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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Mary discards her first two ideas about what is bothering Ned, she comes to a conclusion that upsets her. What is it?
(a) Ned is having an affair.
(b) Ned is angry at her.
(c) Ned is probably ill.
(d) Ned is keeping a secret from her.

2. As Mary thinks back over the events of October, she sees a figure coming toward the house again. Who is it?
(a) The boiler repairman.
(b) The ghost.
(c) The letter carrier, delivering their mail.
(d) Ned.

3. What is the only descriptive detail that the maid is able to give Mary about the stranger's appearance?
(a) He wore foreign clothing.
(b) He walked with a limp.
(c) He was not very tall.
(d) He had an unusual hat.

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

5. What is the name of Mary and Ned's house?
(a) Pangbourne.
(b) Lyng.
(c) Merton.
(d) Boyne.

6. 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 did not seem as confusing at the time as it would later become.
(b) It was an obvious breach of etiquette.
(c) It did not seem to have any significant meaning for the future.
(d) It was clearly unlucky.

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

8. According to Alida, what is unusual about the ghost at Ned and Mary's new house?
(a) No one knows they have seen it until quite a while after they actually see it.
(b) It can take different forms depending on who is living in the house.
(c) It can come and go--it is not "bound" to the house itself.
(d) It can assume a physical form.

9. When does Mary first realize that Ned is missing?
(a) When the stranger reappears and asks for him again.
(b) When the boiler repairman asks to speak with him.
(c) When she tries to find him to tell him that lunch is ready.
(d) When Trimmle comes in to ask her whether she has seen Ned.

10. 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.

11. Where is Mary and Ned's house located?
(a) Shropshire.
(b) Devon.
(c) Dorsetshire.
(d) Kent.

12. Why does the narrator say that Ned and Mary are "two romantic Americans" (83)?
(a) Because they are not being practical about their search for a house.
(b) Because neither one has any common sense.
(c) Because they tell Alida a far-fetched story about their previous home.
(d) Because they are clearly deeply in love.

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

14. What does Mary learn from the contents of the envelope?
(a) All of their money is gone.
(b) Her husband is being sued.
(c) Her husband is a criminal.
(d) Bob Elwell is dead.

15. 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 Ned to arrive.
(c) She is waiting for the mail to be brought in.
(d) She is waiting for the lamps to be brought in.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Mary, startled by the envelope's contents, cries out and rises to her feet, how does Ned react?

2. 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)?

3. After Mary thinks more about the house and its ghost, what does she begin to wonder?

4. What explanation does Ned give Mary at the time of the mysterious visit in October?

5. In section "V," who comes to visit Mary?

(see the answer keys)

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