View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The sentinels are as still as ________________.
(a) Death.
(b) Night.
(c) Sorrow.
(d) Statues.

2. What is the source of the sound that the condemned man hears?
(a) Coins.
(b) His watch.
(c) A chain.
(d) The bridge.

3. The method of execution in the story is __________________.
(a) Unusual.
(b) New.
(c) Precise.
(d) Military style.

4. What does the condemned man NOT wear?
(a) A hood.
(b) Shoes.
(c) A tie.
(d) A hat.

5. What do the men in the infantry do while waiting for the execution?
(a) Sit down.
(b) Hum.
(c) Close their eyes.
(d) Stare forward.

6. The soldiers treat death with military etiquette and _______________.
(a) Singing.
(b) Speeches.
(c) Silence.
(d) Eulogies.

7. What literary technique does the author use when he says that death is a dignitary?
(a) Metaphor.
(b) Simile.
(c) Allegory.
(d) Personification.

8. The remaining plank spans how many railroad ties?
(a) 2.
(b) 3.
(c) 4.
(d) 5.

9. According to the soldiers' ____________, death is to be honored.
(a) Unwritten code.
(b) Rule book.
(c) Orders.
(d) Instincts.

10. What does the man think of when he closes his eyes?
(a) His wife and children.
(b) His mother.
(c) God.
(d) His home.

11. What color eyes does the condemned man have?
(a) Gray.
(b) Green.
(c) Blue.
(d) Brown.

12. The rope around the man's neck is attached to ______________________.
(a) A cross timber.
(b) A tree.
(c) A forklift.
(d) A scaffold.

13. What is the man wearing?
(a) Military uniform.
(b) Night shirt.
(c) A frockcoat.
(d) Overalls.

14. What do the privates do after moving away from the man?
(a) Stand in silence.
(b) Pull away their planks.
(c) Ride away.
(d) Wipe their brows.

15. Which of the following does the condemned man NOT visualize in his mind?
(a) Diving into the water.
(b) Shooting the sergeant.
(c) Ripping off the noose.
(d) Swimming away.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the man's movements?

2. What type of sound distracts the condemned man's thoughts?

3. The condemned man thinks the loud sound is like _____________________.

4. The man in the noose stands at one end of the plank and __________________ stands at the other.

5. What does the condemned man focus on in the water below?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 349 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample