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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. Whom does the narrator refer to as "the venerable and scarcely suspecting victim of May" (334)?
(a) Mrs. Widdup.
(b) The iceman.
(c) Miss Coulson.
(d) Mr. Coulson.

2. The story opens with the word "prithee" (332). What does this word mean in this context?
(a) Please, I am begging you.
(b) Listen carefully.
(c) I disapprove of this.
(d) Keep this information secret.

3. When Mr. Coulson complains about the cold, what is his servant's response?
(a) He calls for Mrs. Widdup.
(b) He shuts the windows.
(c) He laughs.
(d) He offers to investigate the problem.

4. What is implied by the number of days for which Miss Coulson orders extra ice?
(a) She knows that after five days Mr. Coulson will be too irritated to talk to Mrs. Widdup at all.
(b) She thinks that she will need five days to get to know the iceman better.
(c) She wants the deliveries to last until Mrs. Widdup leaves for vacation.
(d) She thinks that the flowers will be done blooming in five days.

5. On page 334, the narrator refers to the "panoply" of Miss Coulson's "unthrilled bosom." What is the meaning of "panoply" in this context?
(a) A suit of armor.
(b) Ceremonial clothing.
(c) An impressive array.
(d) Unemotional wisdom.

Short Answer Questions

1. When the author compares May to Circe and explains the comparison at length, what literary technique is he using?

2. Why is Mr. Coulson so clumsy on the afternoon after the ice is delivered?

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

4. How much ice does Miss Coulson order be delivered each day?

5. When Miss Coulson stands thinking at the window, to what insects does she mentally compare Mr. Coulson and Mrs. Widdup?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 342 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample