A Tale of Two Cities Reading Quizzes

Question 1

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
When Mr. Lorry had a conversation with a young English lady, he was speaking to
a) Miss Finnigan
b) Miss Brown
c) Miss Emmeline
d) Miss Manette

Answer 1

d) Miss Manette

Question 2

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
When Defarge led Mr. Lorry to the garret, Defarge opened the door and Mr. Lorry …
a) thanked him for the room and took a nap
b) found an old man making shoes
c) saw an elderly woman knitting scarves
d) was hit on the back of the head and locked in the room

Answer 2

b) found an old man making shoes

Question 3

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
When Mr. Lorry spoke to the “drawer” (bartender) at the Royal George Hotel, the drawer said his hotel often entertained gentleman traveling between London and a) Madrid
b) Amsterdam
c) Paris
d) Dover

Answer 3

c) Paris

Question 4

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
When a youth in France “had not kneeled down in the rain to do honour to a dirty procession of monks which passed within his view,” he was …
a) forced to sign up and serve in the army
b) struck on the back of his head, which killed him instantly
c) convicted of a crime, tortured, and burned alive
d) made to seek penance by the local priest and pay a large fine

Answer 4

c) convicted of a crime, tortured, and burned alive

Question 5

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
Mr. Lorry tells the young English lady that…
a) her father has been found – he is alive
b) her brother’s ship has been lost at sea
c) her cousin has been taken prisoner in France
d) her mother has suddenly died

Answer 5

a) her father has been found – he is alive

Question 6

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
When Jerry was asked to see Mr. Lorry, …
a) Jerry was being robbed at gun point
b) Mr. Lorry was hiding in an empty barrel
c) the local bartender poured beer over Jerry’s head
d) Mr. Lorry was in a stagecoach with the Dover mail

Answer 6

d) Mr. Lorry was in a stagecoach with the Dover mail

Question 7

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
The answer to the question “buried how long?” is …
a) not long enough
b) forever
c) almost seven years
d) almost 18 years

Answer 7

d) almost 18 years

Question 8

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
The name many people used when talking to Monsieur Defarge was…
a) Jabob
b) Antoine
c) Paul
d) Jacques

Answer 8

d) Jacques

Question 9

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
In England, which of these crimes resulted in being hanged? (Choose all that apply)
#1 Breaking into a house
#2 Committing murder
#3 Committing small-time robbery

Answer 9

1, #2, and #3!

Question 10

Book 1, chapters 1-5 Reading Quiz:
After Jerry gave Mr. Lorry a message on a folded piece of paper, Mr. Lorry told Jerry his answer was…
a) “forever in your debt”
b) “never, never, even after I die”
c) “raise the battle flag, we’re going to war”
d) “recalled to life”

Answer 10

d) “recalled to life”

Question 11

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
Tellson’s Bank is…
a) clean, tidy, well-lighted, warm, and welcoming
b) grimy, small, dingy, forbidding, and unwelcoming

Answer 11

b) grimy, small, dingy, forbidding, and unwelcoming

Question 12

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
Who does this describe: “a young man of about five-and-twenty, well-grown and well-looking, with a sunburned cheek and a dark eye. His condition was that of a young gentleman. He was plainly dressed in black…and his hair, which was long and dark, was gathered in a ribbon…”
a) Judge Bailey
b) Sydney Carton
c) the Attorney General
d) Charles Darnay

Answer 12

d) Charles Darnay

Question 13

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
What seems odd, or out of place, about Jerry Cruncher?
#1 – His boots are clean before bed but muddy in the morning
#2 –His shirt is ironed after dinner but always rumpled in the morning
#3 – His fingers have iron rust on them in the morning
#1 & #2
#1 & #3
#2 & #3

Answer 13

1 & #3

Question 14

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
When Jerry Cruncher becomes angry, it is because…
a) his son offered to help take his father’s boots off
b) his son was caught stealing bread in a local market
c) his wife stays out late and doesn’t care about the house
d) his wife prayed for him and said grace at breakfast

