Chapter One

1.“A country gentleman – judging by his complexion, his clean old-fashioned coat and his broad-legged, lumbering walk which bumped out his pockets in a manner most provoking” Page 4. What does the highlighted statement mean?

  1. The appearance of the man’s pockets tempted Smith to steal from him.
  2. The man’s pockets showed him to be a country gentleman.
  3. The man’s walk was so odd that it pushed out his pockets.
  4. The appearance of the man’s pockets angered Smith.

2.When describing Curtis Court, the novel describes it as . . . “a neglected clearing in the forest where nothing grew, and all save one of the enclosed houses had had their eyes put out with bricks (on account of the tax)” Page 6. This means:

  1. All of the houses were empty and windowless, because no one could pay their taxes.
  2. The residents of the homes were blind due to not having enough money.
  3. The taxes had made everyone ‘blind’ to the fact that their houses were neglected.
  4. All of the houses (except one) had no windows, from angry people throwing bricks through them.

3.On page 7, when speaking of the men in brown it speaks of the men being “proficient in their trade.” What does this mean?

  1. The men have clearly never murdered anyone before now.
  2. The men make a lot of money by murdering innocent people, because they trade the goods they find for money.
  3. The men are so quick and quiet when killing, they seem like experts.
  4. The men did not want to kill the gentleman, but had no choice since they were working for someone else.

4.Smith thinks to himself, about the murdered gentleman, on page 8, “Why hadn’t he stayed in the country where he’d belonged? What business had he to come stumping, so stupid and defenseless – into Smith’s secret forest?” Why might Smith seem angry with the murdered man?

  1. He feels sad and sorry for the man, and looks for a reason to blame the man for what happened him.
  2. He knew the man from around town, and therefore knew the man was not very smart.
  3. He is disgusted by the man’s stupidity and foolishness and feels that he deserved his fate.
  4. He feels pride at being able to fool the man so easily, and is boasting to himself about his victory.

5.After Smith escapes the murder scene on page 9, the novel states, “As he went, a door opened in the court, and someone came quietly out . . . “ Which suspense building device is not used in this statement?

  1. Foreshadowing
  2. Mystery
  3. Placing the hero in a perilous situation
  4. Creating a sense of foreboding

Smith - Chapter Two Questions

1.“A hundred stratagems had presented themselves to him – and a hundred stratagems he’d rejected” Pg 10. From the context of this sentence, what is the definition of stratagem?

  1. Vague idea
  2. Unlikely possibility
  3. Cunning plan or scheme
  4. Precious treasure

2.The tone of Smith’s statement to the landlord, “Did you now! I thought it was a belch from the old Ditch!” (Pg 12) could be described as:

  1. Happy and lighthearted
  2. Depressed and sullen
  3. Disinterested and bored
  4. Sarcastic and rude

3.The contradiction of Bridget’s language compared to her statement when she says, “’Tis no excuse! We brung you up to be genteel. Fanny and me feels the disgrace” (pg 12) would be an example of:

  1. Metaphor
  2. Simile
  3. Foreshadowing
  4. Irony

4.The landlord’s repeated question, “Not nubbed yet?” highlights a certainty in Smith’s life. What is it?

  1. That eventually Smith will be killed.
  2. That Smith will remain poor.
  3. That Smith will make many enemies.
  4. That Smith will become a highwayman.

5.Fanny’s final statement in the chapter states, “Oh, Smut! I fear you’ll be coming down them steps tonight stone dead!” gives the reader a sense of:

  1. Foreboding
  2. Mystery
  3. Humor
  4. Irony

Smith – Chapter Three Questions

1.The statement on page 17, “Such merchants and clerks and attorneys who walked the whipping streets kept their heads down and their hands to their wigs and hats – as if to hold their aspiring thoughts from flying out to become common property” is an example of:

  1. Metaphor
  2. Simile
  3. Irony
  4. Onomatopoeia

2.What statement would best summarize the fine gentleman’s speech to Smith on page 19, “Be happy that you can’t! For what will you get by it? You’ll read and fret over disasters . . . “

  1. Life is a journey
  2. Knowledge is power
  3. Ignorance is bliss
  4. Money makes the world go round

3.“Softhearted ladies stared as he passed, moved by the sight of the weeping urchin” (pg 20). From this statement, what is the definition of “urchin”?

  1. A sneaky and clever thief
  2. A poor, dirty, and ill-clothed child
  3. A child with a sweet nature or disposition
  4. An illiterate person with little skills

4.When Smith comes upon the church and thinks it is empty he “had some brief thoughts concerning the candlesticks” (pg21). Considering what we know of Smith, what might those thoughts be?

  1. To learn how to make them
  2. Wonder at their beauty
  3. Jealousy since he has nothing nice
  4. To steal them from the church

5.Why is the bookseller so wary of Smith and unwilling to help him?

  1. He has seen Smith around, and knows his reputation as a thief
  2. He has a nervous twitch and doesn’t like to be bothered
  3. He is also illiterate
  4. He doesn’t trust children who live on the street

Smith – Chapter Four Questions

  1. Why was Smith, for the first time, afraid of being caught pickpocketing? (Page 26)
  1. If caught, he would lose whatever ‘fortune’ the document entitled him to
  2. If caught with the document, Smith would be punished more severely
  3. If Smith was caught before finding out the content of the document, the curiosity would get him
  4. After visiting Newgate Jail, he had no desire to be imprisoned
  1. The word that would best describe Lord Tom’s personality would be:
  1. Frightening
  2. Sneaky
  3. Charming
  4. Shy
  1. An example of Miss Bridget’s feelings toward Lord Tom would best be shown by the line:
  1. “A pity it wasn’t yesterday!” (pg. 28)
  2. “. . . you ugly murderer!” (Pg. 28)
  3. “Don’t use them coarse expressions!” (Pg. 27)
  4. “Or are you ashamed?” (Pg. 27)
  1. From the context of the sentences, “Cross my heart and hope to be nubbed!” (Pg. 30) and “”And where is he?’ – Nubbed, most likely,’” (Pg. 31), the definition of “nubbed” would be:
  1. Kidnapped
  2. Killed
  3. Injured
  4. Lying
  1. Why does Miss Fanny pronounce the word “document” as “dockiment”?
  1. She does not understand what the word means
  2. She is being humorous
  3. She is mocking Smith’s pronunciation of the word
  4. She is of a lower class, and therefore pronounces some words incorrectly

Smith – Chapter Five Questions

1.The use of real locations in Old England, “Portpool Lane – Hatton Garden- Chart Street- back into Saffron Hill, then Holborn Hill – Union Court . . . “(Pg. 34) adds to the novel’s:

  1. Irony
  2. Verisimilitude
  3. Foreshadowing
  4. Mystery

2.The line, “ . . . and their feet kissing the cobbles with a grim, urgent passion” means:

  1. The men’s feet are bare, as they cannot afford shoes.
  2. The men in brown are in such a hurry to follow Smith; their feet barely leave the street as they walk.
  3. There is a romantic connection between the men’s feet and the cobblestones.
  4. The men are leisurely and slowly searching for Smith

3.“He began to search for the door – and was helped by a pair of potboys who came at him, slantwise, from somewhere in the smoky room” (Pg. 37). From the context in which the word is used in this sentence, choose the correct definition of potboy.

  1. A person who makes pots from tin.
  2. A slang term for a pickpocket.
  3. A boy or man who works in an inn or a public house serving customers and doing chores.
  4. A boy or man who carries water in exchange for food.

4.“The gin’s tempest dropped abruptly away and left a glam wreckage behind, bleak and forlorn in the freezing night” (Pg. 38). This line is:

  1. A simile comparing a ship being wrecked during a storm to the peak of Smith’s intoxication passing and leaving him feeling ill.
  2. A metaphor comparing a ship being wrecked during a storm to the peak of Smith’s intoxication passing and leaving him feeling ill.
  3. A description of a storm, which passed over the town, leaving the night miserable and cold.
  4. An example of irony in the comparison of a ship to Smith’s intoxication.

5.As Smith helps Mansfield up from the street, Smith states, “My, but you’re a real giant of a gent! Did you know it?” (Pg. 39) Through this statement, Smith is insinuating:

  1. Mansfield, as a blind person, is unable to see himself, and therefore would be unaware of his own size and shape.
  2. Being blind also lowers one’s intelligence.
  3. After twelve years of being blind, Mansfield would be unable to remember how he looked.
  4. All of the above.