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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What novel is the first book the boy has ever read?
(a) Paradise Lost.
(b) The Poor Old Woman.
(c) The Bible.
(d) The History of Ireland.

2. How does the boy's grandfather die?
(a) A stroke.
(b) A heart attack.
(c) Old age.
(d) An accident.

3. From which part of the traditions of both Protestants and Catholics does the boy derive excitement?
(a) The bonfires.
(b) The dancing.
(c) The gathering.
(d) The singing.

4. What do people believe lay below the ruins of Grianan?
(a) The bodies of legendary ancient warriors.
(b) The souls of those who had disappeared.
(c) The ghosts of unborn children.
(d) The souls of those who did not have a Christian burial.

5. Why is the murder case of 1921 thrown out of court?
(a) There wasn't enough evidence.
(b) The murder suspect had a proven alibi.
(c) The murder suspect disappeared.
(d) The evidence was tampered with.

6. In Chapter 1, why doesn't the boy's mother want him to cross by the window at the top of the stairs?
(a) The window is broken and glass shards cover the floor.
(b) She senses a ghost nearby.
(c) Rain is pouring in from the open window.
(d) Someone outside will see him.

7. What is distinct about Larry McLaughlin's character?
(a) He is missing.
(b) He does not talk.
(c) He wanders.
(d) He tells stories.

8. Who gives a gun to the boy's father?
(a) A German sailor.
(b) A local policeman.
(c) A family friend.
(d) His grandfather.

9. What causes the priest to call off Larry McLaughlin's wedding?
(a) Larry doesn't want to get married.
(b) Larry isn't ready to get married.
(c) Larry has cheated on this soon-to-be wife.
(d) Larry has become insane.

10. Why does the boy ride home with Sergeant Burke in the police car?
(a) He was in trouble.
(b) He was being bullied.
(c) He was out wandering at night.
(d) He didn't have a ride home.

11. After the incident with the rose bushes, the boy stays in his room for more than a day without what?
(a) Food.
(b) Light.
(c) Clothes.
(d) A pillow.

12. What does Crazy Joe say Larry's mysterious woman turns into?
(a) A deer.
(b) A bird.
(c) A butterfly.
(d) A fox.

13. Where did the shoot-out of 1922 occur?
(a) In the distillery.
(b) In the market.
(c) In the streets.
(d) In the church.

14. In what ways are the boys in the math class punished if they do not answer the questions correctly?
(a) Time out or extra homework.
(b) Extra homework or caning.
(c) Extra homework or cleaning.
(d) Cleaning or caning.

15. What causes the infestation mentioned in Chapter 3?
(a) An abandoned house.
(b) The swamps.
(c) An abandoned warehouse.
(d) A nearby dumping ground.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does "The Shan Van Vocht" mean?

2. In Chapter 1, what causes the boy's mother to become inconsolable?

3. What happens to both Brigid and Larry in Chapter 2?

4. Why is the boys' mother upset when they return from their boat ride across the river?

5. Where are the boy's father's sisters sent to live after the death of their parents?

(see the answer keys)

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