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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How much of the van den Meers' household has been lost because of their debt?
(a) Only one bedroom of furniture and one closet of clothes.
(b) Nothing. Margarethe refuses to allow anyone to take anything.
(c) Nearly everything they own except for one bed everyone shares.
(d) Half of their furniture and all of Henrika's possessions.

2. What do Iris and Clara use as collateral in order to get Clara a gown?
(a) Henrika's jewels.
(b) Margarethe's fancy new shoes.
(c) Money Ruth has been secretly hiding away.
(d) The last of their family fortune.

3. What key item did Clara leave behind at the ball?
(a) Her shoe.
(b) The key she always wears around her neck.
(c) None of these answers is correct.
(d) Her purse.

4. What changes about Clara's dress after the ball?
(a) It is in complete tatters.
(b) It suddenly becomes too big.
(c) It somehow glows even more.
(d) It suddenly becomes too small, almost choking her.

5. How do Ruth and Iris get to the ball?
(a) Caspar lends them a horse.
(b) They share a bicycle.
(c) They have to walk.
(d) In a private carriage.

6. Who warns Clara when van Stolk enters the ball?
(a) Ruth.
(b) Schoonmaker.
(c) Margarethe.
(d) Iris.

7. As the ball approaches and Margarethe is tight for money, why does she claim the Master owes her money?
(a) Because he never paid her enough when she was working for him.
(b) Because she knows he has been secretly stealing from the Van den Meers.
(c) Because he has lots of money now and she has very little.
(d) Because she and Iris helped him land the Young Girl with Tulips painting.

8. What profession did Iris end up going into?
(a) Nursing.
(b) Painting.
(c) Baking.
(d) Teaching.

9. What ended up happening to Cornelius's finances?
(a) They continued to get worse and worse.
(b) They were completely dependent on Margarethe's management.
(c) They eventually recovered.
(d) They never improved.

10. What key item did Iris leave behind at the ball?
(a) Her shoe.
(b) None of these answers is correct.
(c) Her purse.
(d) The key she always wears around her neck.

11. In the Epilogue, Ruth claims that Iris was better at doing what than painting?
(a) Observing.
(b) Cooking.
(c) Singing.
(d) Organizing.

12. Who is the narrator of the Epilogue?
(a) Caspar.
(b) Iris.
(c) Ruth.
(d) Clara.

13. How much of the van den Meers' fortune was lost in Clara's kidnapping as a young child?
(a) One-third.
(b) Nothing; they got Clara back before a ransom was paid.
(c) Nearly everything.
(d) Half.

14. How is Marie de Medici described physically?
(a) As old and overweight -- obese, even.
(b) As beautiful and unusually tall.
(c) As both beautiful and exceptionally intelligent.
(d) As very smart and cunning.

15. As the ball approaches, what does the reader learn about Margarethe's neighbors' opinion of her?
(a) That they think she is the most beautiful woman in all the land.
(b) That they admire her.
(c) That they scorn her and think very poorly of her choices.
(d) That they are jealous of her wealth.

Short Answer Questions

1. What color dress does Clara wear to the ball?

2. How does Cornelius react to his grandchildren?

3. Who insists on introducing Ruth and Iris to the prince?

4. What does Philippe end up dying from?

5. What does the title of Chapter 4, "The Gallery of God's Mistakes," refer to?

(see the answer keys)

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