View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where did Jack once shoot Scratchy?
(a) On his ear.
(b) In the foot.
(c) In the leg.
(d) His arm.

2. How many minutes before the train arrives in Yellow Sky are the men talking in the bar?
(a) Twenty-one.
(b) One hour.
(c) Twenty.
(d) Thirty.

3. Who has never been on a train before?
(a) The groom.
(b) The judge.
(c) The porter.
(d) The bride.

4. Where is the barkeeper's dog?
(a) Sleeping at the end of main street.
(b) Out back, chasing rabbits.
(c) Sleeping under a table.
(d) He lays on the boardwalk that crosses the front door of the bar.

5. What do other passengers on the train think of the couple?
(a) They are rich.
(b) They are handsome.
(c) They are naive.
(d) They are from San Antonio.

Short Answer Questions

1. How do the people of Yellow Sky feel about Jack?

2. What does the man say who enters the bar?

3. What does the man tell the drummer as he walks into the bar about what will happen in the town?

4. What does the porter do to make the exit from the train easier?

5. As Scratchy approaches, one man gestures toward the barkeep for something. What does he want?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the fittings on the train symbolize for the couple?

2. Why does the author say the bride has cooked before? What gives the reader the clue to her background?

3. What is the symbolism of the little silver watch? Why did Jack by this for his bride? What is this a symbol of?

4. Why do all the men in the bar want to see Jack? What can he do that they can't? It appears nobody is really going to fight? Is there a real danger here?

5. How does the author describe the man at the railway station? What does his description tell us about the weather that day?

6. Describe the character of the town of Yellow Sky. What is Jack's position in the town? How is he viewed by others?

7. Explain the role of the African-American porters in this story. How do they regard the couple? Why? Is this alluding to a reverse of racial attitudes of the times?

8. What is Scratchy known for? What is his past?

9. What is the reaction of the men in the bar to the news that Scratchy is on the loose? Do their actions seemed rehearsed? Why? Why not? What does this tell the reader about the town in general?

10. At the opening of Chapter 2, describe the scene in the Weary Gentleman. What is the feeling? Is the town relaxed and pleasant? Why? Why not? What tensions do you feel at this point in the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,143 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample