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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where is the man whose accent Tolkien refers to as "English after being wiped over with a dirty sponge" from?
(a) Pennsylvania.
(b) New Hampshire.
(c) New England.
(d) Connecticut.

2. Which one of the following does Tolkien vigorously discuss in his letters?
(a) Reading academic books.
(b) Grading papers.
(c) Talking with students.
(d) Reporting to class on time.

3. What invention does Tolkien make when writing the poem being discussed with Unwin?
(a) A new genre.
(b) A new word.
(c) A new meter.
(d) A new world.

4. In Letter, #6, to what college subject does Tolkien refer?
(a) Astronomy.
(b) English Literature.
(c) Middle English.
(d) History.

5. How long is the summary that Tolkien's new publisher asks him to write at the end of "Publisher Drama"?
(a) One-hundred-and-fifty words.
(b) One-hundred words.
(c) Two-hundred words.
(d) Fifty words.

6. How does Tolkien design the book, Farmer Giles of Ham?
(a) To be read in one sitting.
(b) To be read aloud.
(c) To be read as several separate stories.
(d) Not to be read aloud.

7. How long is Tolkien separated from Edith, making his affection for her grow stronger?
(a) One year.
(b) Three years.
(c) Two years.
(d) Four years.

8. How does Tolkien originally respond to Unwin's request about the poem?
(a) He is unaware of it.
(b) He is grateful.
(c) He is indifferent.
(d) He is confused by it.

9. Who is the person that Tolkien thanks, and is the recipient of Letter #130?
(a) Milton Waldman.
(b) George Allen.
(c) Rayner Unwin.
(d) Humphrey Carpenter.

10. What does Tolkien suggest is the greatest resource for the information the schoolboy is seeking in Letter #114?
(a) The Silmarillion.
(b) Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.
(c) The Lord of the Rings.
(d) The Hobbit.

11. How many improvements does Tolkien indicate he has made to the manuscript for Farmer Giles of Ham?
(a) Numerous.
(b) Too many to count.
(c) Only a few.
(d) None.

12. What German word meaning "essential" does Tolkien refer to in Letter #6, stating that it is actually viewed as an English word?
(a) Unentbehrlich.
(b) Grundlegend.
(c) Wesenhaft.
(d) Entscheidend.

13. As stated in "The Professor," when are The Lord of the Rings books officially published?
(a) 1954.
(b) 1952.
(c) 1953.
(d) 1951.

14. What has Tolkien found in his manuscript when he writes Letter #69?
(a) Too many metaphors.
(b) Inaccuracies.
(c) Inconsistencies.
(d) Too many analogies.

15. In general, why do Tolkien and C.S. Lewis meet several times?
(a) To discuss sports and politics.
(b) To play games.
(c) To give each other literary criticism.
(d) To edit each other's manuscripts.

Short Answer Questions

1. How is the Machine described in Letter #131?

2. What assertion does Tolkien make about Farmer Giles of Ham?

3. How does Tolkien consider the term "Elves"?

4. What words does Tolkien use to replace "Elves"?

5. Which school is Tolkien attending when the first letter begins?

(see the answer keys)

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