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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: "The Possibility of Evil".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Miss Strangeworth thinks to herself "People must live graciously, after all," (425), what does this show about her as a person?
(a) She is a very selfish person.
(b) She understands the irony of her position in the town.
(c) She wants everyone to have a life as nice as hers.
(d) She understands very little about other people.

2. Who is Ethan Allen?
(a) Miss Strangeworth's deceased husband.
(b) The librarian's boyfriend.
(c) A Revolutionary War hero.
(d) Miss Strangeworth's next-door neighbor.

3. When Miss Strangeworth is walking "daintily" along Main Street, (417), how is she walking?
(a) Slowly, in an unsteady and careful manner.
(b) Quickly, briskly, as if she is in a hurry.
(c) Delicately, with small steps; in a charming way.
(d) Boldly, as if she is in charge of her surroundings.

4. When Miss Strangeworth gets home from the grocery store, why does she not have the cup of tea she thinks about having?
(a) She has forgotten to buy tea at the grocery store.
(b) She had a cup earlier in the day and thinks that a second cup is too indulgent.
(c) She believes that it will spoil her appetite for her midday meal.
(d) She is too tired and decides to have a nap.

5. What does Miss Strangeworth seem to think her family's place in the world is?
(a) To keep an eye on everyone else and hold them to a high moral standard.
(b) To stay isolated from the wickedness of the world.
(c) To provide an example of kindness and concern for others.
(d) To counsel others and help them understand how to live a happy and ethical life.

Short Answer Questions

1. What business did Miss Strangeworth's grandfather run?

2. The narrator says that Miss Strangeworth's letters "dealt with the more negotiable stuff of suspicion" (424). What is this saying about suspicion?

3. According to a town legend, what was Strangeworth House once mistaken for?

4. Who was the first owner of the grocery store?

5. What word is repeatedly used to describe the day on which the story opens?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 400 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample