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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the source of the sniper's respect for his fallen enemy?
(a) The man was a good shot.
(b) He can tell that his enemy was also a soldier.
(c) He is a fellow Irishman.
(d) His religious respect for life.

2. After he is wounded, the sniper feels a "paroxysm" of pain. What kind of pain is he feeling?
(a) Creeping and throbbing.
(b) Sudden and violent.
(c) Mild but bothersome.
(d) Gradually easing.

3. Why does the sniper not immediately fire on the enemy car?
(a) He does not have a weapon that will penetrate its armor.
(b) There is a civilian in his line of fire.
(c) He does not want to give away his position.
(d) He is not sure which side the car belongs to, at first.

4. What river is near the sniper's position?
(a) The Liffey.
(b) The Shannon.
(c) The Thames.
(d) The Corrib.

5. "His enemy had been hit" (98) is an example of what technique?
(a) Charged language.
(b) Honorific diction.
(c) Parallelism.
(d) Passive voice.

6. Once he is wounded, what is the sniper's first priority?
(a) He needs to get off the roof before dawn.
(b) He needs to find and kill the old woman.
(c) He needs to report to his field commander.
(d) He needs medical attention.

7. Where does the sniper think that he might know his enemy from?
(a) He thinks it is possible that they served together in the same unit of the army.
(b) He has suddenly realized that the man might be on the Republican side.
(c) He thinks that they may have gone to school together.
(d) He is beginning to suspect that the dead sniper is his brother.

8. What can readers infer about the sniper's revolver?
(a) It is an unreliable weapon.
(b) It has fallen into a tricky spot.
(c) It is almost empty of ammunition.
(d) It is not intended for long-distance shooting.

9. In order to fool his enemy, what does the sniper lift over the parapet?
(a) His hat.
(b) His jacket.
(c) His rifle.
(d) His head.

10. How many people does the sniper kill before he can get a clear shot at the enemy sniper?
(a) 2.
(b) 1.
(c) 0.
(d) 3.

11. When the sniper turns over the body of his enemy, whom does he discover it to be?
(a) His commander.
(b) A total stranger.
(c) His priest.
(d) His own brother.

12. Why does the protagonist expose his hand by draping it over the parapet?
(a) He needs to risk it in order to get his gun.
(b) To make it look like he has been shot.
(c) He is unaware that he has done so.
(d) To show a white flag.

13. The sniper takes a "draught" (96) of his drink. What is a "draught" in this context?
(a) A British measure.
(b) A deep sniff.
(c) A small sip.
(d) A large swallow.

14. After he calms down, what does the sniper decide to do next?
(a) Get off the rooftop and check on the identity of his enemy.
(b) Get off the rooftop and report to his commander.
(c) Bandage his wound more carefully before he tries to move.
(d) Rest for a few minutes before he tries to move.

15. What is the sniper drinking?
(a) Milk.
(b) Coffee.
(c) Whiskey.
(d) Tea.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the opening of the story, machine guns fire "spasmodically." How are they firing?

2. When he finally gets a clear shot at his enemy, what is the protagonist feeling?

3. Who wrote "The Sniper"?

4. What finally changes the way that the sniper is feeling?

5. Why is the sniper eating?

(see the answer keys)

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