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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. At what piece of furniture does Tom Benecke sit at the beginning of the story?
(a) A dining room table.
(b) A desk.
(c) A breakfast nook.
(d) A secretary.

2. What thought does the narrator describe as being difficult for Tom Benecke to "escape" (18)?
(a) The thought that his wife might be out with another man.
(b) The thought that he must differentiate himself from the other young men in his company.
(c) The thought that he and Clare are behind on the bills.
(d) The thought that he is afraid of heights.

3. The narrator describes Tom Benecke as a man who looks like he had played what sport in college?
(a) Baseball.
(b) Basketball.
(c) Lacrosse.
(d) Football.

4. In what room of the apartment is Tom Benecke's desk located?
(a) The kitchen.
(b) The study.
(c) The living room.
(d) The bedroom.

5. What adjective does the narrator use to indicate how Tom Benecke feels about the idea of abandoning the yellow piece of paper?
(a) Tempting.
(b) Ridiculous.
(c) Depressed.
(d) Growing.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Tom Benecke hear "scraping steadily along the rough bricks" (24)?

2. What is the nature of Tom Benecke's innovative idea concerning the grocery business?

3. On what street do the Beneckes live?

4. When Tom Benecke finally looks down, he sees the scene below him through the perspective of what frame?

5. What kind of typewriter does Tom Benecke use?

Short Essay Questions

1. Discuss the use of the sound motif within the first section of the story.

2. How does Tom Benecke feel about the idea of abandoning the yellow sheet of paper at the beginning of the story?

3. For what reason does Tom Benecke feel that he needs to finish his work project quickly?

4. What, if any, direct benefit does Tom Benecke believe he will receive in exchange for his idea for a new method of display?

5. To what aspect of his life does Tom Benecke link his "guilty conscience" (1) at the start of the story?

6. Describe the miscalculations Tom Benecke makes when he is preparing to go outside.

7. What evidence points toward the fact that Clare Benecke often goes out by herself because Tom Benecke has to work?

8. Discuss the way in which Finney uses the hypothetical with a particular purpose in mind in Paragraph 20.

9. What is the setting of the story "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket," and how is the setting used to amplify suspense?

10. Discuss how Finney employs sensory details as a means to create suspense.

(see the answer keys)

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