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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. 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 physically unable to do heavy labor.
(c) He is simply lazy.
(d) He is eager to work at anything that will help himself, but he does not like to help others.

2. When on page 31, the narrator refers to Rip's wife's nagging as a "torrent of household eloquence," what tone is created?
(a) Maudlin.
(b) Ironic.
(c) Farcical.
(d) Nostalgic.

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

4. 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) He is a favorite of theirs because he plays with them and tells stories.
(c) The children are frightened of Rip because of his habit of talking to himself.
(d) He is a favorite of theirs because he steals apples from a nearby orchard for them.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Rip's dog's name?

2. On page 28, the reader is told that the narrator of the main story is known for "scrupulous" accuracy. What kind of accuracy is this?

3. Who is the author of "Rip Van Winkle"?

4. On page 30, the reader learns that Rip is "obsequious" and his wife is a "termagant." What can accurately be said about their relationship?

5. On page 29, the mountains are said to be "lording it over the surrounding country." This is an example of which literary technique?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the condition of Rip's children.

2. Describe the contents of the story's epigraph and tell how this relates to the frame narrative.

3. Explain what the frame narrative says about the historian who recorded Rip's story--where does his work come from, and how reliable is it?

4. Explain the relationship of Washington Irving, Diedrich Knickerbocker, and Geoffrey Crayon.

5. How is the setting of the Catskills described?

6. What relationship does Rip have with the village children, and how does it characterize him?

7. Describe the relationship between Rip and his wife.

8. What do Rip and his friends do when they gather together outside the village inn, and how does this characterize Rip?

9. Describe how Rip's relationship with the dog contrasts with his wife's relationship with the dog.

10. Describe the condition of Rip's home and farm.

(see the answer keys)

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