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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. Who took over Furnivall's place as editor of the Oxford English Dictionary?
(a) Murray.
(b) Scott.
(c) Dixon.
(d) Trench.

2. Why did the demand for dictionaries increase according to the author in Chapter 4?
(a) People wanted to learn about more difficult words.
(b) Many of the original dictionaries were burned.
(c) More immigrants came to England.
(d) The language changed markedly.

3. At what time where the three shots fired in the opening of the book?
(a) 2 a.m.
(b) Midnight.
(c) 1 a.m.
(d) 5 a.m.

4. How many children did the Merretts have?
(a) Six.
(b) Four.
(c) Seven.
(d) Two.

5. The Minor family came to the United States only a decade after what group of people?
(a) Native Americans.
(b) King Louis XII's missionaries.
(c) The Pilgrims.
(d) Spanish Conquistadors.

Short Answer Questions

1. The Oxford Dictionary was comprised of _____________volumes.

2. Trench argued that dictionaries should be histories of the life span of every word and that these lives should be ______.

3. Who heard the three shots fired in the beginning of the book?

4. What was the nickname of the Oxford English Dictionary?

5. In what year did Dr. Minor arrive in London?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways does the author state the compilation of the Dictionary of the English Language was different from the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary?

2. What aspects of his upbringing could have contributed to Minor's issues with the tempestuous and tempting country of Ceylon?

3. Did the "Battle of the Wilderness" push Minor past his mental capacities to function normally in social settings or public? If so, how does the author make this clear?

4. Many critics found the Oxford English Dictionary to be racist and sexist. Explain how the author suggests this may have happened.

5. What aspects of the Latin-English dictionaries provided impetus for the makers of the Oxford English Dictionary to make their own English dictionary?

6. What is significant about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary's beginnings to have begun on Guy Fawkes Day in England?

7. Why does the author suggest that Minor moved from his initial area of residence in London, St James Square, to Lambeth Marsh?

8. According to the author, "The quotes would show how words had been used over centuries and explained when they had changed. The project was commissioned in the 1850s but was not profitable, yet many believe the OED is valuable far beyond its price." Why might people believe it is valuable far beyond its price?

9. In what way was Furnivall's call to ask participants to choose a time period for the book a very intelligent idea to spur the makings of the Oxford English Dictionary onward?

10. How might the fact that the killer was of a learned professional background NOT have been surprising to readers?

(see the answer keys)

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