View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What have Mary's new neighbors told her about the ghost?
(a) That it can only be seen at night.
(b) That it is often absent for long stretches of time.
(c) Nothing.
(d) That she will not know when she sees it.

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

3. On page 84, the reader learns about the "prodigious windfall" that Ned and Mary experienced. Where did this "prodigious windfall" come from?
(a) Ned's engineering job.
(b) The Waukesha Sentinel.
(c) The death of their cousin Hugo.
(d) The Blue Star Mine.

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

5. Why is Mary unsure what Ned has or has not already told her about Beb Elwell?
(a) Because ever since they moved into the house, her memory is getting weaker.
(b) Because the Bob Elwell story is very similar to another incident in their past.
(c) Because she does not pay much attention when he talks about work.
(d) Because Ned has a habit of lying about what he has or has not told her.

6. Why are Ned and Mary so interested in living in an isolated location?
(a) They want to avoid questions about their money.
(b) They want peace and quiet to enjoy their new hobbies.
(c) They are very introverted.
(d) They are afraid of the crime associated with larger populations.

7. In section "V," who comes to visit Mary?
(a) Alida.
(b) Bob Elwell's widow.
(c) Parvis.
(d) Hugo.

8. What does Mary suddenly remember finding one day in October?
(a) A book on the house's history.
(b) A letter addressed to a previous occupant of the house.
(c) A mysterious portrait.
(d) A hidden staircase.

9. 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 trying to frighten Mary.
(b) He is looking for an excuse to back out of buying the house.
(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.

10. What does Ned say, on page 83, must be true for him to believe a house is old?
(a) It must be "practical."
(b) It must be "thoroughly uncomfortable."
(c) It must be "a registered home."
(d) It must be "bought out of an exhibition."

11. 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 probably ill.
(c) Ned is angry at her.
(d) Ned is keeping a secret from her.

12. Why is the information about Bob Elwell's slow death so significant to Mary?
(a) She realizes that the timing lines up with the sightings of the ghost.
(b) She realizes that Ned lied when he told her that everything was resolved.
(c) She cannot help being glad that the man who made her husband suffer also suffered.
(d) She is devastated about how much suffering her husband caused.

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

14. 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 a very unreliable water supply.
(b) It is in the official register of historic homes.
(c) It has no central heating system.
(d) It has no electrical system.

15. In section "III," when Mary looks at the house from across the property, what does she feel about the house?
(a) That is is like an evil creature squatting in the landcape.
(b) That it seems to be laughing at her, somehow, almost mockingly.
(c) That it is like a kindly older person that keeps secrets for the good of others.
(d) That it seems to be trying to communicate something urgent to her.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Mary ask the mysterious young man whether he has an appointment with Ned?

2. In the opening of the story, what is Mary waiting for?

3. In section "II," what question does Mary repeatedly ask Ned that evening in the library?

4. When Mary is waiting in the library at the beginning of the story, where is Ned?

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

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 957 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample