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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When section "III" opens, Mary is spending the morning working outdoors. She goes into the area where the "espaliered" pear trees are (89). What kind of pear trees are these?
(a) They are grafted with many different kinds of pears on each tree.
(b) They are trained to grow flat against the wall.
(c) They are draped with nets to keep the birds away from the fruit.
(d) They are miniature pear trees.

2. Who is the author of "Afterward"?
(a) Henry James.
(b) Shirley Jackson.
(c) O. Henry.
(d) Edith Wharton.

3. What does Mary learn about the Blue Star Mine deal from her visitor in section "V"?
(a) It was not nearly as lucrative a deal as Ned pretended.
(b) Ned cheated Bob Elwell in order to make more money from it.
(c) Ned committed a crime in order to make the deal.
(d) Ned's actions caused the mine to go bankrupt.

4. When Mary searches Ned's desk, to whom does she find he has been writing?
(a) Alida Stair.
(b) Parvis.
(c) The Waukesha Sentinel.
(d) Bob Elwell.

5. What causes Mary to finally be certain that the ghost was Bob Elwell?
(a) Her visitor recognizes him from her description.
(b) She reads a letter that Elwell wrote.
(c) Her visitor sees the ghost and knows that it is Elwell.
(d) She sees a picture of Elwell.

6. In the opening of the story, what is Mary waiting for?
(a) She is waiting for the mail to be brought in.
(b) She is waiting for dinner to be announced.
(c) She is waiting for Ned to arrive.
(d) She is waiting for the lamps to be brought in.

7. 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 stays with a person and is hard to "shake."
(b) Meaning that reveals a hidden aspect of the speaker.
(c) Meaning that was always there but takes time to emerge.
(d) Meaning that seems positive at first but later reveals a negative side.

8. What aspect of the house does Alida mention that finally convinces Ned and Mary that it is as old as they are hoping?
(a) It has no electrical system.
(b) It has no central heating system.
(c) It has a very unreliable water supply.
(d) It is in the official register of historic homes.

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

10. 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) One of the heels of her shoes has come loose.
(b) She is dizzy and has to move carefully.
(c) She is too frightened of the ghost to move, at first.
(d) Ned tells her not to follow him.

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

12. Ned asks Alida a question about the ghost's "signalement" (84). What is he asking about?
(a) Its physical description.
(b) Its background.
(c) Its movements and habits.
(d) Its motivations.

13. Why does Mary ask the mysterious young man whether he has an appointment with Ned?
(a) She is actually not sure that she knows where Ned is at the moment.
(b) Ned has specifically asked her to turn away visitors.
(c) She is trying to protect Ned's writing time.
(d) She instinctively mistrusts the young man.

14. What is Ned's joking theory about why the ghost is so hard to see?
(a) It will not see you without an appointment.
(b) The house is deliberately keeping them from seeing its ghost.
(c) It has too much competition from other "ghostly" things.
(d) It is shy.

15. When Mary, startled by the envelope's contents, cries out and rises to her feet, how does Ned react?
(a) He quietly tells her to sit back down.
(b) He laughs loudly and tells her to stop being dramatic.
(c) He looks cornered and guilty.
(d) He rushes to her side to comfort her.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is the information about Bob Elwell's slow death so significant to Mary?

2. When Ned is still gone by the time Mary finishes lunch, where does she decide he must be?

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

4. Why does the narrator say that Ned and Mary are "two romantic Americans" (83)?

5. Which character opens the story on page 83 by saying "Oh, there is one, of course, but you'll never know it"?

(see the answer keys)

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