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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did the making of the Oxford English Dictionary begin?

2. What was the name of Eastman Minor's second wife?

3. In Chapter 5, what was the name of Mr. Trench's speech in regards to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary?

4. When was Murray born?

5. How many years did it take to complete the Oxford English Dictionary?

Short Essay Questions

1. The author says that Minor became unworried by his "lascivious thoughts" while at Yale. What is a possible explanation for this?

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

3. What might the audience find unique about the killer's professional past?

4. What seemed uncanny about the killer's cool, calm demeanor?

5. For what reasons did Minor become the most famous contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary?

6. Some critics say that Samuel Johnson put too much of his personality into his work on his dictionary. How would it be possible to avoid this type of criticism?

7. What effect could the tragic death of his daughter have had on Murray's diligence in working on the Oxford English Dictionary?

8. 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?

9. What can be surmised about the author's intention by naming his first chapter, " The Dead of Night in Lambeth Marsh"?

10. What is the effect of the author's choice to define the word "murder" on the audience?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the author show that The Oxford English Dictionary was a completely different undertaking than any of the dictionaries that had come before it? Illustrate your answer with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

It could be argued that the author portrays a sense of injustice regarding the events surrounding Minor's diagnosis as being criminally insane and eventual incarceration. Do you agree with this? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

The author opens the book with the dictionary entry for the word "murder." Discuss the reasons why he might have done this with reference to the people mentioned in the book, the book's central subject of The Oxford English Dictionary, and the author's own interests.

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