View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Tolstoy wrote a biting criticism of what playwright's work?
(a) Marlowe
(b) Aeschylus.
(c) Molière.
(d) Shakespeare.

2. What is the symbol of Gulliver's aging?
(a) His cane.
(b) His spectacles.
(c) His hair, which is turning grey.
(d) His arthritic hands.

3. How did the narrator leave the hospital?
(a) He fled before his time was up, and without an official discharge.
(b) He transferred to another hospital, to be under the care of his own doctor.
(c) He left fully recovered with a doctor's discharge.
(d) Once his condition was stable, he was moved to another facility.

4. Burnham was influenced by what political writer?
(a) Immanuel Kant.
(b) Thomas Aquinas.
(c) Machiavelli.
(d) Gandhi.

5. According to Burnham, what is the most important factor for class mobility, in the society he envisions?
(a) Wealth.
(b) Genealogy.
(c) Appearance.
(d) Ability.

6. How does Gulliver believe science should be used?
(a) For practical applications, like technology, that improve the welfare of all.
(b) To prove that some religious beliefs are absurd.
(c) To wield power over those who aren't educated.
(d) As a mental exercise.

7. According to Orwell, what word best describes Tolstoy's criticisms?
(a) Inconsistent.
(b) Prejudiced.
(c) Indirect.
(d) Obsolete.

8. According to Orwell, how did Swift offend Queen Anne?
(a) By writing a satirical piece that made fun of the English government.
(b) By criticizing a law passed by Parliament.
(c) By greeting her inappropriately when he met her.
(d) By writing a pamphlet that criticized dissenters from the church.

9. What change has occurred for the narrator, in Chapter 3?
(a) He has been reassigned.
(b) He has been demoted.
(c) He has gone from being the oppressor, to being the victim.
(d) He has been imprisoned.

10. How does Orwell feel about Gandhi's policy of non-violent protest?
(a) He agrees wholeheartedly with Gandhi's policy.
(b) It is ineffective, and unsuitable for the modern world.
(c) It is effective in most circumstances, but not all.
(d) It can be effective, but only in some circumstances.

11. According to Burnham, what place do workers occupy in the new socialist structure?
(a) They are near the top of the pyramid.
(b) They are semi-slaves, who are at the bottom of the pyramid.
(c) They are somewhere in the middle of the pyramid.
(d) Burnham does not discuss the socialist position of workers, only managers.

12. How does Orwell feel about Burnham, and his methods of prophesying?
(a) His prophecies are based on good evidence, but they are misinterpreted.
(b) He is cowardly, and mentally imbalanced.
(c) He is a con artist.
(d) He has good intentions, but is misguided.

13. What did the name of Gandhi's political policy, "Satyagraha," mean?
(a) "Firmness in truth."
(b) "Karma."
(c) "Belief in oneself."
(d) "Strength in silence."

14. Overall, how does Orwell feel about "Gulliver's Travels"?
(a) He is bored by them, and doesn't understand people's fascination with the story.
(b) He understands, and sympathizes with, Swift's message, but thinks the books are poorly executed.
(c) He likes the books, and has reread them many times.
(d) He feels that the books have an important message, but are poorly executed.

15. The narrator is a citizen of what country?
(a) Britain.
(b) Burma.
(c) Australia.
(d) India.

Short Answer Questions

1. What similarity does Orwell find between the Catholic and Communist ideologies?

2. Where do the magistrates and police convene after the prisoner's death?

3. Of what religion is the prisoner in Chapter 2?

4. What is the subject of Gulliver's ranting in the second book of "Gulliver's Travels"?

5. What is Orwell's problem with phrases like "swan song"?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 631 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample