View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. How did the author describe the attitude of the killer caught for Merrett's death upon the killer's capture?

2. Where was Dr. Minor's house located in London?

3. In what century did demand for dictionaries increase?

4. How did Murray spend most of his childhood?

5. What two words did the author use to describe the Minor family's beliefs?

Short Essay Questions

1. What effect could it have had on logophiles to learn that Samuel Johnson had imposed limits on the history of the definitions of words in his dictionary?

2. Why might Minor's father have fallen so easily in love with Judith?

3. 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?

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

5. 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?

6. 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?

7. What can be appreciated about the Oxford English Dictionary being called "The Big Dictionary"?

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

9. Why might the author have defined the word "protagonist" in such depth?

10. 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?

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

"Structure is equally important to non-fictional works as it is to fictional works." Explore this idea with reference to the text.

Essay Topic 3

Redemption and the overcoming of personal and professional obstacles are central to the text. Discuss.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,015 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample