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Canterbury Tales Example Test Questions

Multiple Choice

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Comprehension

The questions below refer to the selection “The Prologue from The Canterbury Tales.”

____ 1. In “The Prologue,” Chaucer’s main objective is to —

|a. |analyze religious customs |c. |introduce his cast of characters |

|b. |reveal the narrator’s thoughts |d. |describe a London inn |

____ 2. The pilgrims are traveling to Canterbury because —

|a. |the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket is there |

|b. |they want to escape the plague that is attacking London |

|c. |the innkeeper has dared them to make the journey |

|d. |it is part of a longer tour of England |

____ 3. The pilgrims agree to tell tales during the journey to —

|a. |preserve their stories for the future |

|b. |win a free meal and entertain one another |

|c. |reduce fighting and bickering |

|d. |teach the innkeeper a lesson about pride |

____ 4. You know the Cook’s dishes may not be quite as appetizing as might be hoped when Chaucer mentions that the Cook —

|a. |refuses to consult recipe books |c. |adds too much salt to his cake |

|b. |has a large, festering sore |d. |burns everything he makes |

____ 5. The Wife of Bath is a —

|a. |pious churchgoer and religious teacher |

|b. |well-traveled vendor of fine silk clothing |

|c. |veteran of several pilgrimages and marriages |

|d. |widow of a prosperous doctor in Bath |

____ 6. The character in The Canterbury Tales who most closely resembles Chaucer himself is the —

|a. |innkeeper |c. |Knight |

|b. |narrator |d. |Merchant |

____ 7. In describing the individual pilgrims, Chaucer begins with the —

|a. |Knight |c. |Pardoner |

|b. |Wife of Bath |d. |innkeeper |

____ 8. The unworldly student who prefers philosophy to riches is the —

|a. |Merchant |c. |Oxford Cleric |

|b. |Franklin |d. |Reeve |

____ 9. The Haberdasher, the Dyer, the Carpenter, the Weaver, and the Carpet-maker are all —

|a. |members of the clergy |c. |skilled members of crafts guilds |

|b. |landowners |d. |too poor to join the pilgrimage |

____ 10. Which profession found among Chaucer’s pilgrims can still be found today?

|a. |Reeve |c. |Pardoner |

|b. |Manciple |d. |Parson |

____ 11. Chaucer’s characterization —

|a. |uses the same basic techniques that writers use today |

|b. |is based on dialogue rather than action |

|c. |never shows the reader what the character is feeling |

|d. |shows the characters as basic types rather than as believable individuals |

____ 12. The member of the clergy given the most admiring, flattering description is the —

|a. |Parson |c. |Nun |

|b. |Friar |d. |Monk |

____ 13. Which of the following quotations from “The Prologue” is the best example of imagery?

|a. |“Thinly they fell, like rat-tails, one by one.” |

|b. |“In fifteen mortal battles he had been.” |

|c. |“Just home from service, he had joined our ranks.” |

|d. |“He’d seen some service with the cavalry.” |

Reading Skills: Analyzing Style: Details

The question below refers to the selection “The Prologue from The Canterbury Tales.”

____ 14. Which detail is least directly connected to characterization?

|a. |Dress |c. |Chronology |

|b. |Behavior |d. |Appearance |

Matching

Vocabulary Development

Match the definition with the Vocabulary word from the list below.

|a. |benign |d. |agility |

|b. |obstinate |e. |guile |

|c. |frugal |

____ 15. thrifty; careful with money

____ 16. ability to move quickly and easily

____ 17. kind; gracious

____ 18. sly dealings; skill in deceiving

____ 19. unreasonably stubborn

Short Answer

Constructed Response

The question below refers to the selection “The Prologue from The Canterbury Tales.”

20. Choose your favorite character from “The Prologue,” and describe the character’s traits in your own words. Then, analyze how Chaucer’s description—his choice of words and details—brings out the traits you described. Finally, discuss how your chosen character represents English life in the Middle Ages. You may refer to your knowledge of the Middle Ages from the Literary Period Introduction as well as from this selection. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

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