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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: "Afterward".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Ned speeds off to talk with the mysterious visitor on that day in October, why does it take Mary so long to follow?
(a) She is dizzy and has to move carefully.
(b) She is too frightened of the ghost to move, at first.
(c) One of the heels of her shoes has come loose.
(d) Ned tells her not to follow him.

2. Why does Mary believe that people should not talk about seeing ghosts?
(a) It frightens the ghosts away.
(b) It is bad manners.
(c) It makes people wonder about your sanity.
(d) It is dangerous.

3. What does Ned's motive seem to be when he first brings up the subject of whether the house has a ghost?
(a) He is looking for an excuse to back out of buying the house.
(b) He is trying to frighten Mary.
(c) He thinks that living in a "haunted" house will add to his reputation as a writer.
(d) He is joking about how old the house is.

4. When Mary tells Ned what she has learned from her mail, how does Ned react?
(a) He gets angry at her and asks whether she trusts him.
(b) He relaxes and tells her it is nothing to worry about.
(c) He looks guilty and immediately leaves the room.
(d) He snatches the mail from her and throws it into the fire.

5. Mary thinks about the "latent" significance of a piece of information on page 83. What kind of meaning does this information have?
(a) Meaning that was always there but takes time to emerge.
(b) Meaning that reveals a hidden aspect of the speaker.
(c) Meaning that seems positive at first but later reveals a negative side.
(d) Meaning that stays with a person and is hard to "shake."

Short Answer Questions

1. To what do Mary and Ned attribute the great beauty they see in England?

2. On page 95, Mary mentions the "fun of the frisson." What is a frisson?

3. When they are all laughing about the idea of a ghost, what does it mean that Mary "noted a certain flatness of tone in Alida's answering hilarity" (83)?

4. What detail does the narrator relate as evidence of how much Ned and Mary have yearned for a life like the one they have in England?

5. When Mary finally catches up with Ned on that October day, what is he doing?

(see the answer key)

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