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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. Who created the fictitious meeting of Murray and Minor?

2. In what year was Minor given electroshock therapy at Broadmoor?

3. What did the act of sending the rules to Minor symbolize to him?

4. Murray wanted as many ______ as he could get for the words to capture subtle variations in them.

5. Why did many people write from abroad regarding Minor?

Short Essay Questions

1. What can one infer from the fact that Minor had many people who wrote letters to Broadmoor, inquiring about his health and well-being?

2. The author only briefly mentions Dr. Hall's absence from the dinner. Why is this significant in relation to his opinion of Minor?

3. What was the overarching reason why Murray decided to visit Minor?

4. What was miraculous about Mrs. Merrett deciding to see Minor at Broadmoor?

5. The author compares Murray to a general on a battlefield. Why?

6. Why do you think Murray so grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take to finish the Oxford English Dictionary after the first publication of the first book?

7. What is controversial about the story of the meeting of Minor and Murray?

8. Explain the significance of Minor's submissions evolving from one slip of paper to large paper bags arriving in Murray's office.

9. Why is it important, in relation to Minor's past, that the author states that people admired Minor for his meticulous work?

10. It is suggested that Murray's letter to Minor was a token of forgiveness. Why?

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

What is significant about the fact that the text has two protagonists, Minor and Murray, and that the author himself points out that this goes against the definition of the word in "Modern English Usage," which states that protagonist can only be used in the singular?

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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