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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. On page 1, the narrator says that the night "was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness in upon the yacht." What does "palpable" mean in this context?
(a) Warning of bad things to come.
(b) Able to be felt or touched.
(c) Dark and forbidding, gloomy.
(d) Soft enough to be squeezed or manipulated.

2. Whom does Zaroff credit for his great abilities as a hunter?
(a) God.
(b) His father.
(c) Another famous hunter.
(d) Himself.

3. What does Zaroff enjoy about hunting humans?
(a) It breaks a powerful taboo.
(b) It reminds him of being in the war.
(c) They sometimes escape him.
(d) They can reason.

4. Which is the best description of Rainsford when he is in the water?
(a) He is shocked at first but stays calm and thinks his situation through.
(b) He thinks the situation is amusing at first but rapidly realizes that it is serious.
(c) He is overconfident and thinks that nothing can harm him.
(d) He panics and then is embarrassed because he is well-known for his courage.

5. What explanation does Zaroff give for his servant's not speaking to Rainsford?
(a) Only Zaroff is allowed to speak to visitors.
(b) The man has a phobia of strangers.
(c) The man only speaks Russian.
(d) The man can neither hear nor speak.

6. Why did Zaroff leave Russia?
(a) Because of the Russian Revolution.
(b) He was looking for a place with more privacy.
(c) He was exiled by the Czar.
(d) He found the hunting in Russia had become dull.

7. To what ethnic group do Zaroff and his servant belong?
(a) They are Kazakhs.
(b) They are Tajiks.
(c) They are Tatars.
(d) They are Cossacks.

8. Which word best describes the inside of Zaroff's house?
(a) Forbidding.
(b) Luxurious.
(c) Cozy.
(d) Stark.

9. What do Rainsford and his partner disagree about?
(a) Whether hunting intelligent animals is ethical.
(b) Whether animals feel fear.
(c) Which of them is the better hunter.
(d) Which of them is more courageous.

10. Which word does the narrator use to describe General Zaroff's home?
(a) Fanciful.
(b) Grotesque.
(c) Foreboding.
(d) Palatial.

11. Where are Rainsford and his partner headed?
(a) To Port Moresby.
(b) To Rio.
(c) To South Africa.
(d) To Ecuador.

12. What does Rainsford see is true about three sides of Zaroff's house?
(a) They have no windows.
(b) They are crumbling into disrepair.
(c) They are surrounded by a fence.
(d) They are built over cliffs.

13. On page 1, the night is described as "dank." In this context, what does this word mean?
(a) Excellent.
(b) Promising.
(c) Damp and musty.
(d) Strange and unique.

14. What is unusual about the door knocker on Zaroff's house?
(a) It is in the shape of a hunting dog's head.
(b) It does not seem to make any sound.
(c) It is rusted into place.
(d) It is in the shape of a gargoyle.

15. What is the best description of the General's servant's clothing?
(a) He is in a military uniform.
(b) He is dressed in a butler's uniform.
(c) He is wearing an expensive suit.
(d) He is dressed like a hunter.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Zaroff say is the problem with ordinary big-game hunting?

2. What is the first thing that Rainsford does once he is on top of the cliffs?

3. On page 33, the narrator mentions that Zaroff has "surmounted" an obstacle. What has Zaroff done?

4. Who is the captain of the ship that Rainsford travels on?

5. Why did Zaroff go into the army?

(see the answer keys)

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