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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Mary conclude she needs to do in order to see the ghost?
(a) Find out whose ghost it is supposed to be.
(b) Get to know the house better.
(c) Stop actively looking for it.
(d) Make a habit of speaking out loud to the ghost.

2. 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 trained to grow flat against the wall.
(b) They are miniature pear trees.
(c) They are draped with nets to keep the birds away from the fruit.
(d) They are grafted with many different kinds of pears on each tree.

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 joking about how old the house is.
(c) He is trying to frighten Mary.
(d) He thinks that living in a "haunted" house will add to his reputation as a writer.

4. Which character opens the story on page 83 by saying "Oh, there is one, of course, but you'll never know it"?
(a) Ned Boyne.
(b) Trimmle.
(c) Mary Boyne.
(d) Alida Stair.

5. When Mary finally catches up with Ned on that October day, what is he doing?
(a) Staring out the front door.
(b) Searching the lower floor for the intruder.
(c) Pacing in front of the library fireplace.
(d) Looking through his papers in the library.

6. For how many years did Ned and Mary live in the American Midwest while Ned worked as an engineer?
(a) 4.
(b) 24.
(c) 14.
(d) 34.

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

8. 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?
(a) They had already pre-planned every detail of how they would spend their days.
(b) They were discussing a move to England even before they got married.
(c) They had a map of England pinned over their kitchen table at their old house in America.
(d) They made an agreement with one another that they would do "anything" it took to make their dream come true.

9. When Mary thinks back on the October visit from the mysterious man, she thinks that it "had no mark of the portentous" (86). What does this mean she felt about the visit at the time that it happened?
(a) It was clearly unlucky.
(b) It was an obvious breach of etiquette.
(c) It did not seem as confusing at the time as it would later become.
(d) It did not seem to have any significant meaning for the future.

10. When Mary is waiting in the library at the beginning of the story, where is Ned?
(a) Finishing his lunch.
(b) In town on an errand.
(c) Working in his office.
(d) Taking a walk.

11. When Ned is still gone by the time Mary finishes lunch, where does she decide he must be?
(a) She decides that he must have walked the visitor back to the train station.
(b) She decides that he must have gone into town to run an errand.
(c) She decides that he must have gone for his afternoon walk a little early.
(d) She decides that he has finally left her.

12. What does Mary find in the envelope addressed to her?
(a) A photograph.
(b) A letter from Parvis.
(c) An anonymous note.
(d) A newspaper clipping.

13. For the past week, what has Mary been assuming is the cause for Ned's need to be alone and his odd mood?
(a) She thinks that his book is not going very well.
(b) She thinks that he regrets moving to England.
(c) She thinks that he has seen the ghost.
(d) She thinks that he misses having a regular job to go to.

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

15. What event causes Mary to temporarily forget about the mysterious man they saw in October?
(a) She and Ned climb Meldon Steep.
(b) The greenhouse boiler breaks.
(c) One of the housemaids quits.
(d) She receives a letter from Alida Stair.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Mary's mind, what is the only possible source of information about what has happened to Ned?

2. On page 84, the reader learns about the "prodigious windfall" that Ned and Mary experienced. Where did this "prodigious windfall" come from?

3. Mary thinks about the "latent" significance of a piece of information on page 83. What kind of meaning does this information have?

4. When the young man appears behind Mary, who does she at first assume that he is?

5. What is Ned's joking theory about why the ghost is so hard to see?

(see the answer keys)

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