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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. To whom did Minor write in order to make amends for his crimes?

2. How many rooms did Minor have during his stay at Broadmoor?

3. The word which troubled Murray and was sent to Minor had _______________ "shades of meaning."

4. What quality did many people who worked on the Oxford English Dictionary admire in Minor?

5. Who was a fan of Huxley?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is relevant about the fact that Minor was a fan of Huxley, particularly his idea of agnosticism?

3. What was one of the greatest mistakes Murray made upon arriving at Broadmoor and speaking to the superintendent?

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

5. How did Minor come to be able to return to the United States at the end of his life? What obstacles did he face along the way?

6. Describe how Minor may have felt when he entered the property at the Broadmoor Asylum.

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

8. Why could Minor more easily understand Murray's directions in comparison to others?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

Does the author associate much stigma with mental illness in the text? Give examples in your answer and explore what effects, in the author's view, mental illness might have had on the production of The Oxford English Dictionary.

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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