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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. In what area of Ceylon did the Minors set up their residence in 1834?
2. Many critics find the Oxford English Dictionary to be ______________.
3. What was the name of Murray's first wife?
4. Who arrested Merrett's killer?
5. Where did Richard Chenevix Trench speak?
Short Essay Questions
1. What might the audience find unique about the killer's professional past?
2. What aspects of the Latin-English dictionaries provided impetus for the makers of the Oxford English Dictionary to make their own English dictionary?
3. Many critics found the Oxford English Dictionary to be racist and sexist. Explain how the author suggests this may have happened.
4. What aspects of his upbringing could have contributed to Minor's issues with the tempestuous and tempting country of Ceylon?
5. 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?
6. The author says that Minor became unworried by his "lascivious thoughts" while at Yale. What is a possible explanation for this?
7. In what way was Trench's appeal to the masses who would be needed to help compile the Oxford English Dictionary democratic?
8. What can be appreciated about the Oxford English Dictionary being called "The Big Dictionary"?
9. Why does the author suggest Oxford finally conceded to the switch from Furnivall to Murray for the position of editor?
10. How might the fact that the killer was of a learned professional background NOT have been surprising to readers?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss the author's use of symbolism in the text. Give examples.
Essay Topic 2
While Minor and Murray are the central figures in the text, secondary figures are also an important element of the book. Explore the ways in which three of these secondary figures are shown to have had an important influence on the events of the two protagonists' lives.
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 1,000 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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