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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. Who is the only person to admit to smoking a pipe?

2. What unusual characteristic does the supposed attacker have?

3. What is the initial on the handkerchief?

4. Who investigates the noise?

5. Where does the train stop in the night?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Dr. Constantine find odd about some of Ratchett's wounds?

2. Why was Ratchett's response considered to be strange?

3. What was the important information Mrs. Hubbard had to share with a person in authority?

4. How is Ratchett murdered?

5. What prompts the military officer to stay in Poirot's company at the train station?

6. What was Poirot's reply when MacQueen questioned his identification?

7. What was unusual about the Count's passport?

8. How did MacQueen become Ratchett's secretary?

9. Why did MacQueen go to see Ratchett that evening?

10. Who was last person to see Ratchett alive?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How did Poirot happen to be on the same train as the victim? Was it by accident or was it planned? How did Poirot react when he realized that Colonel Arbuthnot and Miss Debenham were also on the train? How might the case have been different if Poirot had been able to decipher the relationship between the Colonel and Miss Debenham?

Essay Topic 2

MacQueen presented an odd manner when discussing Ratchett/Cassetti. At first MacQueen seemed pleased to have the job but eventually admits that he did not like Ratchett/Cassetti. MacQueen also states that he believes that Ratchett was an alias and that the man was on the run. Finally, MacQueen kept repeating the fact that Ratchett did not speak French but MacQueen did. Explain these behaviors and how they were detrimental to the murderers' plan.

Essay Topic 3

Poirot took an instant dislike to Ratchett saying that he did not like the man's face. Poirot also refused to take Ratchett's case saying that he didn't need the money enough to take a case he wasn't interested in pursuing regardless of the reward. Explain what Poirot meant by the initial comment about his dislike of Ratchett. Do you think the reaction was due to instinct, training or experience? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 479 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample