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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 kind of flowers does Miss Strangeworth send to the church for the celebration of the new minister's arrival?
(a) Carnations.
(b) Gladiolus.
(c) Roses.
(d) Poppies.

2. What has Miss Strangeworth written to Mr. Lewis in one of her letters?
(a) That his girlfriend probably killed her first husband.
(b) That his nephew is plotting to kill him.
(c) That his wife is cheating on him.
(d) That his grandson is stealing from him.

3. Why does Miss Strangeworth refer to the Cranes' baby as "her highness" (421)?
(a) She is trying to make Helen feel better about the baby's problems.
(b) The Cranes are from an even older and more important family than Miss Strangeworth's.
(c) She is making fun of the possibility that the baby has some kind of developmental problem.
(d) Helen Crane has referred to her as a "princess."

4. When Miss Strangeworth discovers how much trouble she has caused for Linda and Dave, what does she think about it?
(a) She thinks about how even in a small town, there are many evil people.
(b) She feels guilty and ashamed.
(c) She wonders if it can really be true that her letter has had such serious consequences.
(d) She is delighted to know how much pain she has caused.

5. What business did Miss Strangeworth's grandfather run?
(a) A shipping company.
(b) A tailor shop.
(c) A dairy farm.
(d) A lumber mill.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is implied about Miss Strangeworth's choice of the multicolored paper for her notes?

2. Helen Crane looks at her baby with "rapt wonder" (421). How is she looking at the baby?

3. Why does Miss Strangeworth think that she has a right to eavesdrop on Linda Stewart at the post office?

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

5. When does Miss Strangeworth generally mail her letters?

Short Essay Questions

1. To whom do the townspeople want to dedicate a statue, and why does Miss Strangeworth say that it should be a statue of her grandfather, instead?

2. Who is Linda Stewart, and why has she been so upset?

3. What is ironic about Miss Strangeworth's criticisms of Helen and Don Crane's parenting?

4. What does Miss Strangeworth write to Mrs. Harper, and what is she implying?

5. Describe the main character of "The Possibility of Evil."

6. What evidence is there in the story that Miss Strangeworth is well-known and respected in the town?

7. What details in the story let the reader know that Miss Strangeworth herself does not believe some of the accusations she is making?

8. Describe Miss Strangeworth's relationship with Tommy Lewis.

9. Which writing utensils does Miss Strangeworth have available, and which one does she choose for her anonymous notes?

10. Describe the significance of the paper that Miss Strangeworth chooses for her anonymous notes.

(see the answer keys)

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