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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What finally happens with Tessie?
(a) All the villagers stone her to death.
(b) She has to catch and throw back the stones.
(c) She has a heart attack and dies.
(d) She must dodge all the stones.

2. What are the men doing before it is time for the lottery to begin?
(a) Standing in a group but not talking.
(b) Standing in a group talking about tractors and rain.
(c) Standing together and talking about women.
(d) Standing together and talking politics.

3. Who gets to go first in the second drawing?
(a) The three children draw first.
(b) Tessie insists on drawing first.
(c) The oldest son draws first.
(d) Bill draws first.

4. What trouble does Bobby Martin get into?
(a) He gets in a fight with another boy and has a bloody nose.
(b) He puts the stones he collected in his pocket.
(c) He gets his clean clothes all dirty and has to go home and change.
(d) He does not respond to his mother's call and his father reprimands him.

5. Who tells the boys what to do on the morning of the lottery?
(a) Their mothers.
(b) Their fathers.
(c) No one, they all know their responsibility.
(d) The village council.

6. What does Jackson hint in the story when Tessie is very late arriving?
(a) That Tessie has a premonition of something bad.
(b) That Tessie is not originally from the village.
(c) That Tessie is always late for everything.
(d) That Tessie is a scatter brain.

7. What is Mr. Zanini's distinction at the lottery?
(a) He is the only single man there.
(b) He is the first one to draw in the lottery.
(c) He is the last one to draw a slip from the black box.
(d) He is the oldest man at the lottery.

8. What does Tessie's paper mean?
(a) She has been chosen.
(b) She gets to select the winner.
(c) She is out of the lottery.
(d) She will have to draw again.

9. Which stones are the most prized for use in the lottery?
(a) Heavy, flat ones.
(b) Smooth, round ones.
(c) Shiny, decorative ones.
(d) Hard, jagged ones.

10. Who is the last person accounted for before the lottery begins?
(a) Tessie Hutchinson.
(b) The tall Watson boy.
(c) Mrs. Dunbar.
(d) Old man Warner.

11. What sound is heard as the papers are opened?
(a) Nothing. It is very quiet.
(b) The school marching band.
(c) A collective sigh.
(d) The women speaking all at once.

12. What accusation does Tessie make to Joe Summers?
(a) That he doesn't like her and arranged for her to get the dot.
(b) That he goes first every year to lessen his chances of getting the dot.
(c) That someone else should draw for him.
(d) That he cheated when he drew his own slip.

13. What is Jackson's main theme in the story?
(a) The need for change in a community.
(b) The stupidity of blindly following tradition.
(c) The need for tradition in small towns.
(d) The value of human life.

14. What does Jackson suggest about civic prominence in the character of Mr. Summers.
(a) That Summers has no real power in the village.
(b) That age is the criterion for civic leadership.
(c) That everyone is equal regardless of wealth.
(d) That wealth is the standard for importance.

15. What is the atmosphere of the village as the lottery gets under way?
(a) Everyone is talking at once.
(b) It is orderly and respectful.
(c) It is chaos.
(d) There is great jollity among the people.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Jackson satirizing by having the children participate so willingly in the stoning?

2. What does Tessie try to do before Bill draws for the family?

3. What does Mr. Summers do as soon as he is sworn in?

4. What is Jackson saying about tradition.

5. What is in the black box?

(see the answer keys)

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