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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. After Mary leaves, what does Qwilleran ask his cats?

2. When Koko turns on the tape player again, what do Qwilleran and Ben hear?

3. what illegal activity does Qwilleran learn about from the manuscript?

4. What does Hollis Prantz come looking for at the Cobbs's building?

5. Why does Qwilleran think people will be astonished when he enters the Press Club dinner?

Short Essay Questions

1. After Mary leaves, what does Qwilleran do to show that he is a genuine cat lover?

2. What is the significance of the surprise visitor to Iris's shop while Qwilleran is taking his turn managing it?

3. What arrangement does Qwilleran make with Ben Nicolas?

4. What does Mary find strange about Qwilleran's list of sales and inquiries while he was manning Iris's shop?

5. What was C. C. supposedly looking for in the Ellsworth house?

6. What does Qwilleran learn from reading the manuscript that explains the calls for horse braces?

7. What information does Mrs. McGuffey give Qwilleran about the Cobb house?

8. What does Riker tell Qwilleran about his writing when Qwilleran drops in at the Fluxion office?

9. What other mystery does Koko uncover at the end of the novel?

10. What arrangement does Qwilleran make with Mary?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In two or more type written double spaced pages, write an essay on "Why Innocent Characters Must Be Suspects in a Mystery Novel". From Braun's novel, use Hollis Krantz, Iris Cobb, and Mary Duckworth as potential murderers within the novel.

Essay Topic 2

In two or more type written double spaced pages, write an essay on "The Value of Mystery Novels as Escapism in Literature". Define escapism, point out how mystery stories put readers into situations they are unlikely to experience in real life, and compare mystery stories to word games and puzzles as a diversion.

Essay Topic 3

In two or more type written double spaced pages, write an essay on "The Art of Collecting Antiques". (1) Discuss how Mary is an authority on the value of antiques, (2) how just because a thing is old does not make it valuable, and (3) where the best places are to go looking for antiques. To spruce up your essay, you might want to research examples of people who have found fortunes at yard sales and in junk shops.

(see the answer keys)

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