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Mystery Trivia

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 5mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which author is known as the "Queen of Mystery"?

a)

Sue Grafton

b)

Agatha Christie

c)

Roald Dahl

d)

Ray Bradbury

2.

Which author, primarily known for his children stories, such as The Big Friendly Giant and Matilda, also writes somewhat disturbing adult mysteries?

a)

Ray Bradbury

b)

Roald Dahl

c)

Agatha Christie

d)

Sue Grafton

3.

Physical settings in mystery often include

a)

an imaginary world.

b)

mountains or other rugged terrain.

c)

isolated places in which characters are left vulnerable.

d)

a courthouse.

4.

Mystery stories often include a reversal in power between two characters; someone, initially perceived as weak, innocent, harmless, or helpless, takes control of the situation, often to save his/her own life. Which type of setting would this be an example of?

a)

temporal setting

b)

social setting

c)

physical setting

5.

Which of the following would be common for a mystery plot? Check all that apply.

a)

something that is lost or missing

b)

an event that cannot be explained

c)

a secret

d)

an ending that was expected

6.

What is suspense?

a)

excitement or tension readers feel as they become involved in a story

b)

the lesson about life or human nature the author wants to communicate with the reader

c)

a person, place, or thing that stands for something beyond itself

d)

descriptive words and phrases that re-create sensory experiences for the reader

7.

Check all of the techniques listed below that writers use to create suspense.

a)

dramatic irony

b)

flashback

c)

foreshadowing

d)

metaphor

8.

Which line from "The Utterly Perfect Murder" best creates suspense for the reader?

a)

"I was in good health. Ralph Underhill was waxen pale. There was a knowledge of sickness in his face" (Bradbury 804).

b)

"I touched the pistol in my pocket, my heart hammering, but did not take it out" (Bradbury 804).

c)

"On the other side of the ravine I stopped on the lawn in front of the house where I had been born" (Bradbury 805).

9.

In the story "Full Circle" by Sue Grafton, Kinsey Millhone could best be classified as which type of mystery character?

a)

suspect

b)

victim

c)

perpetrator

d)

sleuth

10.

Mary Maloney and Gerald Martin are fitting mystery characters because

a)

They are interesting.

b)

They are married.

c)

They are caught by the police.

d)

They are not who they initially seem to be.

11.

In "Full Circle" by Sue Grafton, when Terry Layton gives the name "Benny Seco" to the police after the accident in which Caroline Spurrier was killed, he becomes a suspect. His false name would be an example of a(n) ___________.

a)

acquittal

b)

accomplice

c)

alias

d)

alibi

12.

Which of Terry Layton's actions in "Full Circle" by Sue Grafton suggest that his crime was premeditated?

a)

He helped his sister, Judy, move from her apartment.

b)

He crashed his truck in the same spot where Caroline was killed.

c)

He stole the license plate from Ron Cagle's navy pick-up truck.

13.

In "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl, Mary Maloney went to the store to buy the rest of the supplies for dinner so that she would have a(n) ______________.

a)

alibi

b)

accomplice

c)

verdict

d)

motive

14.

There is a plot twist and an example of situational irony in “The Utterly Perfect Murder” by Ray Bradbury when

a)

Doug Spaulding recalls painful memories of his past.

b)

Doug Spaulding kills Ralph Underhill.

c)

Doug Spaulding does not kill Ralph Underhill.

d)

Dough Spaulding boards the train instead of flying.

15.

All of the following could be considered clues/examples of foreshadowing in “Philomel Cottage” by Agatha Christie EXCEPT

a)

when George asks Alix about her upcoming trip to London.

b)

when Alix finds Gerald’s diary in the garden.

c)

when George insists that Philomel Cottage cost 2,000 not 3,000 pounds.

d)

when Alix lies about her past to scare Gerald to death.