The Landlady

Which of the following statements best identifies a theme of the text?

• People should get to know each other first before resorting to judgment.

• Strangers can be more dangerous than they initially appear.

• Loneliness can drive people to behave strangely towards others.

• Kindness and hospitality are difficult to find among strangers.

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CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

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CCSS.RL.8.2

PART A: What does the word "compelling" mean as used in paragraph 12?

• to urge someone to do something

• to think deeply about something

• to become slightly interested in something

• to scare someone into doing something

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CCSS.RL.11-12.4

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PART B: Which quote from paragraph 12 best supports the answer to Part A?

• "After dithering about like this in the cold for two or three minutes"

• "when all at once his eye was caught and held in the most peculiar manner"

• "Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass"

• "forcing him to stay where he was and not to walk away from that house"

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CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.1

CCSS.RI.11-12.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

PART A: What can the reader infer about the landlady from her conversation with Billy in the sitting room?

• She was a doctor or likely had some medical training, as evidenced by her ability to stuff her pets.

• She is a lonely old woman who lost her son in the war and tries to replace him with her particular tenants.

• She may have witnessed something terrible and suffers memory problems because she cannot recall Billy's name correctly.

• She may be more threatening than she appears because her words suggest she was involved in the two men's disappearances.

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CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.1

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PART B: Which of the following details from the text best support the answer to Part A?

• "He guessed that she had probably lost a son in the war, or something like that, and had never got over it." (Paragraph 49)

• "'Left?' she said, arching her brows. 'But my dear boy, he never left. He's still here. Mr Temple is also here.'" (Paragraph 82)

• "he caught a whiff of a peculiar smell... he wasn't quite sure what it reminded him of. Pickled walnuts? New leather? Or was it the corridors of a hospital?" (Paragraph 78)

• "'if I happen to forget what you were called, then I can always come down here and look it up. I still do that almost every day with Mr Mulholland and Mr... Mr...'" (Paragraph 103)

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CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.1

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What part of the plot does the following paragraph develop?

"Billy Weaver had traveled down from London on the slow afternoon train, with a change at Swindon on the way, and by the time he got to Bath (town in England) it was about nine o’clock in the evening and the moon was coming up out of a clear starry sky over the houses opposite the station entrance. But the air was deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks."

• the exposition

• the rising action

• the climax

• the denouement

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CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.5

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.5

Christopher Mulholland and Gregory Temple were familiar to Billy because...

• they had both mysteriously gone missing

• they were a famous comedy duo

• he had gone to school with them

• they were famous football players

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CCSS.RI.2.1

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Billy was seventeen years old. He was wearing a new navy-blue overcoat, a new brown trilby hat, and a new brown suit, and he was feeling fine. He walked briskly down the street. He was trying to do everything briskly these days. Briskness, he had decided, was the one common characteristic of all successful businessmen. The big shots up at the head office were absolutely fantastically brisk all the time. They were amazing.

What do we know about Billy based on this paragraph?

• He was excited to start his new job.

• He is young and inexperienced.

• He is a great insurance salesman.

• He is desperate to find a place to live.

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CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.1

CCSS.RI.11-12.1

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Choose the quotes that best display the landlady's eagerness to have another victim.

• “It’s all ready for you, my dear,” she said. She had a round pink face and very gentle blue eyes.

• “I saw the notice in the window,” he said, holding himself back.

• He pressed the bell—and out she popped! It made him jump.

• “I was on my way to The Bell and Dragon,” Billy told her. “But the notice in your window just happened to catch my eye.”

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CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

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CCSS.RL.7.4

Which quote from the story shows the reader possible motivation for the landlady's actions?

• “I’m so glad you appeared,” she said, looking earnestly into his face. “I was beginning to get worried.”

• “And what about supper, my dear? Did you manage to get anything to eat before you came here?”

• “That’s all right,” Billy answered brightly. “You mustn’t worry about me.” He put his suitcase on the chair and started to open it.

• He guessed that she had probably lost a son in the war, or something like that, and had never gotten over it.

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CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4