A Christmas Carol Test

The main purpose of the first four paragraphs of Stave 1 is to make sure that we understand that...

• it was a very cold Christmas.

• Marley was absolutely, positively dead.

• Scrooge was a good businessman.

• Scrooge was cheap and stingy.

Bob Cratchit is ready to leave work because...

• He is ready to eat dinner.

• It is Christmas Eve.

• He does not like Scrooge.

• He fears he will be asked to work late.

How does Scrooge's nephew feel about Christmas?

• “Don’t be cross, Uncle.”

• [Christmas is] a good time… when men and women seem to open their shut-up hearts freely.”

• “Don’t be angry, Uncle. Come! Dine with us tomorrow.”

• “I ask nothing of you; why cannot we be friends?”

Scrooge doesn't want to give Cratchit Christmas day off because...

• Scrooge must pay him for the day even though he is not working.

• Cratchit does not work very hard.

• It is expected to be a busy day.

• Scrooge does not take off days.

How did Marley get the chain that he wears?

• It was given to him by the Ghost of Christmas Past.

• It wrapped itself around him when he first screamed.

• He created it to present to Scrooge as a gift.

• He made it with his own greed during his lifetime.

Scrooge does not believe that the vision he sees is really Marley. How does he explain the vision?

• He says that he is seeing not Marley but a picture on the wall.

• He says that someone is trying to frighten him or fool him.

• He says that an undigested bit of food (bad food; food poisoning) has affected his senses.

• He says that someone who is dead could not appear before him.

When Scrooge is reminded of his sister coming to take him home at last, how is he affected?

• He is angry at his father for sending his sister.

• He wants to stay at school.

• He remembers that he still has a connection to his sister through his nephew.

• He thinks it is a cruel trick.

Why is Scrooge's fiance ending their engagement?

• He has replaced love with his desire for money.

• She thinks they are too young to marry.

• She believes he loves another woman.

• He calls her a mindless loon.
  

"If ever I own a firm of my own, I shall treat my apprentices with the same dignity and the same grace."
Why is this statement ironic?

• Although young Scrooge thinks his master is nice, Fezziwig treats others unkindly.

• After young Scrooge says this, his master mistreats him and fires him.

• Scrooge remains an apprentice all his life and is never again treated so well.

• When Scrooge does have his own firm in the future, he treats his employee harshly and cruelly.

How does Scrooge feel seeing the Christmas party of his former master, Fezziwig?

• He thinks that he lavished too much praise on Fezziwig.

• He wishes he could say a word or two to his clerk Bob Cratchit.

• He wishes he had given money to the boy singing carols.

• He realizes how much he has missed his sister, Fan.