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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 main suspect in the theft of the documents?

2. When the man approached the group, what was on his face?

3. What appears on Mrs. Maltraverse's hand after the person came into the room?

4. What does the woman do for a living? Why is the woman famous?

5. Why was the crime committed in the first place?

Short Essay Questions

1. Captain Hastings meets up with Poirot to find out that the detective is going on a case. What is the case?

2. What about the doctor's statement struck Poirot as being odd? Who may have influenced the autopsy?

3. What was the point of the empty package? Who perpetrated the hoax?

4. What has the woman so upset about one of her possessions? What are the consequences if Marvell does not comply?

5. What event traumatizes Mrs. Maltraverse? What happens shortly after the event takes place?

6. What disturbing news does Poirot receive regarding a theft? Who is the main suspect?

7. What happens when the police attempt to find the housekeeper? What is Poirot's conclusion?

8. Why were the Robinsons considered to be perfect as the new tenants?

9. Who visits Hastings in Poirot's absence? What is strange about the encounter?

10. What event causes an uproar during the dinner at Marsdon Manor? Who informs the diners of the disturbance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat" Poirot must solve the case of the stolen naval papers from the United States government. Discuss the theft and how it might have been executed. Answer the following questions: What are naval papers and what might they contain? From which agency and location were the naval bonds stolen? How might a person get into a high security facility to steal important documents? How would they be smuggled out of the country? For what purpose were the bonds stolen? Who might have wanted the naval papers? What became of the papers in the end?

Essay Topic 2

In "The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" police must conduct a crime scene investigation at the site of the theft of Mrs. Opalsen's necklace. Describe in detail how the investigation was carried out and how the police missed an important item. Compare and contrast the methods used in the story to modern day crime scene investigation techniques. What are the biggest advancements? Are there cases in which the "old school" ways are better? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout Agatha Christie's mysteries there are almost always staff members or servants of some kind. This is especially important in "The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan." Examine how servants played an important role in the lives of the characters as well as in the stories. Why does Christie use this method of introducing characters? Is the use of servants a part of every day life for this type of main characters or are they used to distract the reader? In murder mysteries servants are often used as scapegoats. Is this an accurate portrayal? What is required of the servants upon being employed? Is the employer's level of trust given automatically or does it have to be earned?

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