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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. When does Belle attend a gallery show for Edward Steichen?

2. How old was Belle when her family moved to New York City?

3. How much money does Belle say that Morgan raised to help New York City meet its expenses?

4. When was the volume of Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur that Morgan wants to acquire printed by WIlliam Caxton?

5. How much is the asking price for Cicero's DeOratore from 1468 in Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the burden of keeping the family's secret of their race grow heavier as time goes on?

2. Whose collection is being sold in Chapter 10?

3. Who is Junius Morgan?

4. What awaits Belle at her family's apartment after her first day as Morgan's librarian?

5. What do Elsie de Wolfe and Belle discuss about rumors?

6. Why is Teddy uncomfortable when they walk from the train to the Fleet home in Washington, DC, and what does Genevieve tell her about the route?

7. Who is still awake when Belle returns home in Chapter 8, and why?

8. What does Belle tell a group of men at the Boston auction in Chapter 10 about her responsibilities for Morgan?

9. What does Belle realize she will need to do in order to fit in when she goes out into society for Morgan?

10. What is Belle's office like at the library?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Idioms are words that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How are idioms used in The Personal Librarian to help characters communicate? How do idioms help create word pictures and mental images for readers in a concise manner?

Essay Topic 2

In the novel, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 3

Metaphors and similes are figures of speech that are used to make comparisons between things. Metaphors seem to imply an equal comparison, while similes seem to imply a similarity between two things. Does the author use more metaphors or similes in the novel? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers comprehend concepts? How does the use of metaphors or similes help make The Personal Librarian more interesting?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 957 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample