WorksheetsSamuel Johnson, lexicographer
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 20mins
Which incident from Samuel Johnson's childhood had the greatest effect on the rest of his life?
He contracted scrofula
He worked at his father's bookstore
He went to see Queen Anne with his mother
He was educated at an excellent grammar school
Johnson liked the book business, the binding, the serving of customers
true
false
Johnson's greatest problem at school was
his scars
his ungainly walk
his lazyness
his poor eyesight
his deafness
Johnson enjoyed the company of his cousin Cornelius Ford because he was similar to the people in his small town of Litchfield
True
False
How was Samuel Johnson able to get his job writing for Gentleman's Magazine?
The editor was member of the Ivy Lane Club
He wrote a poem defending the editor from his critics
He impressed the editor with his essays on human behaviour
His new wife bribed the editor with money from her dowry
Johnson's piece entitled "London, A Poem" is described as:
long, angry and political
sad, thoughtful, and dark
wordy, thoughtless, and dull
long, hopeful, and whimsical
What made Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language better than the other dictionaries of the time?
Johnson's dictionary was less expensive
Johnson's dictionary included slang words
Johnson inserted bits of his humour into some of the definitions
Johnson included examples of usage from various works of literature
Samuel Johnson's magazine, entitled The Rambler, contained articles about:
Theatre
Current event
Human behaviour
Contemporary literature
What was most important about the group of men Johnson assembled at the Kings Head pub?
They were a ready audience for his stories
They kept him company after his wife died
They allowed him the opportunity to drink with his friends
They would eat large meals and sit together quietly in the pub
James Boswell was commissioned by the town of Litchfield to write a biography of Samuel Johnson even though he never read any of Johnson's work
True
False
