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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. What kind of Christianity did the Murray family follow?
2. According to Chapter 5, which dictionary far surpassed all that came before it?
3. Who heard the three shots fired in the beginning of the book?
4. In what city was Murray born?
5. With whom was William to live upon arriving in the United States?
Short Essay Questions
1. Why does the author take time to note the sheer volume of words and weight of the Oxford English Dictionary? What parallels can be drawn between this and the dictionary's makers?
2. Many critics found the Oxford English Dictionary to be racist and sexist. Explain how the author suggests this may have happened.
3. 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?
4. For what reasons did Minor become the most famous contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary?
5. How might the fact that the killer was of a learned professional background NOT have been surprising to readers?
6. In what way was Trench's appeal to the masses who would be needed to help compile the Oxford English Dictionary democratic?
7. 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?
8. What does the title of the book imply to prospective readers?
9. Why does the author suggest that Minor moved from his initial area of residence in London, St James Square, to Lambeth Marsh?
10. What aspects of the Latin-English dictionaries provided impetus for the makers of the Oxford English Dictionary to make their own English dictionary?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
"The English-speaking world is better off for the death of Charles Merrett." How could this statement be considered to be true? Do you think the author agrees? Why or why not?
Essay Topic 2
Explore the ways in which religious faith plays an important role in the production of The Oxford English Dictionary, with particular reference to Charles Minor and James Murray.
Essay Topic 3
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.
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This section contains 1,042 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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