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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. On page 59, Rainsford's waiting is described with the phrase "He lived a year in a minute." What literary technique is being used here?
(a) Onomatopoeia.
(b) Hyperbole.
(c) Imagery.
(d) Simile.

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

3. On page 35, General Zaroff criticizes Rainsford's "scruples." What is he criticizing?
(a) Rainsford's eagerness to condemn Zaroff's "game."
(b) Rainsford's religious beliefs.
(c) Rainsford's anger on behalf of Zaroff's victims.
(d) Rainsford's hesitation to do something that he thinks is wrong.

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

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

Short Answer Questions

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

2. When Rainsford says that he is not a murderer, the General calls him "droll" (35). What is Zaroff saying about Rainsford?

3. On page 49, Rainsford thinks that running away from the chateau in a straight line is "futile." What kind of a plan is "futile"?

4. What justification does Zaroff give for his actions?

5. On page 39, General Zaroff says "It's a game, you see," and the reader realizes what about the story's title?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Zaroff characterize Rainsford's views on hunting human beings?

2. What does Zaroff say about the "strong" and the "weak" (35)?

3. How does General Zaroff react to Rainsford's various traps?

4. What part of the island does Zaroff tell Rainsford to avoid, and what are at least two likely motives for his warning?

5. What are the terms of General Zaroff's "game"?

6. What allusion is contained in the sentence "I have played the fox, now I must play the cat of the fable," and what is the meaning of the allusion (50)?

7. How does Zaroff obtain his victims?

8. During Rainsford's attempt to escape Zaroff, there are many references to animals. How are they used and what is their significance?

9. What does Zaroff want to show Rainsford in the cellar and in the library, and what does this tell the reader about him?

10. What does Zaroff ask Rainsford to promise him he will do if he wins the "game," and what is the result?

(see the answer keys)

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