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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. Which of the following is noted to have been a fact four hundred years earlier than Mr. Trench's speeches?
2. Who arrested Merrett's killer?
3. At what time where the three shots fired in the opening of the book?
4. In what century did demand for dictionaries increase?
5. In what area of New London does the story open?
Short Essay Questions
1. What effect could the tragic death of his daughter have had on Murray's diligence in working on the Oxford English Dictionary?
2. The author says that Minor became unworried by his "lascivious thoughts" while at Yale. What is a possible explanation for this?
3. What aspects of the Latin-English dictionaries provided impetus for the makers of the Oxford English Dictionary to make their own English dictionary?
4. 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?
5. What can be surmised about the author's intention by naming his first chapter, " The Dead of Night in Lambeth Marsh"?
6. What seemed uncanny about the killer's cool, calm demeanor?
7. Why does the author suggest Oxford finally conceded to the switch from Furnivall to Murray for the position of editor?
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. Why might the author have defined the word "protagonist" in such depth?
10. For what reasons did Minor become the most famous contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The title of the book and its chapter titles are somewhat surprising considering that this is a non-fiction book about the making of a famous dictionary. Why are the titles surprising? Discuss what effects the author may have aimed for in choosing these titles.
Essay Topic 2
Explore the ways in which self-delusion is important to the events in the text. Make reference to Minor as well as at least one other figure.
Essay Topic 3
Despite the fact that this a work of non-fiction, there are elements of foreshadowing in the way the author tells the story. Explain how this occurs and discuss their effect.
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This section contains 1,137 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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