Answer 14

d) his wife prayed for him and said grace at breakfast

Question 15

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
The occupant of Defarge’s garret said his name was….
a) Prisoner One-Seven-Seven-Five
b) Manette
c) Jacques
d) One Hundred and Five, North Tower

Answer 15

d) One Hundred and Five, North Tower

Question 16

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
Jerry Cruncher…
a) is one of the wealthiest customers at Tellson’s Bank
b) is a friend of Mr. Lorry’s who must be kept secret to the bank because he is poor
c) works as Mr. Lorry’s accountant
d) works for Tellson’s Bank as an odd-job man

Answer 16

d) works for Tellson’s Bank as an odd-job man

Question 17

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
At the Old Bailey, a prisoner on trial…
a) will always receive a fair, impartial trial
b) if found guilty, will usually be shown mercy
c) will always be found innocent
d) will most likely be found guilty

Answer 17

d) will most likely be found guilty

Question 18

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
After Monsieur Defarge opened the door to his garret, he bid the occupant good day. The occupant, who had white hair, was…
a) building a rocking chair
b) taking a nap
c) making a lady’s shoe
d) painting a watercolor

Answer 18

c) making a lady’s shoe

Question 19

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
The occupant of Defarge’s garret and the woman who came to see him are…
a) father and daughter
b) husband and wife
c) brother and sister
d) son and mother

Answer 19

a) father and daughter

Question 20

Book 1 chapter 6; Book 2 chapters 1-2:
How much time has elapsed at the start of Book 2?
a) one year
b) five years
c) fifteen years
d) 18 months

Answer 20

b) five years

Question 21

Book 2, chapters 3-5:
What provocative question does Carton ask Darnay?
a) “Do you think you deserve to be free”
b) “Do you think the English want you in their country?”
c) “Do you think I particularly like you?”
d) “Do you think you would be free if you weren’t from a wealthy family?”

Answer 21

c) “Do you think I particularly like you?”

Question 22

Book 2, chapters 3-5:
Dr. Manette spoke as a witness at the trial of Charles Darnay and said…
a) Darnay was a gentleman and helped him get situated on the ship to be as comfortable as possible
b) he did not remember meeting Darnay on any ship
c) he only spoke with his daughter for a few minutes, so he never really met Darnay
d) Darnay acted suspiciously when he met him, and that he and his daughter remembered him because of his rudeness

Answer 22

b) he did not remember meeting Darnay on any ship

Question 23

Book 2, chapters 3-5:
Lucie Manette spoke as a witness at the trial of Charles Darnay and said…
a) Darnay was a gentleman and helped her get her father situated on the ship to be as comfortable as possible
b) She did not remember meeting Darnay on any ship
c) she thought Darnay was either a banker or an accountant, and that she only talked to him for a few minutes
d) Darnay acted suspiciously when she met him; she and her father remembered him because of his rudeness

Answer 23

a) Darnay was a gentleman and helped her get her father situated on the ship to be as comfortable as possible

Question 24

Book 2, chapters 3-5:
Who does this describe? “stout, loud, red, bluff, and free from any drawback of delicacy, had a pushing way of shouldering himself…into conversations”
a) Sydney Carton
b) Stryver
c) Attorney General
d) Jerry

Answer 24

b) Stryver

Question 25

Book 2, chapters 3-5:
Sydney Carton is…
a) a man who desires a lot of attention and is constantly engaging in odd public behavior to get that attention
b) an ill-natured drunk who doesn’t think highly of himself
c) pleased to see Darnay out of jail and makes an effort to befriend him
d) a highly educated, well-bred gentleman who makes every effort to comfort Darnay

Answer 25

b) an ill-natured drunk who doesn’t think highly of himself

Question 26

Book 2, chapters 3-5: come back to this question
Immediately after the trial ends, what is the response to Carton’s action that saved Darnay’s life?
a) Nothing. No one know.
b) Lorry responds that Carton did what any good business man would have done
c) Lucie weeps in his arms and offers her eternal gratitude
d) Dr. Manette gets confused and thinks Carton was someone from his past

