View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Into what two groups does Zaroff divide up the world?
(a) Brave and cowardly.
(b) Strong and weak.
(c) Hunters and hunted.
(d) Thinkers and feelers.

2. What is in General Zaroff's cellar?
(a) A torture chamber.
(b) The dogs' kennels.
(c) The bodies of the men he has killed.
(d) His "training camp."

3. How much of a head start does Zaroff offer his victims?
(a) 3 hours.
(b) 1 day.
(c) 1 hour.
(d) 1/2 day.

4. What word does Zaroff use frequently to describe his life on the island?
(a) Righteous.
(b) Civilized.
(c) Luxurious.
(d) Lonely.

5. What animal does Rainsford try to think like during the first day of being hunted?
(a) A fox.
(b) A Cape buffalo.
(c) A tiger.
(d) A jaguar.

6. What supplies does Zaroff offer the men he hunts?
(a) Rope, matches, and food.
(b) Food and a knife.
(c) A map and matches.
(d) A flashlight and a map.

7. How does Rainsford finally succeed in getting away from Zaroff?
(a) He jumps from a cliff into the ocean.
(b) He fools Zaroff into thinking he has drowned in the river.
(c) He hides in a cave.
(d) He hides in the swamp.

8. How does Zaroff obtain his victims?
(a) He has artillery that he fires on passing ships, hoping to sink them.
(b) He has a false channel light that lures ships onto the rocks.
(c) He advertises for people to come work on his island.
(d) He and his servant capture them on the mainland.

9. What does Zaroff believe fighting in the war should have taught Rainsford?
(a) That human life is not inherently valuable.
(b) To keep a level head when he is in danger.
(c) How to hunt for human beings.
(d) That nothing in life is fair.

10. When Rainsford is waiting in the tree, to whom does he compare Zaroff?
(a) Himself.
(b) Czar Nicholas.
(c) A soldier he knew in the war.
(d) The devil.

11. When Zaroff realizes that he is the one in danger and moves out of the way, to what does the narrator compare his quick movement?
(a) A snake.
(b) An ape.
(c) A hunting dog.
(d) A cheetah.

12. What does General Zaroff imply is true about hunting human beings?
(a) It is terrible but necessary.
(b) It is the true expression of human instinct.
(c) It is modern and civilized.
(d) It is the right way to deal with criminals.

13. On page 35, Zaroff says that Rainsford's attitude is "like finding a snuffbox in a limousine." What does he mean by this?
(a) That Rainsford's attitude is charming but too delicate to survive.
(b) That Rainsford's attitude is fussy and somewhat embarrassing.
(c) That Rainsford's attitude is old-fashioned and out of place in the modern world.
(d) That Rainsford's attitude is unpleasant and not particularly safe.

14. On page 55, a tree is leaning "precariously" on another tree. How is the tree leaning?
(a) As if the tree it is leaning on is some kind of assistant or helper.
(b) As if the tree that is leaning has only recently fallen.
(c) The two trees are so close that the leaning tree is still almost upright.
(d) In an unstable way, as if it might fall any minute.

15. What kind of animals does Zaroff say are better than the people he hunts?
(a) Thoroughbreds.
(b) Predators.
(c) Wild animals.
(d) Farm animals.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is most clearly implied by the last line of this story?

2. On page 50, Rainsford thinks of General Zaroff as "zealous." What kind of a person does this mean General Zaroff is?

3. What does Rainsford keep telling himself after the first two hours or running from Zaroff?

4. On page 51, the word "dingy" is used. How is this word pronounced, and what does it mean?

5. On what does Zaroff blame Rainsford's refusal to participate in murder?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 707 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample