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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What are some villages rumored to be doing with their lottery?
(a) Adding a consolation prize.
(b) Combining it with another holiday.
(c) Holding parades before the lottery.
(d) Discontinuing it.

2. Why do they stop using the wood chips?
(a) Trees are getting scarce.
(b) The village population is growing.
(c) People get splinters form the wood.
(d) They want to be more modern.

3. How do they list the villagers before the lottery begins?
(a) In alphabetical order.
(b) By heads of families.
(c) From the youngest to the oldest.
(d) From the oldest to the youngest.

4. What holiday is mentioned in the story that suggests this village is in America?
(a) Halloween.
(b) The 4th of July.
(c) Groundhog Day.
(d) Christmas.

5. What sound is heard as the papers are opened?
(a) Nothing. It is very quiet.
(b) The women speaking all at once.
(c) A collective sigh.
(d) The school marching band.

6. Who tells the boys what to do on the morning of the lottery?
(a) Their fathers.
(b) Their mothers.
(c) No one, they all know their responsibility.
(d) The village council.

7. What serious formality occurs before the lottery begins?
(a) The singing of the village anthem.
(b) The pledge of allegiance.
(c) The blessing of the box.
(d) The swearing in of the officials.

8. Who gets to go first in the second drawing?
(a) The three children draw first.
(b) The oldest son draws first.
(c) Tessie insists on drawing first.
(d) Bill draws first.

9. Where is Tessie by the time everyone has their stones?
(a) Behind Mr. Summers.
(b) In the center.
(c) Running to hide.
(d) With her family.

10. What happens to Tessie first?
(a) The women form a circle around her to change her clothes.
(b) She is given a tiara.
(c) A stone hits her on the side of her head.
(d) They present her with roses.

11. Who helps hold the box to keep it steady?
(a) Several of the larger boys.
(b) Mr. Martin and his son.
(c) Mr. Graves and Mr. Summers.
(d) The mayor and the chief of police.

12. What does Tessie try to do before Bill draws for the family?
(a) Include her daughter's family in the drawing.
(b) Run home to change clothes.
(c) Find her three children to stand with their father.
(d) Stand where the newspaper photographer can get her photo.

13. What is Mr. Zanini's distinction at the lottery?
(a) He is the oldest man at the lottery.
(b) He is the only single man there.
(c) He is the last one to draw a slip from the black box.
(d) He is the first one to draw in the lottery.

14. What does Mr. Graves carry onto the village square?
(a) A roster of the village people.
(b) A trumpet to begin the ceremony.
(c) A three-legged stool.
(d) An American flag.

15. Who needs help from Mr. Graves to open his slip?
(a) Tessie.
(b) The youngest daughter.
(c) All of the children.
(d) Little Dave Hutchinson.

Short Answer Questions

1. In a large village, how long might the lottery last?

2. What do some people think about discontinuing the lottery?

3. What is in the black box?

4. What does Tessie's paper mean?

5. How do most of the villagers appear to regard the lottery?

(see the answer keys)

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