A Christmas Carol Quiz Saddleback

1. Which piece of evidence does NOT portray Scrooge as cold and unfriendly?

• A. Even the blind men’s dogs seemed to know him. When they saw him coming, they would tug their owners into doorways.
• B. Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, “My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?”
• C. “You were always a good friend to me,” said Scrooge. “Thank you!”
• D. No beggars asked him for anything. No children asked him what time it was. No man or woman ever asked him directions.

2. Which of the following pieces of evidence BEST shows how Scrooge's cold heart is reflected in his physical appearance?

• A. The cold within him froze his old features and nipped his pointed nose. It shriveled his cheeks and stiffened his walk. It made his eyes red and his thin lips blue. The hair on his head, eyebrows, and chin was frosty white.
• B. Outside heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No sun could warm him; no winter weather could chill him.
• C. He iced his coffee in the summer and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.
• D. No falling snow was colder. No pelting rain was less open to mercy.

3. Which of the following passages BEST shows Scrooge is stingy?

• A. Bob served hot cider from a jug. The chestnuts on the fire sputtered and cracked noisily.
• B. We want to buy the poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. Christmas is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Plenty rejoices. What shall I put you down for?” “Nothing!” Scrooge replied.
• C. Scrooge had a lonely dinner at a nearby tavern and read the newspapers. Then he went home to go to bed.
• D. Scrooge lived in a gloomy suite of rooms in an old and dreary building. Nobody lived there but Scrooge.

4. Which evidence BEST shows the transformation of character in Scrooge?

• A. The children drank the toast after her. It was the first gloomy moment of the day. Scrooge was the ogre of the family. Just the mention of his name cast a dark shadow on the happy party.
• B. “I’ll send the turkey to Bob Cratchit’s!” whispered Scrooge. He rubbed his hands, laughing. “He won’t know who sent it. Why, that bird is twice the size of Tiny Tim!”
• C. Scrooge went to church and then walked about the streets. He watched the happy faces of the people and patted children on the head.
• D. “Now, I’ll tell you what, my friend,” said Scrooge. “I am not going to stand for this sort of thing any longer. And therefore … I am about to raise your salary! A Merry Christmas, Bob! I’ll raise your salary, and try to help your struggling family. We will discuss it this very afternoon, over a cup of Christmas punch. Make up the fires now. And buy some more coal before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit!”

5. What emotion BEST describes how Scrooge is feeling in the following excerpt: “No, no!” cried Scrooge. “Oh, no, kind Spirit! Say he will be spared.” “If he is going to die, he had better do it, to decrease the surplus population.” Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit.

• A. Excited
• B. Guilty
• C. Content
• D. Angry

6. Which of the following descriptions of setting BEST reveal Scrooge’s character?

• A. Scrooge climbed the dark stairs without a candle. Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it… He made a small fire and checked again. Nobody under the bed, nobody in the closet.
• B. They walked along the road until they came to a little town. Some ponies came trotting toward them with boys upon their backs. These boys called to other boys in carts driven by farmers. All the boys were in great spirits, laughing and shouting.
• C. On the other side, they stood upon an open country road, bounded by fields. The city had vanished. The darkness and the mist had vanished with it. Now it was a clear, cold winter day. A blanket of snow was on the ground.
• D. The room was dark, except for a pale light coming in from outside. This light fell straight upon the covered figure.

7. What evidence BEST reveals a clue about the time period (Victorian Era) of the setting?

• A. At that, his nephew left the room. He stopped to say Merry Christmas to the clerk.
• B. “Scrooge and Marley’s, I believe,” said one of the gentlemen, looking at his list. “Tell me, sir—am I addressing Mr. Scrooge or Mr. Marley?”
• C. After Scrooge’s nephew left, two other men came in. They now stood, with their hats off, in Scrooge’s office.
• D. "My clerk, with 15 shillings a week, and a large family. Even he is talking about a merry Christmas.

8. What evidence reveals the MOST clues about when (time period and time of day) the story takes place (setting)?

• A. It got foggier yet, and colder. Yet cold as it was, one boy stooped down at Scrooge’s keyhole to sing a Christmas carol. At the first note, Scrooge seized a ruler and struck the door. The young singer fled in terror.
• B. Even the little tailor stirred up tomorrow’s pudding in his attic room, while his lean wife and the baby went out to buy the beef.
• C. It was cold, dark, biting weather. He could hear the people outside, stomping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The city clocks said it was 3:00 P.M., but it was quite dark already.
• D. “Come into the parlor,” said the old man who was sitting by the stove. The parlor was the space behind a screen of ragged cloth.

9. Based on this description of the setting, what is the best word to describe how Scrooge is feeling in this situation. Scrooge closed the window and checked the door. It was locked, as he had locked it with his own hands.

• A. Uneasy
• B. Excited
• C. Stingy
• D. Arrogant

10. What is the BEST choice for the overall theme of A Christmas Carol?

• A. You will be punished for your sins.
• B. Beware of what you wish for.
• C. Our past dictates who we become.
• D. People have the power to change their future.