View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Bat compares himself to "a thickset golem hewn from the scrabbled, sodden dirt of Connaught," what literary technique is employed?
(a) Allusion.
(b) Dramatic irony.
(c) Paradox.
(d) Foreshadowing.

2. On the day the story opens, what does Bat do after dinner but before he starts drinking?
(a) Tries to call Tain.
(b) Rides his motorcycle.
(c) Goes to church.
(d) Looks in the paper for another job.

3. How many operations did Bat need after the assault?
(a) 6.
(b) 4.
(c) 8.
(d) 2.

4. What does Bat's mother accuse him of constantly doing?
(a) Laughing inappropriately.
(b) Stammering.
(c) Muttering.
(d) Being too loud.

5. When Tug stands at Jimmy's side during their conversation with Marlene and Mark, how does Jimmy characterize Tug?
(a) As a loyal pet and guard dog.
(b) As a brother he completely depends on.
(c) As a weapon under his control.
(d) As an unpredictable wild animal.

6. Jamie Duffy's nickname, "Scaldyballs," is an example of which literary device?
(a) Metonymy.
(b) Verbal irony.
(c) Synecdoche.
(d) Symbolism.

7. Why does Tansey call Matteen "Judgeboy" (29)?
(a) He wears a long black coat in winter.
(b) His father is a judge.
(c) He served as a county fair judge.
(d) His last name is "Judge."

8. Which sentence most clearly conveys a thematic motif of this story?
(a) "Bat handles his hair delicately" (52).
(b) "He splashes his face and watches the water drip like glue from his chin" (52).
(c) "None but the old dear call him Eamonn now" (53).
(d) "Damage abides beneath the surface" (53).

9. What does Val wonder if Martina knows about Joan Doody?
(a) Joan has a crush on Davy Boran.
(b) Joan is leaving soon for college in Dublin.
(c) Joan and Val have slept together.
(d) Joan has a reputation for being dangerous.

10. What is ironic about the text message that Val sends to Martina at the end of the story?
(a) Martina has only pretended to go early to Galway in order to get out of seeing Val again.
(b) Martina has accidentally left her phone behind at the Peacock.
(c) The reader is aware that Joan is the one who has feelings for Val.
(d) She has already complained to him about a boyfriend being too clingy.

11. To what does Jimmy compare all of Tug's ideas about what might have happened to Wayne Clancy?
(a) Empty pint glasses.
(b) Black flowers.
(c) Buses pulling in and out of a station.
(d) Poisoned chocolates.

12. Why does Heg invite Bat to drinks at The Yellow Belly?
(a) Heg is heading back to college.
(b) Heg knows that Bat will buy him drinks.
(c) It is Heg's birthday.
(d) Heg thinks that Bat might want to meet the barmaid.

13. What technique is evident in the phrase, "stall by a booth as she swabbed down tabletops sticky with spilled spirits" (41)?
(a) Cacophony.
(b) Verbal irony.
(c) Hyperbole.
(d) Sibilance.

14. What draws Jimmy's attention to Marlene's engagement ring?
(a) Her girlfriend takes pictures of it with her phone.
(b) The waitress delivers champagne to her table.
(c) Marlene deliberately waves it in Jimmy's direction.
(d) Cuculann complains about the cost of it.

15. What technique is being used in the sentence, "He had gaping thyroidal eyes, the broad skull and delicately tissued temples of a monk" (29)?
(a) Allusion.
(b) Imagery.
(c) Irony.
(d) Symbolism.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does his manager send Bat to work in the back?

2. What is unusual about Bat's hair?

3. What does Jimmy feel when he and Tug reach the other side of the bridge?

4. Who is the "drummer" that Joan mentions in her conversation with Martina?

5. When Bat sees the beautiful woman with Heg, how does he feel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 623 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample