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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 does Domenica look like?

2. What are Massingham and Dalgliesh doing when they hear chapel bells?

3. Why does Angela Foley's grandmother not raise Angela?

4. Who rummaged through the upstairs of Mr. Lorrimer's house earlier in the day?

5. What is the most striking thing about Dr. Lorrimer's room?

Short Essay Questions

1. What additional information does Dalgliesh learn from Angela Foley?

2. What do Angela Foley and Stella Mawson talk about before Stella leaves the house?

3. Why is Brenda Pridmore's mother upset and what does she want Brenda to tell Dalgliesh?

4. Describe Brenda Pridmore's walk through the construction site.

5. What do the detectives learn from Mr. Lorrimer?

6. Describe Maxim Howarth's thoughts about Domenica?

7. Who do Dalgliesh and Massingham meet upon arriving at the Lorrimer cottage and what do they learn from the person?

8. How does Dalgliesh sum up his investigation so far at the end of the first day?

9. What does Dalgliesh find during his search of the chapel?

10. Describe Dr. Lorrimer.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Death of an Expert Witness belongs to the literary genre of mystery/detective fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Thoroughly define the term genre and offer examples of it from your own reading experience. Why do you think it is useful to categorize fiction into genres? What could be a disadvantage of doing so?

2. What do you think is the main motivation for a person to read a mystery and detective novel? Is entertainment a good enough reason? Are there any other reasons to read this genre? What? Explain fully.

3. In "academe," mystery/murder novels are often thought of as less literary than some other genres and for that reason are sometimes "snubbed" in the study of literature. Why do you think this is so? Do you agree with this "snobbery"?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Compare and contrast Dr. Lorrimer with Dr. Kerrison. How are they similar and how are they different? Do you think Dr. Lorrimer's hatred of Dr. Kerrison had any basis in Dr. Lorrimer's own self image?

2. Compare and contrast Director Howarth with Domenica Schofield. How are they similar and how are they different? Can you tell where they have similar issues by being half siblings?

3. Compare and contrast Adam Dalgliesh with John Massingham.How are they similar and how are they different? How are their investigative styles alike or different? How do they interact with people differently?

Essay Topic 3

Angela Foley's grandmother has nothing to do with Angela as Angela is growing up and even allows the young girl to go to an orphanage when her mother dies. Discuss the following:

1. Does it make sense for the grandmother to take her dislike of her daughter out on her granddaughter? Why or why not. Is it ethical or moral? Or is it an ethical or moral issue? Explain.

2. How do you think it impacts Angela as a child for her grandmother to reject her especially after Angela's mother dies? How do you think this may have influenced her choices as an adult?

3. What personality traits do you think Angela holds as a result of being caught in the cross-hairs of the feud between her mother and grandmother?

4. Do you think Angela is capable of murder? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,459 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample