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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Mrs. Delacroix have in her hands?
(a) A chocolate cake.
(b) The lottery flag.
(c) The Hutchinson baby.
(d) A huge stone.

2. Which man holds the winning paper?
(a) Bob Martin.
(b) Old man Warner.
(c) Bill Hutchinson.
(d) Mr. Graves.

3. What does the lottery hint at?
(a) Recreation.
(b) Politics.
(c) Education.
(d) Religion.

4. What is Mrs. Hutchinson's behavior as she makes her way to her family?
(a) Somber and angry.
(b) Perplexed and confused.
(c) Anxious and in a hurry.
(d) Laughing and apologizing for being late.

5. What is Jackson's first element of surprise in the story?
(a) Mr. Summers changing the tradition.
(b) Tessie being late for the lottery.
(c) The boys gathering stones.
(d) Mr. Graves forgetting the stool.

6. Though they do not remember all the ancient ritual, what do the villagers all remember?
(a) The stones.
(b) The song.
(c) The march.
(d) The burning of the box.

7. What does Mr. Summers do as soon as he is sworn in?
(a) Bows low and receives the crown.
(b) Leads the invocation.
(c) Faces and greets the villagers.
(d) Puts his hand on the black box three times.

8. In a large village, how long might the lottery last?
(a) All day because they have more activities in the square.
(b) Not long because of better equipment.
(c) As much as seven days.
(d) An hour because the slips were mailed to the people.

9. In the story, what idea does Shirley Jackson carefully avoid?
(a) The time it takes to hold the lottery.
(b) The odds of winning.
(c) Winning the lottery.
(d) Sweepstakes.

10. Who is the first to hold up his slip of paper?
(a) Old man Warner.
(b) Mr. Summers.
(c) Bill Hutchinson.
(d) Mr. Graves.

11. 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.

12. Why are people gathering in the town square?
(a) It is the annual lottery day.
(b) There is a band concert that morning.
(c) The mayor is making a speech.
(d) They are voting whether to discontinue the lottery.

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

14. When Mr. Summers says it is time, what does everyone do?
(a) Look at their papers and not show them.
(b) Drop their papers in the box.
(c) Look at their papers and hold them up.
(d) Tear their papers into small pieces.

15. What is Jackson saying about tradition.
(a) That it is bad luck to change it.
(b) That very few people question it.
(c) That it is necessary to keep a culture alive.
(d) That tradition is better than creating new ways.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the instruction given to the villagers about what to do after they have drawn?

2. What does Jackson hint in the story when Tessie is very late arriving?

3. Who is to draw for the Watson family?

4. Why can Clyde Dunbar not draw for his family?

5. Why does the lottery begin late in this village?

(see the answer keys)

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