Worksheets"Lamb to the Slaughter" Multiple Choice
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 2hrs 40mins
How does Mary Maloney change from the beginning to the end of the story?
from insane to stable
from loyal to cunning
from cowardly to angry
from murderous to nurturing
Which aspect of Mary Maloney is revealed over the course of the story?
Mary Maloney is shown to be honest and compassionate.
Mary Maloney is shown to be cunning and devious.
Mary Maloney is shown to be passionate and sincere.
Mary Maloney is shown to be arrogant and prideful.
What effect does Mary Maloney’s seeming compassion have on the criminal investigators?
It misleads the criminal investigators and causes them to believe she is innocent.
It troubles the criminal investigators and causes them to be suspicious of her behavior.
It tricks the criminal investigators and causes them to get drunk so they cannot solve the case.
It confuses the criminal investigators and causes them to give up on solving the case.
What does Patrick’s response to Mary Maloney’s care taking reveal about his character?
that he is fed up with Mary Maloney for restricting his independence
that he content in his marriage and wants to be a better husband in the future
that he is a disinterested husband who has grown tired of his marriage
that he is irritated with Mary Maloney for trying to make him drunk
What does Mary Maloney’s rehearsing in paragraph 48 reveal about her character?
Mary Maloney is worried about having her child without a father to raise it so she rehearses out of nervous habit.
Mary Maloney is cunning and practices acting relaxed so that at the grocery store she can persuade Sam to give her free goods.
Mary Maloney has little awareness of how people perceive her in public and only rehearses to hear herself talk.
Mary Maloney is manipulative and practices acting carefree so that in public she can hide her murder.
Which sentence best describes how Mary Maloney’s actions advance the plot?
She encourages her husband to work less hours at the police station so she can spend more time with him.
She misinforms the criminal investigators by telling them that Patrick killed himself while she went to the grocery store.
She deceives the detectives by crying for their help and acting as if she is unaware of how Patrick died.
She abandons the leg of lamb in the oven to set the house on fire, making it seem as though Patrick died in a fire.
How does the information in paragraphs 106-109 help to develop the character of Mary Maloney?
It shows that she is a static character who has not learned from her mistakes and continues to take care of others before herself.
It displays her willingness to help the criminal investigators because she genuinely cares for their hunger after a long night of investigation.
It highlights her persuasiveness in that she is able to convince the criminal investigators to eat her meal.
It reveals her character flaws in that she is deceptive, but the criminal investigators realize she is acting and solve the case.
From which point of view is this selection told?
first person
second person
third person limited
omniscient
Which theme is represented in the passage?
When betrayed, the weak can rise to become more powerful than the strong.
In divorce, those who were once married can never be friends again.
Even after a person breaks up with their partner, love prospers in memories.
Revenge backfires because it causes one to lose respect for themselves.
How does Mary Maloney develop the theme of the passage?
Mary Maloney’s deceit illustrates that one can never know another’s true colors.
Mary Maloney’s isolation highlights that people need love in times of hardship.
Mary Maloney’s courage shows that those who work hard may not always succeed.
Mary Maloney’s compassion expresses that kindness results in weakness.
Which is the best description of the conflict presented in the text?
External for Mary Maloney
External for Mary Maloney and Patrick
Internal for Mary Maloney and Patrick
Internal for the criminal investigators
What assumptions can the reader make about the police officers?
They are unaware of Mary Maloney’s scheme and eat the lamb to comfort her.
They believe Mary Maloney is guilty but gather more evidence just in case she is innocent.
They are observant and recognize Mary Maloney is acting from the start.
They feel embarrassed that they failed to recognize Mary Maloney is guilty.
What contradictory character traits does Mary Maloney express throughout the passage?
Humility and arrogance
Patience and agitation
Hospitable and deceitful
Indifference and enthusiasm
How do the interactions between Mary Maloney and the police officers advance the plot?
The interactions create greater trouble for Mary Maloney as she worries about going to jail.
The interactions cause Mary Maloney to feel guilty about murdering Patrick.
The interactions provide Mary Maloney with an opportunity to cover up the murder evidence.
The interactions develop into a lasting friendship that help Mary Maloney’s case for innocence.
What does Patrick’s constant drinking reveal about his character?
Patrick is dissatisfied with his job and drinks to destress after a long day.
Patrick is concerned about telling Mary Maloney about the news and drinks to lessen the stress.
Patrick has little regard for house chores and drinks to pass time while Mary Maloney serves him.
Patrick is anxious to have a child and drinks as a means of coping.
Reread paragraph 99. What can the reader infer about the police officers?
They are optimistic and hopeful that they will discover Patrick’s murderer before the end of the night.
They are considerate and caring because they believe Mary Maloney is saddened by Patrick’s death.
They are awkward because they recognize Mary Maloney’s scheme and worry she will kill them next.
They are easily persuaded because they are vying for Mary Maloney’s love now that Patrick is dead.
Reread paragraph 115. What can the reader infer about Mary Maloney?
She is guilt-ridden and repentant.
She is humorous and witty.
She is remorseless and entertained.
She is charming and amusing.
Which quote supports the idea that the detectives are unaware of Mary Maloney’s murder?
“‘Whoever done it, they’re not going to be carrying a thing like that around with them longer than they need.’ One of them belched.”
"There was a good deal of hesitating among the four policemen, but they were clearly hungry, and in the end they were persuaded to go into the kitchen and help themselves."
“Sergeant Noonan wandered into the kitchen, came out quickly and said, ‘Look, Mrs. Maloney. You know that oven of yours is still on, and the meat still inside.’”
“The four men searching the rooms seemed to be growing weary, a trifle exasperated.”
What is an objective summary of the passage?
A woman kills her husband with a frozen leg of lamb because he tells her he is having an affair, even though she is pregnant with their child. When police arrive at the murder scene, they determine the woman is guilty and immediately arrest her.
A woman resorts to alcoholism after her husband announces his divorce from her. Drunk, she kills the husband with a leg of lamb, and when police arrive at the scene, they believe she is innocent because she acts mournful and unaware of how her husband died.
A woman clubs her husband to death with a leg of lamb after he tells her he wants to separate. The woman deceives detectives by acting sad and unaware of how her husband died, and in the end, she feeds the lamb leg to the police, covering up the murder evidence.
A woman does everything for her husband, serving him his every wish each day he returns home from work. The husband wishes to be single again, so he breaks off his marriage, and she learns to be more outspoken and dominant in future relationships with men.
Which of the following best describes the mood of the passage?
Darkly humorous
Melancholic
Serious
Somber
