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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When did Queen Elizabeth die?
(a) 1650.
(b) 1600.
(c) 1603.
(d) 1595.

2. Who is Scotland's most celebrated poet?
(a) Walt Whitman.
(b) Sylvia Plath.
(c) Robert Burns.
(d) Samuel Beckett.

3. Which of the four ethnic groups that invaded Scotland during the Dark Ages united the kingdom?
(a) The Scotti.
(b) The Illiuni.
(c) The Finni.
(d) The Asti.

4. Scots is one of the oldest and most interesting varieties of English dating back to which centuries?
(a) First and second.
(b) Sixth and seventh.
(c) Third and fourth.
(d) Eighth and ninth.

5. When was Jonathan Swift born?
(a) 1675.
(b) 1667.
(c) 1595.
(d) 1695.

6. When did Robert MacNeil retire, according to his bio in the Introduction?
(a) 1992.
(b) 1990.
(c) 1998.
(d) 1995.

7. What was the first successful English settlement on the mainland of North America?
(a) Jamestown.
(b) Cooperstown.
(c) New York.
(d) Washington D.C.

8. When was the original edition of The Story of English published?
(a) 1986.
(b) 1990.
(c) 1975.
(d) 1980.

9. The English language was formed through how many invasions?
(a) 4.
(b) 3.
(c) 2.
(d) 5.

10. How many people spoke English in Shakespeare's time?
(a) 3-4 million.
(b) 8-10 million.
(c) 5-7 million.
(d) 10-15 million.

11. What language did the Celts speak?
(a) Entoarian.
(b) Esotian.
(c) Gaelic.
(d) Germanic.

12. What threatened Britain's Celtic chiefs after the withdrawal of the Romans?
(a) Germanic tribes.
(b) Islamic tribes.
(c) Greek tribes.
(d) Christian warriors.

13. Where was Shakespeare born and raised?
(a) Wilforshire.
(b) London.
(c) Essex.
(d) Stratford-upon-Avon.

14. For what newspaper is Robert McCrum listed as Literary Editor in the Introduction?
(a) The London Times.
(b) The Observer.
(c) The San Francisco Chronicle.
(d) The New York Times.

15. What is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims?
(a) Ellis Island.
(b) Nina Maria.
(c) Philadelphia.
(d) Plymouth Rock.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who was the leader of translation in the King James Bible?

2. When was William Shakespeare born?

3. What style of music was the invention of the Scots-Irish?

4. English is the official language of how many countries?

5. Who is listed as the Executive Producer of the television series The Story of English?

(see the answer keys)

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