View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is Ferd Ward?
(a) Distant cousin to Oliver, a financial Wall Street wizard
(b) Oliver's father
(c) Oliver's grandfather
(d) Oliver's sister

2. What does the conversation between Lyman and Shelley become after the writing suggestions?
(a) A conversation about the difference of victorian era sexual attitudes and those of 1970 hippies.
(b) An argument about what to have for dinner
(c) A conversation about television
(d) The beginning of an affair between Lyman and Shelley

3. What does Lyman originally think of Shelley?
(a) That she is loud and brazen, completely different from his grandmother who was genteel and always dressed impeccably
(b) that she is shy and boring
(c) that she is attractive and fun
(d) that she will steal his story ideas and write her own book

4. Who is Lizzie?
(a) Oliver's first wife
(b) Lyman's grand-daughter
(c) Susan's sister
(d) A young woman who Susan brings along to serve as cook and housekeeper in New Almaden

5. Why does Lyman resist Shelley's suggestions?
(a) He is not writing for a modern reader, but as a way to find out more about himself through his family history.
(b) She does not express her suggestions well.
(c) He is jealous of her writing abilities
(d) He does not understand her meaning

6. This chapter highlights several of Oliver's traits - what are some of them?
(a) Ignorance and selfishness
(b) Snobbery and high handed behavior
(c) Greed and avarice
(d) Compassion for those less fortunate, decency,misplaced loyalty, principals, lack of good business judgement, more of a dreamer

7. How is this chapter different from others, from the perspective of the Ward marriage?
(a) Lyman is allowing the intimacy of a young married couple to be shown
(b) It is written from the point of view of the baby
(c) It is shorter than the others
(d) Shelley wrote it

8. Why doesn't Ollie come with Susan to Leadville?
(a) He has taken ill and needs to recover
(b) Her parents have kidnapped him
(c) Augusta has asked to keep him
(d) He has refused to come see his father

9. What was the issue between Susan and Oliver that clouded their trip to Leadville?
(a) Susan wanted to drive the wagon
(b) Oliver would not stop so Susan could draw
(c) Oliver had to whip the horses to keep the wagon from going over a cliff, and Susan felt he was being cruel and mean
(d) Oliver was drinking

10. Oliver has news for Susan when he returns to Santa Cruz - what is it?
(a) He has found a job in Milton New York
(b) He has successfully invented hydraulic cement
(c) He has found them another place to live
(d) He is moving the family to Bolivia

11. What is a good description of the Ward home?
(a) Wide veranda, clean and comfortable house
(b) House trailer
(c) A section of a boardinghouse
(d) Tumble down shack

12. Who does Susan kiss in error upon her and Ollie's arrival in Leadville?
(a) Lizzie
(b) Frank Sargeant
(c) Mrs. Elliott
(d) Mr. King

13. What is Susan's main character trait in this chapter?
(a) Resolve, determination and strength in the face of criticism
(b) Whining and indecisiveness
(c) Fear of change
(d) Submission and resignation

14. Who is Rodman?
(a) Rodman is an old boyfriend of Shelley
(b) Rodman is a friend of Larry's
(c) Rodman Ward is Lyman's only child, and is a professor at Berkeley
(d) Rodman is Lyman's uncle

15. What is the purpose of Rodman's discussion with Lyman concerning Oliver's time at Deadwood?
(a) To show Rodman's interest in his father's book
(b) To remind the reader that Rodman and Lyman are related
(c) It allows the author to cover the time Oliver spent in Deadwood without the usual narration or correspondence plot devices.
(d) To test Lyman's mental faculties

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Rodman's reason for his visit to Lyman?

2. Why is progress stopped in the Argentina mine?

3. Why is Al Sutton important to this story?

4. How does Susan deal with her frustration?

5. When Susan returns home to Milton to spend the winter and get Ollie, what project does she begin?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 765 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample