View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why is Karl so useful to Therese when she is running errands in the city?
(a) He can protect her from the advances of men in the city.
(b) He has a much better sense of direction than Therese does.
(c) He is able to carry much heavier loads than she can.
(d) He is more confident in dealing with the businesses they enter.

2. Where does the head cook have Karl's luggage sent?
(a) To Karl's uncle's apartment.
(b) To the porter's lodge.
(c) To a nearby boardinghouse.
(d) To Brunelda's house.

3. Whose holds the job the head porter calls the "most stupid work in the entire hotel" (175)?
(a) The lift boys.
(b) The errand boys who work for the underporters.
(c) The hotel detectives.
(d) The underporters who answer guest questions.

4. Why is the landlady so reluctant to give Karl and Robinson breakfast to take back to the apartment?
(a) It is late afternoon when they come to ask for it.
(b) She is concerned they will spill the tray in the corridor.
(c) Brunelda has not paid her rent for several months.
(d) Delamarche is frequently critical of her food.

5. What book does Karl's trunk contain?
(a) Karl's journal.
(b) A volume of Rilke's poems.
(c) The Bible.
(d) A photo album from his childhood.

6. What job did Therese perform so well that she caught the head cook's attention and was offered the job of secretary?
(a) Taking inventory.
(b) Lighting candles.
(c) Bargaining with vendors.
(d) Arranging napkins.

7. When the trio stop for lunch, whose father does Karl hear gossip about?
(a) Jakob's.
(b) Mack's.
(c) Green's.
(d) Klara's.

8. What does the policeman's repetition of Karl's name make Karl think is true?
(a) The policeman suspects him of something.
(b) The policeman is prejudiced against Germans.
(c) The policeman is not very quick-witted.
(d) The hotel is trying to have him traced.

9. What does Therese try to make Karl promise her?
(a) That he will ask the head waiter about a promotion.
(b) That he will not speak to Delamarche again.
(c) That he will not leave the Occidental without her.
(d) That he will study harder for the business correspondence course.

10. How long is Karl at the Occidental Hotel before he hears that Delamarche has been asking about him?
(a) Two months.
(b) A week.
(c) Two weeks.
(d) A month.

11. How did one of Brunelda's former servants lose his front tooth?
(a) Brunelda threw a hot water bottle at him.
(b) Brunelda's ex-husband shoved him into a wall.
(c) Delamarche punched him in the face.
(d) He tripped over Brunelda's little dog.

12. What compliment does Karl offer Therese about her job?
(a) She is good at predicting the cook's moods.
(b) She is good at running errands.
(c) She is good at waking people up.
(d) She is good at typing.

13. What comic detail is offered about the head porter's appearance?
(a) His beard is so shiny with wax that it looks as if it is soaking wet.
(b) His uniform hat is so tall that it is continually toppling from his head.
(c) His ears stick out from the sides of his heads like teacup handles.
(d) His clothing is so richly decorated that it makes it hard for him to move.

14. What does the head cook tell Karl that he does not "seem the type" for?
(a) Deserting his companions.
(b) Studying at a university.
(c) Wandering around the country.
(d) Working at a menial job.

15. Besides the possible pay and the difficulty of getting other work, what reason does Robinson give for why Karl should accept the job?
(a) Delamarche will protect Karl from the police.
(b) The food and drink supplied by the landlady are wonderful.
(c) It will please Delamarche and improve his mood.
(d) Karl will get to be near Brunelda all the time.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the primary focus of the text's description of the scenery that Karl and his companions first travel through during their walk?

2. When Delamarche appears on the street to find out what is happening with the hired car, what is he wearing?

3. What causes Karl to have second thoughts about leaving New York?

4. What is the significance of the lift boy that passes Karl and Robinson while Karl is sneaking Robinson into the dormitory?

5. What does the word "Occidental" mean?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 812 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample