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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Tolkien expect the publisher to respond to his opinions of the cover designs?
(a) He thinks they will appreciate his opinion, but not act on it.
(b) He thinks they will become upset by reading his opinion.
(c) He thinks they will agree with his opinion.
(d) He thinks they will ignore his opinion.

2. In Tolkien as "The Old Man," which dictionary does Tolkien reveal he worked for earlier in his life?
(a) Oxford.
(b) Merriam-Webster.
(c) Scholastic.
(d) American Heritage.

3. Based on Tolkien's letter to W.H. Auden, who is responsible for shaping an individual's behavior?
(a) The individual.
(b) Neither the individual nor people around them.
(c) The individual and people around them.
(d) People around the individual.

4. According to Tolkien in Letter #246, what would have happened if Gandalf wore the ring?
(a) Tolkien is not sure.
(b) He would have been the same as Sauron.
(c) He would have been better than Sauron.
(d) He would have been worse than Sauron.

5. Who is Tolkien replying to in Letter #246?
(a) Edith.
(b) Rayner Unwin.
(c) Mrs. Eileen Elgar.
(d) Christopher.

6. What type of good news does Tolkien preview in Letter #185?
(a) Personal.
(b) Financial and personal.
(c) Financial.
(d) Neither financial nor personal.

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

8. Who are most of the recipients of "The Final Letters"?
(a) Tolkien's students.
(b) Tolkien's friends.
(c) Tolkien's publishers.
(d) Tolkien's relatives.

9. What does Tolkien think children can become for their parents?
(a) One of the strongest sources of information.
(b) A chance to correct their own mistakes.
(c) One of the strongest sources of support.
(d) A chance to relive their lives.

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

11. When is Letter #246, about Gandalf and the Ring, written?
(a) September 1964.
(b) November 1965.
(c) September 1963.
(d) November 1962.

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

13. According to his letters, how does Tolkien consider his experience with the publisher about the cover designs?
(a) Unexpected.
(b) Stressful.
(c) Unnecessary.
(d) Helpful.

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

15. Based on Tolkien's assessment in Letter #246, what drives Frodo to embark on the incredible journey?
(a) The need to do what is right, the love of a friend, and loyalty.
(b) Loyalty and the need to do what is right.
(c) The love of a friend and loyalty.
(d) The need to do what is right and the love of a friend.

Short Answer Questions

1. What age does J.R.R. Tolkien pass away?

2. How many Elves does Tolkien think might be able to manage the Ring of Power in Letter #246?

3. What does Tolkien wish for "well-meaning folk who think they know" in Letter #236?

4. Who are the familiar recipients of the letters of the 1960s that are included in "Later Years"?

5. What choice does Tolkien think each person has?

(see the answer keys)

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