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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 the second night, what danger does Rainsford narrowly avoid?
(a) Quicksand.
(b) Falling off a cliff.
(c) Drowning.
(d) Getting lost in a cave.

2. What does Rainsford keep telling himself after the first two hours or running from Zaroff?
(a) That he does not deserve what is happening.
(b) That he has to keep his nerve.
(c) That he was foolish to stand on the rail of the ship.
(d) That it is only 3 days.

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

4. 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 old-fashioned and out of place in the modern world.
(b) That Rainsford's attitude is fussy and somewhat embarrassing.
(c) That Rainsford's attitude is charming but too delicate to survive.
(d) That Rainsford's attitude is unpleasant and not particularly safe.

5. What is the result of Rainsford's pit trap?
(a) Zaroff is seriously wounded.
(b) Zaroff's servant is killed.
(c) Rainsford himself falls into the trap.
(d) One of Zaroff's dogs is killed.

Short Answer Questions

1. What word does Zaroff use frequently to describe his life on the island?

2. Before Zaroff hunts people, what does he usually do with them?

3. On the morning of the second day of the hunt, what warns Rainsford that Zaroff is approaching?

4. When he is hiding in the tree, what does Rainsford suddenly realize?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Rainsford finally escape Zaroff, and why is Zaroff foolish to assume that Rainsford is dead?

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. What does General Zaroff's definition of "civilized" seem to be?

9. 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)?

10. How does Zaroff obtain his victims?

(see the answer keys)

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