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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did John say about Mrs. Gordon after she and Mr. Gordon headed off on the train?

2. What did John do when the farmer’s son asked for his help in Chapter 13?

3. Who did Ginger bite at Squire Gordon’s place?

4. Who was sick in Chapter 18?

5. What did Squire Gordon need Joe to deliver in Chapter 20?

Short Essay Questions

1. What role does communication play in Black Beauty’s life, as described in Chapter 6?

2. How did Mr. Gordon interpret Black Beauty’s action in refusing to go forward onto the broken bridge in the storm?

3. How was Ginger taught not to trust men?

4. How is the theme of cruelty introduced in Chapter 13?

5. What does it say about John’s character that he agreed to hire Little Joe Green?

6. Ginger admitted to Black Beauty that she was bad to her past masters by kicking and biting. What was her reasoning for behaving this way?

7. What was the point of the speech Mr. Gordon gave Captain Langley? What were his main arguments?

8. How did the author use the weather as a writing tool in Chapter 12?

9. How does Black Beauty and Ginger’s relationship change throughout Chapter 5?

10. How does the theme of trust appear in Chapter 16?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Alcohol is a motif throughout Black Beauty. How is alcohol generally presented in the book? How does alcohol affect Black Beauty?

Essay Topic 2

Each horse Black Beauty meets has a name; the inspiration for some names is obvious, while others are more thought provoking. What do the names of the different horses – including the various names Black Beauty is given throughout the novel – tell readers about the horse and/or its owner? Do the horse’s names symbolize anything?

Essay Topic 3

Merrylegs was very happy at his home when Black Beauty first met him and seemed to have found his niche among the other horses. What is Merrylegs’ role on the farm? What role did he play among the other horses? How did Merrylegs feel about his roles in life?

(see the answer keys)

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