"Ruthless"

 Which of the following describes how Judson feels about his possessions?

• Only his family is allowed to touch them.

• He doesn’t mind sharing with others.

• He doesn’t like anyone to disturb them.

• He treasures them because he doesn’t have much.

What attitude does Marcia have towards Judson in paragraph 10?

• She is suspicious of his actions.

• She is afraid of him.

• She believes he is harmless.

• She thinks he is lying to her.

Which quotation from the passage best illustrates an example of dramatic irony?

• A small whiskey glass was pressed to his lips. Dazed and half-conscious, he drank.

• Alec was coming up from the lake and waved to him from a distance.

• “The law doesn’t call it murder if I shoot a thief who is entering my house by force,” he said harshly.

• She caught her breath at the cruel vindictiveness of his manner as one by one he dropped the tablets into the bottle and held it up to watch them dissolve.

Based on his actions in paragraphs 7 through 12 , it can be inferred that Judson wants to…

• Give the thief a good scare

• Kill the thief if he steals from him again

• Make the thief very sick

• Warn the thief

Why does the author use an omniscient perspective?

• It allows the reader to understand both Judson’s and Marcia’s actions and emotions.

• It concentrates the point of view on the protagonist, Mr. Webb, to focus readers’ attention.

• It allows both Marcia and Judson to tell their own views of what happened.

• It brings readers into the story, as if they were characters themselves.

What message is the author trying to relate through this story?

• Pride and hubris can often lead to a person’s downfall.

• It is better to forgive others than to seek revenge.

• People should stand up against those who are vindictive and unjust.

• A crime, no matter how big or small, should be punished accordingly.

 In this selection, the author uses dialogue to reveal -- 

• How Judson routinely conducted business deals

• Alec’s questionable character

• Marcia’s timid, submissive personality

• Judson’s motivation and plans

Which of the following quotations from the selection illustrates Judson’s character trait of greediness?

• “The law doesn’t call it murder if I shoot a thief who is entering my house by force,” he said harshly."

• His deep voice suggested a big dog growling at threatened loss of a bone.

• “You wrong me, my dear,” he chuckled, “I’m not taking anything out of this bottle: I am merely putting a little kick into it.”

• “I’ve made my pile by taking chances. If I should die, you can do as you please. The stuff will be yours.”

 Why did Judson drink the whiskey?

• Alec tricked him into drinking it.

• Alec forced him to drink it.

• Marcia gave Alec the whiskey for him.

• He wasn’t thinking clearly after he hit his head.

Which of the following statements is the best summary for the selection?

• Judson puts rat poison in the Bourbon in order to punish the thief who had been stealing it from the locked cabinet.

• Judson tries to get revenge on a thief, but ends up caught in his own trap.

• Judson’s long suffering wife finds an opportunity to take her revenge upon him and causes his death.

• Judson’s plot to get revenge on a thief is foiled when he trips over an acorn.