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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 4.4 | Chapter 4.5.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who "tries" a legal case in England?
(a) The jury.
(b) The barrister.
(c) The judge.
(d) The solicitor.

2. Which European language has exerted the most influence on the American language?
(a) Spanish.
(b) French.
(c) German.
(d) Italian.

3. According to the report of Beverley, what did a group of soldiers turn into after eating some Jimson Weed?
(a) Zombies.
(b) Somnambulists.
(c) Corpses.
(d) Fools.

4. According to Mencken, what did the first generations born in the New World value as a virtue over enterprise and resourcefulness?
(a) Niceness.
(b) Temperance.
(c) Courage.
(d) Ingenuity.

5. What does Mencken say newspaper reporters no longer "slobber" over?
(a) British idioms.
(b) Interviews.
(c) Tragedies.
(d) Ceremonies.

Short Answer Questions

1. What "great humorist" does Mencken cite in Chapter 1.3 as "celebrating 'the vigorous new vernacular of the occidental plains and mountains'"?

2. Which is the first factor that Mencken identifies as an immediate impediment to the growth of the American language in Chapter 3.1?

3. To what continent does Mencken attribute the acknowledgment of the differences between American and British English?

4. In terms of politics, an American candidate "runs" for office. What does an English candidate do?

5. Who is the author of "Travels in North America," published in 1827?

(see the answer key)

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