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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What were the small boys called who hauled powder from the magazine to the cannon during the Revolutionary War?
(a) Swabs
(b) Powder Monkeys
(c) Ship's Boys
(d) Sons of Guns

2. From age seven to nine years old, Richard Allen Mesington believes he will pursue which profession?
(a) Law
(b) Veterinary science
(c) Archaelogy
(d) Emergency Rescue

3. According to the novel, why does the black powder in the "sweet" rifle remain explosive after hundreds of years?
(a) The rifle's small caliber preserved the powder
(b) It was wrapped in a linen cartridge
(c) It was a modern type of powder
(d) Grease used in loading formed an airtight seal

4. Academically, how does Richard Allen Mesington perform?
(a) He is a superior performer
(b) He is a little above average
(c) He is below average
(d) He is failing out of school

5. When the Mesington family moves away from Willow, Colorado, what state do they move to?
(a) Utah
(b) Alabama
(c) Texas
(d) Colorado

6. When Richard Allen Mesington is fourteen years old, who is his girlfriend?
(a) Sissy
(b) Sarah
(c) Peggy
(d) Isabelle

7. About when were Harv Kline's two children born?
(a) 1865 and 1867
(b) 1993 and 1995
(c) 1776 and 1778
(d) 1982 and 1984

8. Why doesn't Richard Allen Mesington play with the next door neighbor Harv Kline's son?
(a) Harv Kline's son drowned as an infant
(b) Harv Kline's son is too young
(c) Harv Kline's son is too old
(d) Harv Kline's son doesn't like guns

9. At the novel's conclusion, who is the owner of the "sweet" rifle?
(a) Nobody--Harv Kline destroys it
(b) John Byam
(c) Harv Kline
(d) Tilson

10. According to the novel, how common were firearms accidents prior to 1850?
(a) They were virtually non-existent
(b) They were almost unheard of
(c) They were common
(d) They were very rare

11. How long does Sissy live?
(a) About six years after Richard Allen Mesington is born
(b) At least fifteen years
(c) Four years
(d) She's killed by a car when she's just a puppy

12. What constituted the "door" to the powder magazine in Revolutionary War ships?
(a) A wet blanket
(b) A porthole
(c) A black line on the floor
(d) The sentry's crossed bayonets

13. When Richard Allen Mesington is eleven and twelve years old what is his favorite hobby?
(a) Building model airplanes and cars
(b) Drawing
(c) Training dogs
(d) Shooting a rifle

14. Just before the "sweet" rifle accidentally discharges, what is Harv Kline doing?
(a) Loading the gun
(b) Cleaning the gun
(c) Stirring the fire with a poker
(d) Taking aim at a British officer

15. The novel states that black powder has what chemical property?
(a) It will dissolve if it gets moist
(b) It is poisonous if ingested
(c) It is very corrosive
(d) It is extremely explosive

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Harv Kline's favorite time of year?

2. How long does the "sweet" rifle stay loaded before it is finally discharged?

3. When does Richard Allen Mesinger die?

4. Where was Richard Allen Mesington born?

5. Who lives next door to the Richard Allen Mesington family in Missouri?

(see the answer keys)

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