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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which dwarves are the best at lighting fires?

2. Which pair of dwarves are the youngest?

3. What was the name of Bilbo's mother?

4. What weapons do the Wood Elves use when they take the dwarves prisoner?

5. What color is Bilbo's front door into his hobbit hole?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the trees that the adventurers are hiding in in Chapter 6 manage to catch fire?

2. Summarize in your own words how the trade between the Wood Elves and the men of Laketown operates.

3. What do the adventurers take from the trolls' treasure hoard?

4. What has Beorn been doing when he is absent from the house?

5. Describe Beorn in your own words.

6. Why does Bilbo decide to go with the dwarves and declare himself to be willing to join the adventure?

7. Why does Bilbo believe that there is no end to the forest after he climbs up the tall oak to have a look around?

8. What do we learn about the goblins and their intentions from the song they sing while dragging the dwarves and Bilbo down to the Great Goblin?

9. How do the dwarves and Bilbo manage to escape from the goblins?

10. Describe in your own words how the riddle contest between Bilbo and Gollum was played and what the winner of the contest would win.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Song and poems are often significant in The Hobbit. Choose two of the songs or poems that you believe to be particularly important and explain their significance in detail. Ways that a song or poem can be significant may include foreshadowing, revealing character, developing a theme or explaining background.

Essay Topic 2

In his essay "On Fairy-Stories" dealing with the nature of fantasy fiction, Tolkien claimed that every author of fantasy strives to build a believable "Secondary World," where marvels and adventure take place, which has the inner consistency of reality." How has Tolkien managed to make the world shown in The Hobbit believable and consistent? Take at least two of the following into account in your answer:

1. Physical setting

2. The setting in time

3. Attention to detail regarding the natural world

4. Characters

Essay Topic 3

Tolkien presents the elves, and in particular the Elvenking, as being Good People. Considering the character of the Elvenking, do you think Tolkien has succeeded in portraying the Wood Elves as good or likable characters? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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