View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What begins to happen after the children have their cake and ice cream?
(a) The children become fussy.
(b) The mothers begin to plan another baby party.
(c) Guests begin to leave the party.
(d) Billy begins to open his presents.

2. What technique is used in the page 4 phrase "the moon was out, shining with proud brilliance on the thin sugary snow"?
(a) Allusion.
(b) Personification.
(c) Conceit.
(d) Euphemism.

3. What word describes John's attitude toward Joe during their argument?
(a) Ambivalent.
(b) Contemptuous.
(c) Pitying.
(d) Wounded.

4. What does Ede do right after Mrs. Markey says that she does not find the situation funny?
(a) Throws the teddy bear at Billy.
(b) Mimics Mrs. Markey.
(c) Shoves Billy to the floor.
(d) Laughs.

5. What does Edith feel when she joins Ede in her misbehavior?
(a) Solidarity and defiance.
(b) Anxiety and exhilaration.
(c) Shame and embarrassment.
(d) Relief and freedom.

6. When Edith is interrupted, on page 9, as she says that Mrs. Markey is making "a mountain out of--" what idea is she trying to convey?
(a) Mrs. Markey is lying about Billy being hurt.
(b) Mrs. Markey is enjoying the attention she is getting.
(c) Mrs. Markey is making a big deal over nothing.
(d) Mrs. Markey is just trying to make Edith look bad.

7. What terms does John use on page 4 as he wonders about Ede's party dress?
(a) "Monstrous and vain."
(b) "Radical and mature."
(c) "Incomprehensible and frilly."
(d) "Bizarre and expensive."

8. What amuses John about the idea of the baby party?
(a) The idea of the babies causing chaos in someone else's house.
(b) The idea that babies would even understand the idea of a party.
(c) The idea of the mothers all making critical remarks about one another's children.
(d) The idea that anyone would want to go to a party for babies.

9. What word does Mrs. Markey use on page 9 that infuriates Edith?
(a) "Spoiled."
(b) "Goblin."
(c) "Brat."
(d) "Monster."

10. When Ede and Billy argue over the teddy bear, what is Joe Markey's initial response?
(a) He scolds Ede and embarrasses Edith.
(b) He laughs and tells Edith not to worry.
(c) He teases his son for letting a girl get the better of him.
(d) He tells his wife that it is her job to handle the children.

11. What does Ede think the stuffed bear that Billy is holding is?
(a) A dog.
(b) A cat.
(c) A monster.
(d) A monkey.

12. When Edith tells Ede, on page 8, that she is a "bad girl," what does Ede do?
(a) Cries.
(b) Hides.
(c) Shrugs.
(d) Laughs.

13. Why are all of the children at the party so carefully dressed?
(a) Their parents want to show them off.
(b) Mrs. Markey is known to be a snob about clothing.
(c) Their parents want them to be comfortable while they play.
(d) It is a way to show respect to the party's hosts.

14. As John walks to the Markeys' house, what is he wondering about?
(a) Whether his friend Joe will be at the party.
(b) How Ede will compare to the other children.
(c) Whether his wife is having a good time.
(d) How long he will be expected to stay at the party.

15. How do the Androses know the Markeys?
(a) They are in the same bridge club.
(b) Joe and John went to college together.
(c) They are next-door neighbors.
(d) Joe and John work at the same firm.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Mrs. Markey's first concern when Ede and Billy are arguing over the teddy bear?

2. What causes the two men to stop fighting?

3. In the passage that describes the babies trying to get into the kitchen, how does the narrator's diction create a comic effect?

4. On page 6, how does the narrator characterize the behavior of the children at the party?

5. What does the narrator mean by "even his feeling about his little girl was qualified" (3)?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 731 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample