she knows that Lincoln is not very good at telling jokes and has a strong streak of ambition.

13. What characteristics make Mary Todd a good catch in the eyes of most people?
(a) She's smart, cultivated and the daughter of a bank president.
(b) She's highly educated and would make a good Secretary of State.
(c) She is exceedingly beautiful and has a shy, retiring demeanor.
(d) She speaks French, cooks Italian and comes from a line of English royalty.

14. Why does Bowling Green call Lincoln "an artful dodger" in Act 2, Scene 4?
(a) Lincoln is an accomplished amateur boxer who never takes a blow to the chin.
(b) Lincoln has left a number of women at the altar.
(c) Lincoln manages to slip away from debt collectors just when they are closing in on him.
(d) Lincoln continually evades running for any office that would require him to take a public stand on slavery.

15. Ninian Andrews arrives at Lincoln's office and learns about a sad event. What is it?
(a) Jack Armstrong is in jail for murder.
(b) Seth Gale's mother is dead of malaria.
(c) Lincoln's dog, Rufus, has been killed in a hunting mishap.
(d) The death of Lincoln's friend, Bowling Green.

Short Answer Questions

1. Lincoln tells Josh Speed to give his letter for Mary Todd to Herndon to deliver. How does Josh respond?

2. Who is Elizabeth Edwards?

3. What does Mary Todd say when asked in Act. 2, Scene 5, if she is considering marriage to Lincoln?

4. What subject is always heavy on Lincoln's mind?

5. What organization wants Lincoln to give a speech?

(see the answer keys)

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