Answer 26

a) Nothing. No one know. come back to this question

Question 27

Book 2, chapters 3-5: come back to this question
Sydney Carton and Stryver…
a) were classmates in London who studied English and law
b) were classmates in Paris who studied French and law
c) are cousins who now work together
d) tolerate each other for the sake of the business

Answer 27

a) were classmates in London who studied English and law come back to this question

Question 28

Book 2, chapters 3-5:
What animal does Dickens associate Stryver with?
a) sloth
b) lion
c) jackal
d) hare

Answer 28

b) lion

Question 29

Book 2, chapters 3-5:
While the jury deliberated, Sydney Carton …
a) went to lunch with Lucie and Dr. Manette
b) left the court in a rush, causing an officer to race after him
c) instructed an officer to give aid to Lucie Manette who had slumped into a faint
d) asked the judge if he could talk to the prisoner

Answer 29

c) instructed an officer to give aid to Lucie Manette who had slumped into a faint

Question 30

Book 2, chapters 3-5:
Charles Darnay’s first dinner after being released from jail was…
a) at the Manette’s house with Pross and Jarvis Lorry
b) a solitary one at home (all his friends thought he’d be kept in jail overnight)
c) with Sydney Carton at a tavern
d) at a local hotel with his school friends who get quite rowdy celebrating

Answer 30

c) with Sydney Carton at a tavern

Question 31

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
What is Miss Pross worried about concerning Lucie?
a) That she is unlikely to find a husband who Dr. Manette will approve of
b) That she spends too much time fretting about Dr. Manette
c) That “hundreds” of suitors are showing up at the house to see her
d) That she has not had enough education to attract sufficient suitors

Answer 31

c) That “hundreds” of suitors are showing up at the house to see her

Question 32

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
When Charles Darnay presented himself to Dr. Manette and Lucie, Darnay told them a story about what the workman said about an old dungeon when Darnay had visited the Tower of London. While telling his story…
a) Dr. Manette seemed to have taken ill and looked terrified
b) Lucie was so enamored by Darnay she forgot to pour the tea
c) Miss Pross interrupted them and told Darnay not to talk about such things in front of Lucie
d) Mr. Lorry excitedly called upon Dr. Manette and had to sit down for some time to catch his breath before he could talk

Answer 32

a) Dr. Manette seemed to have taken ill and looked terrified

Question 33

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
When Monsieur the Marquis returns home, he asks a servant if who has arrived?
a) Monsieur Charles
b) Ernest Defarge
c) Monsieur Carton
d) Gaspard

Answer 33

a) Monsieur Charles

Question 34

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
Dr. Manette lived in quiet lodgings not far from…
a) Whitechapel
b) Piccadilly Circus
c) Soho-square
d) King’s Cross

Answer 34

c) Soho-square

Question 35

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
Miss Manette’s governess has a brother named Solomon who…
a) is a beggar and embarrassment to Miss Pross
b) is a scoundrel who took her money and left her in poverty
c) is a wise man who lives by the teachings of the Bible
d) was a sailor whose ship was lost at sea many years ago

Answer 35

b) is a scoundrel who took her money and left her in poverty

Question 36

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
Dr. Manette’s health has been restored enough that he is now able to treat patients.
a) True
b) False

Answer 36

a) True

Question 37

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
When the Monsieur the Marquis traveled through the country, which of the following did NOT occur?
a) The Monseigneur spoke to a woman who petitioned him to have a morsel of stone or wood as a a headstone for her husband who had died
b) The Monseigneur rode through a little village where only poor people lived
c) The Monseigneur spoke to a peasant who told him a man had been hanging by a chain under his carriage as he rode
d) The Monseigneur rode through a little village just outside his chateau where people in well-kept homes came out and bowed and cheered with their caps off when he rode past them

