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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: "The Marry Month of May".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. On the final morning of the story, what causes Mr. Coulson's mood to change?
(a) He is in much less pain than usual.
(b) Mrs. Widdup has threatened to quit.
(c) It is warm again and the windows are open.
(d) Miss Coulson has told him that he is behaving badly.

2. Which bird is Mr. Coulson said to be "elder brother" to in May?
(a) Pigeon.
(b) Turtle-dove.
(c) Chickadee.
(d) Robin.

3. According to the narrator, what does May want humans to remember?
(a) That they should be grateful for the coming summer.
(b) That they are not immortal.
(c) That they are also animals.
(d) That they should be kind to one another.

4. What kind of clam is a "chowder-doomed clam" (332)?
(a) One that is poisonous to humans.
(b) One that is destined to be eaten in soup.
(c) One that is confused by its surroundings.
(d) One that is personified as feeling worried.

5. When Miss Coulson stands thinking at the window, to what insects does she mentally compare Mr. Coulson and Mrs. Widdup?
(a) Cockroaches.
(b) Fleas.
(c) Mosquitoes.
(d) Mayflies.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where Mr. Coulson is sitting, two main smells are "battling": the smell of flowers and what other smell?

2. What is the purpose of the allusion to the "virgin of Cologne" (334)?

3. Why does Mr. Coulson hesitate as he says, "In the spring...a y -- that is a man's -- fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love" (333)?

4. What claim is the narrator making by calling humans "lineal scions of the pansy" (332)?

5. The story opens with the word "prithee" (332). What does this word mean in this context?

(see the answer key)

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