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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. What does Esme say at the In Auction that surprises Jerome?

2. What three things do Klaus and Sunny discover that Violet believes will help free the Quagmires?

3. When the Baudelaires arrive at the In Auction, what lot are the people bidding on?

4. What do the Baudelaires find at the end of the hallway once they'd gone down the elevator shaft?

5. What does Duncan Quagmire have in his notebook?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is moving down the ersatz rope more difficult the second time for the Baudelaires?

2. In what condition are the Quagmires discovered? What is the most important aspect of their condition?

3. What is the red herring in Chapter 10?

4. The gentleman at the Baudelaire mansion fire claims that the site is haunted. What is the significance of him calling the Baudelaire ghosts?

5. Why is the definition of "idiosyncrasy" necessary for the reader to understand before reading the rest of Chapter 7?

6. What is symbolic about Klaus's declaration that they had reached a "dead end" at the end of the passageway?

7. How are Count Olaf and Esme Squalor alike?

8. What is symbolic about the Baudelaire children rising up from the ashes?

9. How does Violet plan to rescue the Quagmires from their cage?

10. What is significant about the fact that the Baudelaire children have been in the darkness for so long their eyes take a long time to get used to the light?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How has political correctness changed the face of our society? Examine examples of political correctness gone array (such as the Squalors' reaction to Gunther's accent). Explain how their fear of breaking the social bonds of political correctness prevents the adults from seeing past an otherwise ridiculous disguise. Use examples from the text to justify your position.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Jerome Squalor and his wife, Esme. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

The adults in "The Ersatz Elevator" are not very responsible. What effect does this have on the Baudelaires and the Quagmires, orphans who seek and, in some instances, rely on adults to ensure their safety? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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