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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who does the boy pretend he is saving at the end of the story?
(a) Cinderella.
(b) Snow White.
(c) The Little Mermaid.
(d) Sleeping Beauty.

2. What were the man and woman and little boy no longer able to admire when they took their dog for walks around the neighborhood?
(a) Elaborate pools.
(b) Neighbors in fancy outfits.
(c) Nice cars.
(d) Roses and nice lawns.

3. At the end of the story, what is the coil tunnel said to be "just wide enough for" (30)?
(a) The cat to sleep in.
(b) An intruder to squeeze through.
(c) The boy to creep in.
(d) The rain to seep through.

4. What information was affixed to some of the security walls of people's houses in the suburbs?
(a) The local homeless shelter.
(b) The company who installed them.
(c) Who to call in case of emergency.
(d) The local police number.

5. Why did people in the city begin spending time in the suburbs even if they were not housemaids or gardeners?
(a) They were looking for work.
(b) They were waiting for families to leave so they could rob them.
(c) They had friends in the suburbs.
(d) Their kids were bussed there for school.

6. What does the boy pretend the serrated metal coils are at the end of the story?
(a) A secret fortress.
(b) A xylophone.
(c) A thicket of thorns.
(d) A ladder.

7. Who gave the man and woman money to build a higher wall around their house?
(a) The woman's father.
(b) They took out a loan.
(c) The man's mother.
(d) The neighborhood association.

8. Why did the wife suggest they build a higher wall around their house?
(a) She wanted it to block out the sun.
(b) Her husband suggested that someone might still be able to climb in.
(c) She worried her son would climb over their current wall.
(d) She wanted their wall higher than their neighbors.

9. What words are used to describe the sounds the alarms in the suburban neighborhood made?
(a) Jingle jangles.
(b) Bangs and booms.
(c) Shrills, beats, and wails.
(d) Beeps, honks, and toots.

10. Why did the man and the woman not hire any of the people from the city who came seeking jobs?
(a) They had been warned by his mother not to take anyone in off the street.
(b) They could not afford to pay anyone else.
(c) They had no resumes.
(d) They did not need any extra help.

11. In addition to taken items from homes, what did the suburban intruders do in the homes?
(a) Napped.
(b) Ate and drank.
(c) Had parties.
(d) Read.

12. What additional security option does the husband and wife choose after comparing various styles in the neighborhood?
(a) Glass embedded in cement.
(b) Iron grilles with lance-points.
(c) 12-inch pikes.
(d) Serrated metal coils.

13. What is the name of the company that installs the security fence the man and woman have installed toward the end of the story?
(a) Wolf Fangs.
(b) Snake Bite.
(c) Bear Claws.
(d) Dragon's Teeth.

14. What are some of the things intruders would take from suburban homes?
(a) Books and DVDs.
(b) Pots and pans and coffee makers.
(c) Cassette players, radios and jewelry.
(d) Computers and cell phones.

15. What is the gardener doing as he walks back to the house at the end of the story?
(a) Crawling.
(b) Weeping.
(c) Yelling.
(d) Laughing.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did the housemaid say to the woman who hung about the suburbs looking for work?

2. How is the housemaid described at the end of the story as she walks back to the house?

3. The sounds of the alarms in the suburban neighborhood were likened to which creatures?

4. Who does the little boy pretend to be at the end of the story?

5. Which of his son's toys did the man take in from the yard every night in case someone came in?

(see the answer keys)

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