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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How many times do the Elves and the Dwarves share an enduring friendship throughout their history?
(a) Three times.
(b) Twice.
(c) Four times.
(d) Once.

2. What point does Tolkien make about his book, The Silmarillion, in Letter #131?
(a) The themes of the book are intentionally complex.
(b) It is about humans.
(c) The themes of the book are intentionally simple.
(d) It is not about humans.

3. Where does the conversation about accents take place that Tolkien discusses in his letter to Christopher?
(a) On a plane.
(b) In a boat.
(c) In a car.
(d) On a train.

4. What happens when Tolkien first decides to approach the publishers about the delay of the books?
(a) The publishers take even more time.
(b) The publishers decline to publish them.
(c) The publishers provide a list of excuses.
(d) The publishers do not respond.

5. What subject is a student's thesis about that Tolkien expects to find boring?
(a) War.
(b) Fairy Tales.
(c) Industrialism.
(d) Civilization.

6. Which poem does Rayner Unwin initially write to Tolkien about?
(a) "Mythopoeia."
(b) "Errantry."
(c) "The Princess Ni."
(d) "Once Upon a Time."

7. How many academic articles is Tolkien a writer for, as referred to in "The Professor"?
(a) Over twenty.
(b) At least ten.
(c) At least twenty.
(d) At least one.

8. How long does Tolkien indicate he has been working with the imaginary realms in Letter #130?
(a) Decades.
(b) Months.
(c) Years.
(d) Weeks.

9. By what year does Tolkien insist that his books be published with his new publisher?
(a) 1952.
(b) 1951.
(c) 1950.
(d) 1953.

10. Who is the initial publisher for Tolkien's books when "Publisher Drama" begins?
(a) Allen.
(b) Humphrey.
(c) Unwin.
(d) Collins.

11. How is the Machine described in Letter #131?
(a) Disciplined, but not industrialized.
(b) Industrialized, but undisciplined.
(c) Neither disciplined nor industrialized.
(d) Industrialized and disciplined.

12. Who provides input , feedback, and advice for the letters in the book?
(a) Christopher Tolkien.
(b) Edith Bratt.
(c) Humphrey Carpenter.
(d) J.R.R. Tolkien.

13. How often does Tolkien write to Edith during the time they are separated?
(a) Once a week.
(b) Once a month.
(c) Once a day.
(d) Never.

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

15. After the Hobbits originate, where does the Dark Power that Tolkien describes in Letter #131 exist?
(a) Rivendell.
(b) Mordor.
(c) Mirkwood.
(d) Gondor.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the result of a friendship between the Elves and the Dwarves, as Tolkien explains in Letter #131?

2. What does Tolkien explain he uses in developing his fascination with imaginary worlds?

3. In Letter #130, what distinction does Tolkien make about the artificial languages he creates for his books?

4. How many improvements does Tolkien indicate he has made to the manuscript for Farmer Giles of Ham?

5. In what year are the earliest letters in the book written?

(see the answer keys)

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