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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. Who does Mary suspect was giving her crank calls?

2. What awaits Qwilleran when he returns to his apartment?

3. What is Qwilleran's narrow escape while hunting with Ben?

4. How does Qwilleran first try to discover who the drug dealer is?

5. At Patch's house, what sends Koko into a frenzy?

Short Essay Questions

1. What arrangement does Qwilleran make with Mary?

2. What amusing information does Cluthra provide when Qwilleran goes to visit her?

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

4. What does Qwilleran find in Nicolas's apartment after he has a meal with him?

5. What arrangement does Qwilleran make with Ben Nicolas?

6. After going to the Garrick Theatre with Ben, what does Qwilleran observe at the bar called The Lion's Tail?

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

8. Why does Qwilleran finally get around to hanging the Mackintosh coat of arms, and who comes to help him do it?

9. What is the evidence Qwilleran discovers outside the Ellsworth House?

10. How does Koko inadvertently solve the mystery?

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 I Thought [another character] Was the Murderer". Braun cleverly intersperses enough red herrings that almost any of the characters might have been the murderer. Pick out one other than Ben Nicolas and detail the mystery around that character that pointed to his or her possible guilt.

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 "Lilian Jackson Braun as a Mystery Writer". Select three or more elements of style (e.g., vocabulary, literary tools such as similes and metaphors, and/or building suspense at the end of a chapter to keep the pages turning. Discuss your selections in detail, and give your opinion as to Braun's effectiveness with these elements.

(see the answer keys)

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