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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What happens while the fire department is inside the church and the evacuated civilians are waiting outside?
(a) A thunderstorm begins.
(b) The church's pet rabbit runs into the road.
(c) A taxi cab nearly runs over one of the church members.
(d) The applesauce cake burns up.

2. How does Imogene feel about Mother's announcement that the pageant will use a doll for the role of Jesus?
(a) She is pleased because dolls do not spit up.
(b) She is angry because she wants to borrow her neighbor's baby.
(c) She is sad because her heart had been set on a real baby.
(d) She is pleased because dolls do not bite.

3. Which character voices the concern that no one may come to see the pageant?
(a) Charlie.
(b) Ralph.
(c) Reverend Hopkins.
(d) Father.

4. What happens to rob the pageant of its real infant playing the role of Jesus?
(a) The baby gets the mumps.
(b) The baby is adopted by a family.
(c) The baby gets chicken pox.
(d) The baby is needed for another nativity pageant that night.

5. In the pageant incarnation described at the center of the narrative, who plays the role of the Angel of the Lord?
(a) Imogene.
(b) Gladys.
(c) The narrator.
(d) Alice.

6. Which character asks Mother if she thinks the church should call off the pageant?
(a) Ralph.
(b) Reverend Hopkins.
(c) Father.
(d) Mrs. Wendleken.

7. What action eventually taken by a Herdman sibling is said by the narrator to be "the one great big sinful thing Alice" (66) had been hoping for?
(a) Imogene smoking a cigar.
(b) Imogene burning down the church.
(c) Ollie cheating on a test.
(d) Ralph setting off fireworks.

8. Mrs. Armstrong tells Mother that she must choose the person who plays Mary very carefully because of what reason?
(a) Because Mary has the greatest number of lines.
(b) Because Mary does not speak and only uses facial expressions.
(c) Because Mary was the mother of Jesus.
(d) Because Mary has the most elaborate costume.

9. What is the true source of the smoke that causes one of the women in the Ladies' Aid group to call the fire department?
(a) Imogene's cigar.
(b) Ollie's chemistry set.
(c) Gladys's pipe.
(d) Claude's cigarette.

10. Mrs. Wendleken uses what adjective to describe Mother's decision to allow a Herdman to play the role of Mary?
(a) Heretical.
(b) Sacrilegious.
(c) Insane.
(d) Immoral.

11. What does the narrator say about the prediction that no would come to see the pageant?
(a) She says that the person could not possibly believe their own luck.
(b) She says the person had been right.
(c) She says the person had been wrong.
(d) She says the person had been partially correct.

12. What does the narrator mean when she says Mother told her "not to be so fresh" (26)?
(a) Mother told the narrator not be so quick to judge people.
(b) Mother told the narrator not to be so prim and proper.
(c) Mother told the narrator not to talk back.
(d) Mother told the narrator not to use so much hand soap.

13. By the time all of the parts are assigned in the narrative, most of the actors have what last name?
(a) Herdman.
(b) Wendelken.
(c) Armstrong.
(d) Hopkins.

14. Who begins to write down on a pad of paper every bad action taken by the Herdman siblings during the pageant rehearsals?
(a) Mrs. Wendleken.
(b) Mother.
(c) Alice.
(d) Gladys.

15. How much had the character who always played Joseph unsuccessfully offered another character to play the role of Joseph instead?
(a) $5.
(b) $10.
(c) 50 cents.
(d) $1.

Short Answer Questions

1. At the end of Mother's story to Father about the first pageant rehearsal, what conclusion does she draw about the Herdman siblings?

2. In the pageant incarnation described at the center of the narrative, who plays the role of Joseph?

3. Mrs. Armstrong announces that however the pageant turns out, she will accept the what?

4. How does Mother feel about Mrs. Armstrong's announcement that she does not know how the pageant will turn out?

5. After completing research at the library, in what way do the Herdmans want to rewrite the pageant?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 698 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample