View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is unusual about the house that Tom builds with the money he earns?
(a) It contains an alter to the devil.
(b) It is mostly unfinished and has little furniture.
(c) It is in the middle of the swamp.
(d) It is made from rotted timber.

2. According to the narrator, why does Tom not immediately agree to the devil's bargain?
(a) The devil is not offering Tom enough money.
(b) What the devil wants from Tom is a serious thing that Tom wants to think over.
(c) Tom still does not believe that he is talking to the devil.
(d) Tom is afraid that his wife will just take the money and hide it.

3. Where is the pirate treasure buried?
(a) Beneath a tall oak.
(b) On an island in the Charles Bay.
(c) In an abandoned fort.
(d) Under a fallen hemlock.

4. What is Tom's reaction to the idea of being a usurer?
(a) He is strongly opposed but finally agrees.
(b) He agrees but only because he misunderstands the devil's intentions.
(c) He is reluctant but understands that it is an important service to the community.
(d) He is enthusiastic and willing to do even more than the devil asks.

5. What is one source of trouble in Tom Walker's marriage?
(a) Tom's wife often disappears into the forest overnight.
(b) Tom refuses to buy the luxuries his wife feels she deserves.
(c) Tom is physically abusive toward his wife.
(d) Tom's wife hides resources from him and keeps them for herself.

6. What word does the narrator use twice to describe the situation of Tom's clients?
(a) Unexpected.
(b) Desperate.
(c) Dubious.
(d) Fortunate.

7. What does the narrator say is hard to believe about the conversation between Tom and the devil?
(a) The devil sounds too much like an ordinary person.
(b) There is no such thing as the devil.
(c) It sounds too familiar.
(d) Even Tom Walker would not be foolish enough to talk to the devil.

8. What does Tom find in the mud of the swamp?
(a) The remains of a sacrifice to the devil.
(b) A serpent.
(c) A human skull.
(d) A piece of gold.

9. What is Tom doing at the office on his last day?
(a) Buying the land the swamp sits on.
(b) Foreclosing a mortgage.
(c) Selling his business.
(d) Accepting an offer to run for governor.

10. What does the devil have all over his skin?
(a) Scales.
(b) Mud.
(c) Soot.
(d) Blood.

11. Whom does the narrator seem to blame for the situation of Tom's clients?
(a) The devil and the government.
(b) The clients and Tom.
(c) The government and the clients.
(d) Tom and the devil.

12. What unusual slang word does the devil use for money?
(a) Skins.
(b) Bobbin.
(c) Poppet.
(d) Rhino.

13. When Tom opens the apron, what does he find inside?
(a) A skull.
(b) Gold coins.
(c) Valuable silver.
(d) His wife's heart and liver.

14. What is Tom's first mistake on his last day?
(a) He does not begin the day with a prayer.
(b) He forgets to lock his doors.
(c) He says that the devil can take him if he has made any money from his client.
(d) He tries to cheat a man who has also made a bargain with the devil.

15. What is the rumor in town about Absalom Crowninshield?
(a) That he is a pirate.
(b) That he has taken bribes.
(c) That he is a slave trader.
(d) That he is a money lender.

Short Answer Questions

1. What tone does the narrator adopt when saying that Tom is a friend to his clients?

2. On what land feature did the old Native stronghold stand?

3. The narrator says that it is possible that Tom's wife was lost in a slough. Where would this mean she was lost?

4. How does Tom seal his bargain with the devil?

5. Who is William Kidd?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 652 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample