View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is Mrs. Armstrong's first name?
(a) Jennifer.
(b) Rachel.
(c) Helen.
(d) Deborah.

2. What does the narrator say about the number of people in town attending the pageant in question?
(a) Half the town attends.
(b) Everyone attends.
(c) A bunch of people attend.
(d) Most of the town attends.

3. What does Imogene NOT threaten to do to Alice if Alice tries to play the part of Mary?
(a) To hit Alice in the head.
(b) To draw pictures all over Alice's homework.
(c) To get Alice thrown out of school.
(d) To put worms in Alice's coat pocket.

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

5. What does the narrator finally decide when she is trying to figure out why someone would write down every bad action taken by the Herdman siblings?
(a) She thinks that it must feel good to Gladys to see evidence of the Herdman siblings' evil-doing in black-and-white.
(b) She thinks that it must feel good to Alice to see evidence of the Herdman siblings' evil-doing in black-and-white.
(c) She thinks that it must feel good to Mother to see evidence of the Herdman siblings' evil-doing in black-and-white.
(d) She thinks that it must feel good to Mrs. Wendleken to see evidence of the Herdman siblings' evil-doing in black-and-white.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the narrator say about the prediction that no would come to see the pageant?

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

3. How does Imogene feel about Mother's announcement that the pageant will use a doll for the role of Jesus?

4. Why do all of the shepherds get nervous when Mother mentions the Angel of the Lord?

5. What kind of expression does Alice have on her face when she answers Mother's query about Alice's behavior during the assigning of pageant roles?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways does the author depict Father as a funny man?

2. What message is being sent about arrogance within Mother's exclamation when she shouts, "That woman! She must be surprised that the sun is still coming up every morning without her to supervise the sunrise" (45)?

3. How is irony used within the depiction of the cigar-smoking incident in the church restroom?

4. What evidence does the author provide for the conclusion that having the first meeting about the pageant after church is a poor decision?

5. Discuss how Mother's character is depicted as having unending supplies of patience and compassion.

6. How does the narrator portray her friend Alice's personification of Mrs. Armstrong's saying, "There are no parts, only small actors" (21)?

7. How is foreshadowing employed within the last two sentences of Chapter Six?

8. For what reasons does the pageant not have a real baby to play Jesus?

9. What behaviors of the Herdman siblings indicate their keen interest in the subject of the Christmas story?

10. What questions are raised in the narrator's mind about the Nativity story as a result of her interactions with the Herdmans?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,780 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample