The Phantom Tollbooth Comprehension Test

Which word best describes Milo at the beginning of The Phantom Tollbooth, Act 1

• tired
• bored
• angry
• curious

At the beginning of the play, what does the package that Milo opens contain?

• a phantom
• a clock
• a tollbooth
• a car

What is it illegal to do in the Doldrums, according to Act 1?

• think or write
• sing or laugh
• write or sing
• think or laugh

At the end of Act 1, what mission does Azaz give Milo?

• helping the Humbug and Spelling Bee get along better
• settling the quarrel between Azaz and the Mathemagician
• Rescuing the Princesses Rhyme and Reason
• Helping the Humbug find his true home.

In Act 1 of the play, why does Azaz give Milo a box of letters of the alphabet?

• so that Milo will win when he argues with the Mathemagician
• So that Milo can eat the letters when he is hungry
• So that Milo can make words to overcome obstacles
• so that Milo will learn to be a better reader

What did the gardener most likely mean when she said, "I surmise that a rabbit has eaten the lettuce?"  Base your answer on the meaning of surmise.

• The gardener planted the lettuce for a rabbit to eat.
• The gardener hoped that a rabbit would eat the lettuce.
• The gardener knew for certain a rabbit had eaten the lettuce.
• The gardener used clues to guess that a rabbit had eaten the lettuce.

Which sentence best illustrates one meaning of the word speculate?

• Leon and Jack discussed possible reasons that the power had gone out.
• Rachel charged $2 an hour less than her friends did for babysitting.
• Olivia told her father that she needed stronger glasses.
• The fans at the ballgame cheered for the home team.

What would be the most likely outcome of a student turning in homework based on a misapprehension of the assignment?

• The teacher would ask the student to share the assignment with others.
• The homework would exceed the teacher's expectations.
• The homework would be inaccurate or incorrect.
• The student would receive extra credit for the homework. 

Read these lines from Act 1:
Reason:  Words and numbers are of equal value, for in the cloak of knowledge one is the warp and the other is the woof.
Rhyme:  It is no more important to count the sands than it is to name the stars.
What do these lines suggest most clearly about Rhyme and Reason?

• They are nervous about sharing their opinions.
• They do not like numbers or words very much.
• They are sensible and able to agree about things.
• They think that starts are better than words or numbers.

In the Word Market, during Act 1, Merchant 4 declares that "A" is one of our bestsellers but that the "x" tastes like a trunkful of stale air.
What is the most likely reason the "A" sells better than the "X".

• The letter A appears at the beginning of the alphabet.
• Vowels are always more useful than consonants.
• A's are used in many more words than X's are.
• The letter A has a crisp and specific sound.