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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. What do the Herdman siblings do once the fire department arrives at the church?
(a) They throw spitballs at the evacuees.
(b) They ask to help fight the fire.
(c) They lie down in the street.
(d) They leave.

3. What object does Ollie have to have surgically removed from his ear?
(a) A kidney bean.
(b) A kernel of corn.
(c) A sprouted pussy willow.
(d) A vitamin pill.

4. Whom does the narrator name as the character who always plays the role of Mary?
(a) Herself.
(b) Imogene.
(c) Alice.
(d) Gladys.

5. What is NOT a role assigned to the older boys and girls without major parts in the pageant?
(a) Guests at the inn.
(b) Shepherds.
(c) Ushers.
(d) Members of the angel choir.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. On what adjective do Mother and Father agree when describing Mary having to give birth to Jesus in a stable?

3. What kinds of books does the narrator say are kept in the basement of the library?

4. What topic do the Herdman siblings research during their first visit to the library?

5. To what historical person does the narrator allude when referring to the ludicrous nature of Mother's declaration about the coming Christmas pageant?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does Reverend Hopkins redirect his congregation when he notices their treatment of the Herdman siblings?

2. For what purpose does the author include an allusion to General Custer in the last section of Chapter Six?

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

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

5. What connections does the author draw between the Herdmans and the Holy Family?

6. How does the narrator's interaction with the Herdmans change the narrator's perspective of the Christmas story?

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

8. What does the library symbolize?

9. Discuss the significance of Mrs. Armstrong's comment to Mother when she says, "And then I always remind them that there are no small parts, only small actors" (25).

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

(see the answer keys)

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