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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Henry Crick, Tom's father, is obsessed with one question about Freddie's death that he repeats over and over again. What is it?
(a) Why did Freddie have to die?
(b) Who killed Freddie?
(c) How did Freddie die?
(d) Could he have saved Freddie?

2. What medical condition is Tom afraid that Mary might have?
(a) Schizophrenia.
(b) Alzheimer's disease.
(c) Bipolar disorder.
(d) Diabetes.

3. What did the inquest decide was the cause of Freddie Parr's death?
(a) Freddie had committed suicide.
(b) Freddie had been robbed and drowned by thugs.
(c) Freddie had been hit on the head with a bottle.
(d) Freddie was drunk, fell in the water, and could not swim.

4. Tom tells us that as a young teenager Mary liked to "experiment" with boys. Whom does he NOT suspect her of sleeping with?
(a) Freddie Parr.
(b) Tom Crick himself.
(c) Harold Metcalf.
(d) Dick Crick.

5. What competition does Mary demand the boys take part in before she takes off her last piece of clothing for the winner?
(a) A footrace to the bridge and back.
(b) A wrestling match.
(c) A competition to find and catch the largest eel.
(d) An underwater swimming competition.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Ernest Atkinson's maid Jane Shaw think she saw in the old Atkinson townhouse as the brewery was burning?

2. What does Tom compare the sound of Dick's motorcycle to the evening Mary has broken up with Tom?

3. What is the name of the ale Ernest Atkinson brews that seems to cause the end of any respect for him in Gildsey because it is too good?

4. What secret does Tom reveal to his students about Lewis Scott, the headmaster of the school?

5. What mesmerized King Canute as he was rowed past Ely?

Short Essay Questions

1. In chapter 50, Harry Crick spends a lot of time thinking about the significance of the bed he is lying in. What is his conclusion?

2. Chapter 51 is titled "About Phlegm." What is the significance of phlegm for the novel?

3. Briefly discuss how, in chapter 44, his interview with the police unravels Tom's earlier ideas about teaching the facts of history.

4. Chapter 16 is titled "Longitude 0°." What is this a reference to?

5. In chapter 40, Tom Crick discusses "contemporary nightmares." What are they?

6. In chapter 31, Price tells Tom Crick about the student club he is part of. What club is that and what is its purpose?

7. In chapter 23, Tom Crick asserts that the 14th of July festivities the French celebrate as Bastille Day are more of a fairy tale than anything else. What makes him say so?

8. In chapter 2, a student called Price interrupts Tom Crick, the history teacher, to tell him what about history?

9. Chapter 9 details the rise of the Atkinson family through various activities and involvements. After Tom Atkinson marries Sarah Turnbull. Sarah becomes a pivotal character in the Atkinson story. How?

10. Chapter 39 is about Mary's reaction to her pregnancy and to Tom's joy about it. What does Tom find her doing and what is the reason she gives?

(see the answer keys)

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