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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. What is it implied that Zaroff keeps in his library?
(a) Human heads.
(b) Souvenirs from the war.
(c) Chloroform.
(d) The keys to his boat.

2. What is Zaroff's response to being wounded by Rainsford?
(a) He laughs.
(b) He moans.
(c) He stares silently toward Rainsford's hiding place.
(d) He yells.

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

4. On what does Zaroff blame Rainsford's refusal to participate in murder?
(a) Rainsford's not being a Russian.
(b) Rainsford's more cautious upbringing.
(c) His experiences as a soldier.
(d) America's Puritan ancestry.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Zaroff believe fighting in the war should have taught Rainsford?

2. 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?

3. What animal does Rainsford try to think like during the first day of being hunted?

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

5. What animal does Rainsford compare himself to when he climbs the tree?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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)?

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

4. Describe General Zaroff's actions when Rainsford is hiding in the tree.

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

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

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

8. What disagreement do Zaroff and Rainsford have about the difference between "hunting" and "murder"?

9. What does the sentence "He was in a picture with a frame of water, and his operations, clearly, must take place within that frame" mean? (49)

10. Explain at least two ways in which the story's title can be understood.

(see the answer keys)

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