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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Lyman believes that his grandparents were
(a) Boring and untalented.
(b) Tough, resilient, creative and enduring.
(c) Wealthy and selfish.
(d) Afraid to take chances.

2. How does the small Ward cabin figure in Leadville society?
(a) It is located near the train station
(b) Susan's wit, conversational abilities and homemaking skills make it a welcome gathering spot for a wide variety of cultures and people.
(c) The Leadville children think it is haunted
(d) It has no signifigance whatsoever

3. Why does Oliver quit the New Almaden mine?
(a) He was turned down for a promotion
(b) Because he is ordered to tear down a fired man's house, and he refuses to do so.
(c) He has found another job
(d) He realizes he cannot do the job satisfactorily

4. What is the bad news her mother tells her on the first day home?
(a) Her sister Bessie is ill
(b) Thomas is severely ill
(c) Her mother is expecting a baby
(d) Augusta has passed away

5. How does Susan view Lizzie?
(a) A noisy, bothersome helpmate
(b) A competitor for Oliver's attention
(c) A thief
(d) Stong, patient, resilient mother who has accepted her conditions well.

6. What is the dream that Susan will lose if the cement is not successful?
(a) To buy a large diamond ring
(b) To take a cruise around the world
(c) Building a mansion in Santa Cruz that rivals Augusta's home in New York and a permanent home
(d) To buy the boardinghouse

7. Why was Thomas Hudson a frail and sickly man?
(a) He abused alcohol
(b) He had been injured in the war.
(c) He had cancer
(d) He was a vegetarian

8. Why does Lyman begin fictionalizing his grandparents' lives in a novel?
(a) They are not famous enough for a non-fiction biography, and it will help him understand them better this way.
(b) Lyman has no experience in writing
(c) Shelley suggested this form to him
(d) Lyman has long wanted to write a romance novel

9. What odd presents did Oliver send from Leadville to Susan and Ollie in Milton?
(a) A Christmas tree and a puppy
(b) Beaver skins and a gigantic elk head
(c) Liquor and candy
(d) Twenty-four canaries

10. Why is Al Sutton important to this story?
(a) He is Shelley's husband
(b) He caused Lyman to lose his leg
(c) He provides comic relief and helps to flesh out the character of Lyman, son of the richest family in town.
(d) He saved Lyman's life

11. Who is Pricey?
(a) The gardener
(b) Oliver's clerk from England
(c) Susan's pet name for her wagon
(d) Susan's horse

12. How does Susan deal with her frustration?
(a) She falls in love with the gardener
(b) She begins a career as an illustrator for books and magazines
(c) She spends her time reading and ignoring the household duties
(d) She goes back east and divorces Oliver

13. What is a good description of the Ward home?
(a) Wide veranda, clean and comfortable house
(b) Tumble down shack
(c) A section of a boardinghouse
(d) House trailer

14. Why does the author call this period a blissful time for his grandmother?
(a) She is in a coma
(b) She is falling in love with the mine supervisor
(c) Her career is growing; she has intelligent conversations with their visitors, and she is pregnant.
(d) She is back east with Augusta

15. When they arrive at the cabin, where is Pricey?
(a) Critically injured from a beating
(b) At the local tavern
(c) Asleep in their bed
(d) Reading

Short Answer Questions

1. What criticism does Shelley offer about Lyman's writing?

2. What does Susan encourage Oliver to do instead of moving their family to another country?

3. Why didn't Oliver send the train fare for his wife and her maid?

4. What is the purpose of Rodman's discussion with Lyman concerning Oliver's time at Deadwood?

5. What is the age difference between Susan and Frank

(see the answer keys)

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