The Landlady

When Billy heard the price of the room, he thought it was...

• fairly priced

• somewhat reasonable

• fantastically cheap

• a tad bit expensive

According to the landlady, the reason she rarely had visitors was that...

• she was so far out of the way

• she refused to accept anyone who didn’t display exceptional manners

• not many travelers stayed in the town of Bath

• she was inclined to be too choosy and particular

After showing him to his room, the landlady asked Billy to come downstairs to...

• talk to her parrot

• sign her guestbook

• view the portraits on her walls

• sign the lodging contract

Why do the other names in the guestbook seem so familiar to Billy?

• Both young men were famous football players

• Both young men were in the newspaper after their disappearances

• Both young men were Eaton schoolboys

• Both young men were writers.

Which excerpt below best shows how Billy first feels about the landlady?

• “Good gracious me,” he said. “How absolutely fascinating.”

• She seemed terribly nice. She looked exactly like the mother of one’s best school-friend welcoming one into the house to stay for the Christmas holidays.

• I’m always ready. Everything is always ready day and night.

• On the carpet in front of the fire, a pretty little dachshund was curled up asleep with its nose tucked into its belly.

What is a porter?

• a person employed to carry luggage

• a person who is aggressively greedy or hungry

• a person who is responsible for picking up mail

• A person who carries people from place to place

What does it mean to be brisk?

• To move or act like a cheetah

• To move or act slowly

• To move or act in a scared manner

• To move or act with quickness and energy

Why does Billy Weaver walk "briskly" down the street?

• He wants to impress his boss.

• He wants to act like a successful businessman.

• He wants to keep warm.

• He is anxious to get to the boarding house.

The author describes the air as, "deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks." What kind of figurative language is this?

• onomatopoeia

• imagery

• simile

• metaphor

Make an inference: The author writes that Mr. Greenslade told Billy to, "Find your own lodgings, and then go along and report to the Branch Manager as soon as you've got yourself settled." Why is Billy in Bath?

• to take a vacation

• to look for a new place to live

• to start a new job

• to take a bath