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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. According to Burnham, what is the most important factor for class mobility, in the society he envisions?

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

3. Where is the narrator working?

4. Orwell begins Chapter 8 with a meeting of what club?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Orwell respond to the critics of his spring essays?

2. What pamphlet was the subject of the meeting of the P.E.N. Club that takes place in Chapter 8?

3. Who is the prisoner in Chapter 2?

4. How are sporting events similar to combat, according to Orwell?

5. According to Orwell, what were Burnham's political predictions based on?

6. According to Orwell, why don't people read?

7. Whom does Orwell name in Chapter 17 as a well-known nonsense poet?

8. What are some of the books that Orwell names as "Good Bad Books", and what flaw do they share?

9. What event in "Gulliver's Travels", according to Orwell, showed a link between Swift and his character, Gulliver?

10. According to Orwell, what could the reader of "Gulliver's Travels" infer about Swift's political views?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Burnham makes several inaccurate political predictions, and Orwell accuses him of power-worship. On what does Burnham base his predictions?

Essay Topic 2

Orwell claims that the English language is in a state of decline. Do you agree? If so, do you agree that the issues that he mentions are the main cause for this decline? Or are there other, more pressing issues that are causing it? If you disagree, what evidence can you provide to prove that the language is not "in a bad way," as Orwell claims? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your position.

Essay Topic 3

Orwell extols the virtues of children's literature, such as "Superman", over those of "Tom Sawyer", and other similar stories. Do you agree with Orwell's position? In what ways is "Superman" superior to "Tom Sawyer", as children's literature? Are there any ways in which "Tom Sawyer" is better? Orwell claims that "Tom Sawyer" gives children a "false map" of the world - what false ideals do they get from stories like "Superman"? Which set of falsehoods is preferable? Why? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your position.

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