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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. What does Mrs. Stevenson accuse the operator of doing after the operator tells her that the number is busy in Act I, Part 2?

2. How many times does the phone ring before someone at the Police Department picks it up in Act 1, Part 2?

3. What can be heard as the play begins?

4. What word does Mrs. Stevenson use to describe the fact that the Chief Operator will not trace the call?

5. When Mrs. Stevenson reaches the operator in Act I, Part 1, how long has she been dialing Murray Hill?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the Chief Operator not able to trace the call for Mrs. Stevenson?

2. How does Mrs. Stevenson react when the operator says she will dial Murray Hill 4-0098?

3. How is the Chief Operator described and what is she wearing?

4. What information does the Chief Operator ask Mrs. Stevenson?

5. What is Mrs. Stevenson doing as the curtain rises in Act I, Part 1?

6. What happens when the operator dials the number Mrs. Stevenson has been trying to reach in Act I, Part 1?

7. What instructions is George given for the actual murder?

8. What does Mrs. Stevenson say as the operator tries the number in Act I, Part 1?

9. What does Mrs. Stevenson say about the call she overheard and whether it is still continuing?

10. How does Mrs. Stevenson respond when George and the 1st Man begin talking in Act I, Part 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mrs. Stevenson and Sergeant Duffy seem to be at cross purposes when they speak on the phone. How invested are Mrs. Stevenson and Sergeant Duffy in the conversation they are having? In what way are the two at cross purposes as they converse? How does that affect the results Mrs. Stevenson is trying to achieve?

Essay Topic 2

Mrs. Stevenson is the most developed character in the play. How do readers learn about the type of woman Mrs. Stevenson is? How is her character developed? What is learned about her character and the type of person she is?

Essay Topic 3

Language used in a play might include dialects, slang, accents, colloquial language, or something else. How would you describe the type of language used in the play and how it contributes to the story and defines characters? In what way does the language affect the plot and flow of the story?

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This section contains 769 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample