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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following does not describe the loading process used by John Byam to load the "sweet" rifle?
(a) He used a greased patch
(b) He dabbed grease into the touch hole
(c) He swaged out the greased patch
(d) He used a needle to clean out the touch hole

2. According to the novel, how long was Richard Allen Mesinger "supposed" to have lived?
(a) Long enough to discover a genetic cure for cancer
(b) To age forty
(c) To age fourteen
(d) An additional 60 years

3. What clears the "mummified grease" (p. 92) from the touchhole of the "sweet" rifle?
(a) A candle flame melts it
(b) Tim Harrow removes it while cleaning the rifle
(c) Harv Kline's cigarette melts it
(d) John Byam pricks it with a needle

4. How much linear distance in the bore of the "sweet" rifle is used by a typical loading of powder and patched ball?
(a) None
(b) Two inches
(c) The entire length of the bore
(d) Two feet

5. When Richard Allen Mesington is four years old, he has an exciting experience doing what?
(a) Shooting a rifle
(b) Riding on a backhoe while it works
(c) Hunting with his father
(d) Riding in a mobile home

6. According to the novel, why were all guns kept loaded prior to 1850?
(a) Because they took so long to load
(b) It was the law
(c) Because powder would spoil if not loaded immediately
(d) Because gun owners lacked common sense

7. When Richard Allen Mesington is eleven and twelve years old what is his favorite hobby?
(a) Shooting a rifle
(b) Training dogs
(c) Drawing
(d) Building model airplanes and cars

8. After John Byam, what act is never performed on the "sweet" rifle?
(a) Cleaning it up
(b) Firing it
(c) Selling it
(d) Checking to see if it is loaded

9. Where was Richard Allen Mesington born?
(a) Salt Lake City, Utah
(b) Willow, Colorado
(c) New York
(d) Philadelphia

10. When was Richard Allen Mesington born?
(a) In early 1993
(b) The novel doesn't say
(c) July 4, 1776
(d) October 13, 1979

11. According to the novel, why does the black powder in the "sweet" rifle remain explosive after hundreds of years?
(a) It was wrapped in a linen cartridge
(b) Grease used in loading formed an airtight seal
(c) The rifle's small caliber preserved the powder
(d) It was a modern type of powder

12. For what did sailing ships in the Revolutionary War use black power?
(a) To charge their cannon
(b) As a fuel in the engine
(c) They didn't use blackpowder onboard sailing ships
(d) To cook meals

13. Who is Richard Allen Mesington's first girlfriend?
(a) Sarah
(b) Peggy
(c) Sissy
(d) Tilson

14. How old is Richard Allen Mesington when he stops believing in Santa Claus?
(a) He never believes in Santa Claus because of his father's early death
(b) Six years old
(c) Two years old
(d) Sixteen years old

15. How does Richard Allen Mesinger die?
(a) He dies of stomach cancer
(b) He is hanged by the British as a traitor
(c) He is shot in the head
(d) Dysentery kills him

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the novel, how many movies did Richard Allen Mesinger watch in an average year?

2. When Richard Allen Mesington is fourteen years old, who is his girlfriend?

3. Why doesn't Richard Allen Mesington tell Peggy that he loves her?

4. What happens to black powder if it is exposed to the air for a long period of time?

5. How long does Sissy live?

(see the answer keys)

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