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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Miss Strangeworth thinks about the Cranes "indulgently" (421). How does she think about them?
(a) With the kindness that a person shows to someone who needs a little extra generosity or lenience.
(b) In the forgiving but irritated way that an adult looks at a misbehaving child.
(c) In the surprised way that an adult looks at a child that has done something strange.
(d) With the scorn that people show towards those who eat, drink, or do other things to excess.

2. Why does Linda Stewart refuse to tell Dave Harris what was in the letter to her parents?
(a) She is embarrassed and horrified about what it said.
(b) She knows that he will become very angry if she tells him what is being said about him.
(c) She is afraid that Dave will end their relationship if he knows the truth.
(d) She is worried that part of the letter might be true.

3. According to the narrator, how do the townspeople feel about Miss Strangeworth and her house and her roses?
(a) Amused.
(b) Jealous.
(c) Proud.
(d) Irritated.

4. What does Miss Strangeworth seem to think her family's place in the world is?
(a) To keep an eye on everyone else and hold them to a high moral standard.
(b) To stay isolated from the wickedness of the world.
(c) To provide an example of kindness and concern for others.
(d) To counsel others and help them understand how to live a happy and ethical life.

5. Why does Miss Strangeworth refer to the Cranes' baby as "her highness" (421)?
(a) She is making fun of the possibility that the baby has some kind of developmental problem.
(b) Helen Crane has referred to her as a "princess."
(c) The Cranes are from an even older and more important family than Miss Strangeworth's.
(d) She is trying to make Helen feel better about the baby's problems.

Short Answer Questions

1. What letter does Miss Strangeworth think about writing to the school board?

2. What job does Miss Chandler hold?

3. The narrator says that Miss Strangeworth's letters "dealt with the more negotiable stuff of suspicion" (424). What is this saying about suspicion?

4. Why does Miss Strangeworth fail to notice the important detail about her letters?

5. What color paper does Miss Strangeworth choose for the note to Don Crane about his baby daughter?

Short Essay Questions

1. What details does Jackson provide about the interior of Miss Strangeworth's house to show the pride the family has always taken in the house?

2. Which writing utensils does Miss Strangeworth have available, and which one does she choose for her anonymous notes?

3. Describe Miss Strangeworth's feelings about her roses.

4. To whom do the townspeople want to dedicate a statue, and why does Miss Strangeworth say that it should be a statue of her grandfather, instead?

5. Explain how Miss Strangeworth's need to do things perfectly is shown in how she writes her letters.

6. Describe the setting of the story "The Possibility of Evil."

7. What does Miss Strangeworth write to Mrs. Harper, and what is she implying?

8. What is ironic about Miss Strangeworth's thoughts as she notices that various townspeople seem distressed?

9. What worry does Helen Crane express about her baby daughter, and how does Miss Strangeworth respond to her concerns?

10. Describe the exterior of Miss Strangeworth's house.

(see the answer keys)

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