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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Merrett's killer was from ______________.
(a) New Haven, Connecticut.
(b) New York, New York.
(c) Seattle, Washington.
(d) Portland, Maine.

2. What kind of Christianity did the Murray family follow?
(a) United Church of Christ.
(b) Methodist.
(c) Congregationalist.
(d) Seventh Day Adventists.

3. According to Chapter 5, which dictionary far surpassed all that came before it?
(a) The Oxford Cambridge Dictionary of English.
(b) The American Dictionary.
(c) The English Dictionary of America.
(d) The Oxford English Dictionary.

4. According to the author, who is the "second" protagonist of the story?
(a) Mrs. Elsa.
(b) Dr. Minor.
(c) James Augustus Henry Murray.
(d) Dr. Henry Sweet.

5. When was the project to create the first Oxford English Dictionary commissioned?
(a) In the 1860's.
(b) In the 1850's.
(c) In the 1830's.
(d) In the 1840's.

6. When was Minor born?
(a) June, 1834.
(b) March, 1831.
(c) May, 1832.
(d) January, 1842.

7. When does this story take place?
(a) Mid 19th century.
(b) Early 19th century.
(c) Late 18th century.
(d) Late 19th century.

8. When was Murray invited to Oxford?
(a) April 21st, 1976.
(b) May 8th, 1876.
(c) April 26th, 1878.
(d) May 8th, 1878.

9. Trench argued that dictionaries should be histories of the life span of every word and that these lives should be ______.
(a) Given.
(b) Explained.
(c) Charted.
(d) Ended.

10. How did the audience react to the fact that hundreds of amateurs would be needed to take on such a project for a new dictionary?
(a) With shock.
(b) With happiness.
(c) With sadness.
(d) With revolt.

11. What was the overall effect of the large amount of word donors on Furnivall and his dictionary volunteers?
(a) Furnivall's volunteers turned against him.
(b) Furnivall became afraid and fled to Spain.
(c) Furnivall hired many more excited volunteers.
(d) Furnivall eventually lost his energy, and the volunteers lost enthusiasm as a result.

12. Who arrested Merrett's killer?
(a) Constable Tarrant.
(b) William Ward.
(c) Henry Burton.
(d) Officer Burton.

13. In what century did some Latin-English dictionaries began to appear?
(a) The 14th century.
(b) The 16th century.
(c) The 12th century.
(d) The 15th century.

14. How were Minor's and Murray's families similar?
(a) They were both poor.
(b) They did not have a father figure.
(c) They both ignored each man as a child.
(d) They were both deeply pious.

15. What was the name of Murray's first wife?
(a) Lucy Javier.
(b) Eliza Valant.
(c) Julia Filmoore.
(d) Maggie Scott.

Short Answer Questions

1. How did the author describe the man who chased George Merrett on the night of his death?

2. In what year was the Oxford English Dictionary completed?

3. Where was Dr. Minor's house located in London?

4. What kind of work did the Minors do in Ceylon?

5. How many years from Trench's speech about a new dictionary did the project actually get off the ground?

(see the answer keys)

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