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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How many Elves does Tolkien think might be able to manage the Ring of Power in Letter #246?
(a) Three.
(b) None.
(c) One.
(d) Two.

2. In Letter #227, how does Tolkien explain the name, Numenor?
(a) Logical, but subjectively translated between languages.
(b) Logical and not easily translated between languages.
(c) Illogical and not easily translated between languages.
(d) Illogical, but subjectively translated between languages.

3. As displayed in Letter #257, what is the connection between Tolkien's childhood and his later years?
(a) His enjoyment of stories.
(b) His fascination with Elves.
(c) His education.
(d) His writing.

4. As mentioned in a letter to Unwin, how had Tolkien previously responded to the warning about his friendship with C.S. Lewis?
(a) He misinterpreted the warning.
(b) He stopped talking with C.S. Lewis.
(c) He began talking with C.S. Lewis' other friends.
(d) He did not take the warning seriously.

5. As Tolkien explains in Letter #246, what is the main difference between Gandalf and Sauron?
(a) Sauron has much less wisdom.
(b) Gandalf succumbs to the Enemy.
(c) Gandalf never succumbs to the Enemy.
(d) Sauron has much more wisdom.

6. How does Tolkien describe his work for a dictionary?
(a) Neither humbling nor prestigious.
(b) Humbling, but not prestigious.
(c) Prestigious, but not humbling.
(d) Humbling and prestigious.

7. Which two characters have a dynamic that Tolkien thinks has a great effect on the events in The Lord of Rings?
(a) Frodo and Gandalf.
(b) Gandalf and Sauron.
(c) Frodo and Gollum.
(d) Gandalf and Gollum.

8. Which literary technique does Tolkien not appreciate?
(a) Allegory.
(b) Analogy.
(c) Alliteration.
(d) Metaphor.

9. Which novel was being made into a paperback, prompting the debate over spelling in Letter #236?
(a) Farmer Giles of Ham.
(b) The Silmarillion.
(c) The Hobbit.
(d) The Lord of the Rings.

10. In a letter to W.H. Auden, where does Tolkien reveal his work as a professor originates from?
(a) The recommendation of a friend.
(b) An accidental job interview.
(c) His value of the English language.
(d) His actual interests.

11. How heroic does Tolkien think Frodo is in Letter #246?
(a) He thinks that Frodo is a hero.
(b) He thinks that Frodo is only heroic in two situations.
(c) He thinks that Frodo is mostly a hero, but not fully.
(d) He does not think that Frodo is a hero.

12. What is the only date found on Letter #182?
(a) 1955.
(b) June, 1955.
(c) 1956.
(d) January, 1956.

13. Why does a woman think that a used book she purchased had been previously owned by Tolkien?
(a) The owner of the used book store informs her that Tolkien had owned it.
(b) A letter of his folded in between two pages of the book.
(c) His signature on the last page of the book.
(d) Handwritten scripts in the book.

14. When does Tolkien write to Unwin about C.S. Lewis in "Now the Books Themselves"?
(a) November 9.
(b) September 9.
(c) September 19.
(d) November 19.

15. According to Letter #257, why did Tolkien find it difficult to become close friends with Charles Williams, a mutual friend of C.S. Lewis?
(a) A polar difference in mentalities.
(b) A polar difference in literary appreciation.
(c) Williams was not a fan of Fairy Tales.
(d) Williams was not a writer.

Short Answer Questions

1. What feeling does Tolkien have about knowing the entire story of The Lord of the Rings?

2. How does Tolkien react to the original cover designs that he is sent for his books?

3. As mentioned in Letter #246, where is Frodo unable to give up the Ring?

4. According to his letters, how does Tolkien consider his experience with the publisher about the cover designs?

5. What does Tolkien think children can become for their parents?

(see the answer keys)

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