Answer 37

d) The Monseigneur rode through a little village just outside his chateau where people in well-kept homes came out and bowed and cheered with their caps off when he rode past them

Question 38

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
In the corner of the doctor’s bedroom stood a…
a) disused shoemaker’s bench and tray of tools
b) large wardrobe, or armoire, made out of walnut
c) full-length mirror with a picture of a young blond woman tucked into a corner
d) sewing table, mannequin, and tools of a seamstress

Answer 38

a) disused shoemaker’s bench and tray of tools

Question 39

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
What does it take multiple people to prepare for the Monseigneur (in town) every morning?
a) his horse
b) his outfit
c) his evening events
d) his chocolate

Answer 39

d) his chocolate

Question 40

Book 2, chapters 6-8:
Thirty horses, 24 male servants, and six female servants were all part of the household of the
a) King
b) Farmer General
c) Commerce-General
d) Marquis

Answer 40

b) Farmer General

Question 41

Book 2, chapters 9-12:
Dr. Manette stops Darnay from telling him a confidence. Dr. Manette follows this by telling Darnay that _______
a) Darnay may tell him Darnay’s real name the morning of Darnay and Lucie’s wedding
b) Darnay should never tell him or anyone else the secret
c) He should only tell Jarvis Lorry the secret and swear him to secrecy
d) He must write the secret in a letter that shall be presented when he and Lucie leave for their honeymoon

Answer 41

a) Darnay may tell him Darnay’s real name the morning of Darnay and Lucie’s wedding

Question 42

Book 2, chapters 9-12:
The Monsieur the Marquis’ chateau was a heavy mass of building primarily built from…
a) marble
b) wood
c) brick
e) stone

Question 43

Book 2, chapters 9-12:
After Stryver tells Mr. Lorry he is going to ask Lucie to marry him, which of the following does Lorry NOT do?
a) Lorry tells Stryver it would be uncomfortable for Dr. Manette or Lucie to have to say no
b) Mr. Lorry is shocked but says he thinks it’s a splendid idea Lucie would be delighted
c) Mr. Lorry says it’s not a good idea
d) After visiting with Dr. Manette, Lorry advises Stryver not to ask Lucie to marry him

Answer 43

b) Mr. Lorry is shocked but says he thinks it’s a splendid idea Lucie would be delighted

Question 44

Book 2, chapters 9-12:
The Marquis’ nephew told the Marquis that their name is…
a) “more detested than any name in France”
b) “unremarkable these days because no one seems to remember it”
c) “deteriorating in respect since most of the family has moved across the Atlantic to Quebec”
d) “one of the greatest names in Europe and is honored even in England”

Answer 44

b) “unremarkable these days because no one seems to remember it”

Question 45

Book 2, chapters 9-12:
The Monsieur the Marquis…
a) had a knife driven through his heart while he slept
b) suffered a stroke and the servants stood by and watching him slowly die
c) suffered a nervous breakdown after seeing his nephew murdered by the peasants in the village
d) had the mender or roads executed by the fountain while wearing his blue cap

Answer 45

a) had a knife driven through his heart while he slept

Question 46

Book 2, chapters 9-12:
In London, Charles Darnay…
a) took on work as a law clerk, becoming respected by lawyers and clients alike
b) prospered as a tutor, making a decent living but not becoming rich
c) used his charms to live a grand life attaching himself to one wealthy women while lining up the next
d) floundered about, taking odd jobs when he could find them

Answer 46

b) prospered as a tutor, making a decent living but not becoming rich

Question 47

Book 2, chapters 9-12:
When Darnay asks Dr. Manette about suitors calling on Lucie, Dr. Manette tells Darnay…
a) that Carton and Stryver are the only other two who have called on Lucie
b) that Stryver is the only other man who has called on Lucie
c) that no other man has called on Lucie
d) that Mr. Carton is the only other man who has called on Lucie

Answer 47

a) that Carton and Stryver are the only other two who have called on Lucie