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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which nation controls New York at the time when Rip and the village are introduced to the reader?
(a) Holland.
(b) Great Britain.
(c) Sweden.
(d) The United States.

2. Where is the village that Rip lives in?
(a) On the Atlantic coast.
(b) On the island of Manhattan.
(c) At the foot of the Appalachian Mountains.
(d) At the foot of the Catskill Mountains.

3. Who is the frame narrator of "Rip Van Winkle"?
(a) James Fenimore Cooper.
(b) Washington Irving.
(c) Geoffrey Crayon.
(d) Diedrich Knickerbocker.

4. On page 30, the reader is told that Rip has an "insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labour." What does this mean is true about him?
(a) He hates working hard for his own material comfort and financial security.
(b) He is simply lazy.
(c) He is eager to work at anything that will help himself, but he does not like to help others.
(d) He is physically unable to do heavy labor.

5. Who is the author of "Rip Van Winkle"?
(a) Geoffrey Crayon.
(b) Diedrich Knickerbocker.
(c) James Fenimore Cooper.
(d) Washington Irving.

6. After he can no longer spend time with his friends, where does Rip start going to spend time away from his home and farm?
(a) The river.
(b) The woods.
(c) The seashore.
(d) The barn.

7. From the description of Rip's attitude to his farm, on page 30, what can be deduced about Rip?
(a) His farm is envied by many of his neighbors.
(b) His attitude toward his own family is similar to his attitude toward the villagers.
(c) He likes to make excuses instead of taking care of his responsibilities.
(d) He is devoted to his home and family.

8. On page 29, the narrator says that a person might have "descried" the smoke from the village. What does this mean a person might have done?
(a) Complained about it.
(b) Seen it.
(c) Been puzzled by it.
(d) Explained its details.

9. Where does Rip spend time with his friends?
(a) On a bench outside the village inn.
(b) Hunting in the woods.
(c) Inside the bar of a local hotel.
(d) Fishing in the Hudson River.

10. How might Rip's house be described?
(a) Run-down.
(b) Filthy.
(c) Expensive.
(d) Inviting.

11. On page 29, the setting sun causes something to light up and glow "like a crown of glory." This is an example of what literary technique?
(a) Metaphor.
(b) Simile.
(c) Alliteration.
(d) Understatement.

12. On page 30, the reader learns that Rip is "obsequious" and his wife is a "termagant." What can accurately be said about their relationship?
(a) One is embarrassed by the other.
(b) One bullies the other.
(c) They each have a skill that helps the other.
(d) They have violent arguments with each other.

13. In the epigraph from Cartwright's play, to whom does the speaker swear that he will be honest?
(a) The Christian God.
(b) The Norse god, Odin.
(c) The Celtic god, Alator.
(d) The Saxon god, Woden.

14. How does Rip's wife treat his dog?
(a) She ignores the dog completely.
(b) She treats the dog better than anyone else in the family.
(c) She treats the dog the same way she treats Rip.
(d) She insists that the dog stay outside and earn its keep on the farm.

15. What kind of relationship does Rip have with the village children?
(a) The children are frightened of Rip because he is always yelling at his son and daughter.
(b) The children are frightened of Rip because of his habit of talking to himself.
(c) He is a favorite of theirs because he steals apples from a nearby orchard for them.
(d) He is a favorite of theirs because he plays with them and tells stories.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Derrick Van Brummel?

2. Under what pseudonym was "Rip Van Winkle" published?

3. What is Diedrich Knickerbocker's profession?

4. In the frame narrative, the reader is told that the main story's narrator gets his information from the wives of the "burghers" (28). Whose wives are these?

5. Who is Peter Stuyvesant?

(see the answer keys)

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