View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. What did Mary and Ned discover about their roof?
(a) It has a hidden walkway.
(b) It has one more chimney than they have fireplaces inside.
(c) There is a recently replaced section.
(d) It appears to be a different color over the library.

3. 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 he misses having a regular job to go to.
(b) She thinks that he regrets moving to England.
(c) She thinks that he has seen the ghost.
(d) She thinks that his book is not going very well.

4. When Mary and Ned see the man coming toward the hosue in October, what does Mary assume?
(a) It is their cousin Hugo.
(b) It is a friend of Timmle's.
(c) It is the ghost.
(d) It is one of their workmen.

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

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

7. When the story refers to "Boyne," who or what is being referred to?
(a) Mary.
(b) The house.
(c) Ned's father.
(d) Ned.

8. When the story opens, in which room of her house is Mary waiting?
(a) The dining room.
(b) Her bedroom.
(c) The front parlor.
(d) The library.

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

10. After Mary thinks more about the house and its ghost, what does she begin to wonder?
(a) Whether Ned has seen the ghost and this is the cause of his strange mood.
(b) Whether her household servants have ever seen the ghost.
(c) Whether it is possible that Alida lied to them about the ghost.
(d) Whether she might actually already know the identity of the ghost.

11. 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.

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

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 instinctively mistrusts the young man.
(d) She is trying to protect Ned's writing time.

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

15. When Ned begins to read the newspaper in the library in section "II," he tries to sound casual as he asks Mary a question. What is the question?
(a) He asks if Mary remembers seeing the ghost in October.
(b) He asks if the mysterious stranger has come back to the house at any point.
(c) He asks if she ever wonders exactly how he made the money they used to buy the house.
(d) He asks if she knows how long "afterward" it is when people realize they have seen the ghost.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the author of "Afterward"?

2. What does Mary find in the envelope addressed to her?

3. 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?

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

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 904 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample