Comprehension Test

Tess of the dUrbervilles

Thomas Hardy

1 Put the following events in the story in the right order. Number them 110.
a

Tess marries Angel.

Alec dUrbeville is killed.

Angel goes to Brazil.

Tess goes to work in the dairy.

Prince, the Durbeyfields horse, dies.

Tesss baby dies.

Tess is arrested.

Tess runs away with Angel.

Tess goes to work for Mrs dUrberville.

Angel goes to Sandbourne in search of Tess.

20 marks

2 Who said this in the story? Who did they say it to? Izz, Tess, the police, the
parson, Angels parents, Alec, Angel.
a You made that hat blow off on purpose. Said by ............... to ...............
b Will you bury him in the churchyard? Said by ............... to ...............
c He wont marry any of us. Said by ...............
d Three plain girls to get one beauty. Said by ............... to ...............
e Am I too wicked for us to live together? Said by ............... to ...............
f Will you help me put right the wicked thing I did to you? Said by ...............
to ...............
g Perhaps she will never take me back! Said by ............... to ...............
h Let her finish her sleep! Said by ............... to ...............
30 marks

3 Complete the following sentences with information from the story.

a John Durbeyfield discovered he was a dUrberville because ...
................................................................................

b Tess baptized her child because ...

................................................................................

c Tess wrote a letter to Angel telling him the truth, but ...
................................................................................

d Angel couldnt bear to live with Tess so ...

................................................................................

e When Tess knew she would die she asked Angel to ...
................................................................................

20 marks
4 Why was Angel working at the dairy?
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................

10 marks
5 Imagine you are Angel. Write a letter to your parents describing what has
happened from the time you met Tess again in Sandbourne.
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
....................................................................................

20 marks

Totalmarks

Multiple-choice Test

Tess of the dUrbervilles

Thomas Hardy

Setting
Choose the best answer.
1 A _____ tells John Durbeyfield that he is a descendant of a noble family.
a [ ] policeman

b [ ] parson

c [ ] teacher

d [ ] doctor

2 The Durbeyfields cottage is _____.

a [ ] quiet

b [ ] large

c [ ] bright

d [ ] small

3 Joan Durbeyfield likes spending time with her husband _____.

a [ ] in the woods

b [ ] at the public house

c [ ] in London

d [ ] at the market

4 When John Durbeyfield hears about his noble family, he is _____.

a [ ] excited

b [ ] sad

c [ ] angry

d [ ] not interested

5 Angel Clare first sees Tess at a dance _____.

a [ ] at Christmas

b [ ] in November

c [ ] in May d [ ] on New Years Day

6 Alec dUrbervilles family is _____.

a [ ] from Scotland

b [ ] from northern England

c [ ] related to Tesss family d [ ] very poor

7 _____ is blind.
a [ ] Joan Durbeyfield b [ ] Tesss brother
c [ ] Angel Clares father

d [ ] Mrs dUrberville

8 The father of Tesss baby is _____.

a [ ] Angel Clare

b [ ] Parson Tringham

c [ ] Richard Crick

d [ ] Alec dUrberville

9 Tess calls her baby _____.

a [ ] Sorrow

b [ ] Happiness

c [ ] Hope

d [ ] Peace

10 Before the baby dies, _____ baptizes her.

a [ ] the parson
20 marks

b [ ] Alec dUrberville c [ ] Tess

d [ ] John Durbeyfield

Characters
Choose the best answer.
11 The _____ family has an old silver spoon.
a [ ] Durbeyfield b [ ] Clare

c [ ] dUrberville d [ ] Crick

12 In the past, Alec dUrbervilles family had the name _____.

a [ ] Clare

b [ ] Durbeyfield

c [ ] Chant

d [ ] Stoke

13 _____ never works hard or regularly.

a [ ] Tess

b [ ] John Durbeyfield c [ ] Angel Clare

d [ ] Joan Durbeyfield

14 _____ gives Tess strawberries and roses when they first meet.
a [ ] Richard Crick

b [ ] Angel Clare

c [ ] Parson Tringham d [ ] Alec dUrberville

15 Tess gives a shilling and a pint of beer to the _____.
a [ ] gravedigger

b [ ] doctor

c [ ] dairyman

d [ ] parson

16 After Angel Clares marriage, _____ starts drinking too much.

a [ ] Izzy

b [ ] Mercy Chant

c [ ] Marian

d [ ] Tess

17 Just before Angel Clare goes to Brazil, he asks _____ to go with him.
a [ ] Marian

b [ ] Mercy Chant

c [ ] Izzy

d [ ] Tess

18 After his mothers death, Alec dUrberville _____.

a [ ] starts drinking too much

b [ ] becomes a preacher

c [ ] marries a rich girl d [ ] kills himself

19 Richard Crick is a _____.
a [ ] teacher

b [ ] farmer

c [ ] parson

d [ ] dairyman

20 _____ brothers plan to work for the church.

a [ ] Tesss b [ ] John Durbeyfields c [ ] Angel Clares d [ ] Alec
dUrbervilles
20 marks

Dialogue
Who said or wrote this?
21 Boy! Take this basket! I want you to go and do something for me.

a [ ] Mrs dUrberville b [ ] John Durbeyfield

c [ ] Angel Clare

d [ ] Alec dUrberville

22 Well, my beauty, what can I do for you?

a [ ] Richard Crick
c [ ] Angel Clare

b [ ] Parson Tringham
d [ ] Alec dUrberville

23 I want you to practise and whistle to my birds every day.

a [ ] John Durbeyfield b [ ] Mrs dUrberville
c [ ] Angel Clare

d [ ] Richard Crick

24 By the way, your father has a new horse today.

a [ ] Alec dUrberville b [ ] Richard Crick
c [ ] Angel Clare

d [ ] Mercy Chant

25 Oh, I sometimes wish I had never been born!

a [ ] Tess

b [ ] Alec dUrberville c [ ] John Durbeyfield

d [ ] Angel Clare

26 Being alive is rather serious, dont you think so?

a [ ] John Durbeyfield b [ ] Richard Crick
c [ ] Angel Clare

d [ ] Alec dUrberville

27 Jack Dollop, one of our milkers, got a girl into trouble.

a [ ] Alec dUrberville b [ ] John Durbeyfield
c [ ] Angel Clare

d [ ] Richard Crick

28 Ill carry you through the water, all of you.

a [ ] Angel Clare

b [ ] Richard Crick

c [ ] Alec dUrberville d [ ] Tess

29 You will never find a purer woman than Mercy Chant.

a [ ] Parson Tringham b [ ] Mrs dUrberville
c [ ] Angel Clares father

d [ ] Tesss sister

30 Dont tell your future husband about your past experience.

a [ ] John Durbeyfield b [ ] Angel Clare
c [ ] Joan Durbeyfield d [ ] Mrs dUrberville
20 marks

Vocabulary
Choose the best answer.

31 all the time, without stopping

a [ ] occasionally b [ ] usually c [ ] regularly d [ ] constantly
32 very pleased and happy
a [ ] delighted

b [ ] hopeless

c [ ] depressed

d [ ] vague

33 very old
a [ ] noble

b [ ] tragic

c [ ] ancient

d [ ] wicked

34 to be sorry or unhappy about something you have done

a [ ] regret

b [ ] desire

c [ ] refuse

d [ ] reject

35 the time when ripe fruit, vegetables, corn etc are collected from the fields
a [ ] honeymoon

b [ ] harvest

c [ ] sacrifice

d [ ] holiday

36 something that people in a particular place have done for a long time
a [ ] symbol

b [ ] honour

c [ ] plan

d [ ] custom

37 a stone container in a churchyard for dead bodies

a [ ] cathedral

b [ ] churn

c [ ] tomb

d [ ] waggon

38 to destroy or spoil something

a [ ] reap

b [ ] ruin

c [ ] build d [ ] reject

39 uncertain, not clear

a [ ] sure

b [ ] vague

c [ ] unfair

d [ ] fierce

40 to become red in the face, especially when you are embarrassed

a [ ] blush

b [ ] frown

c [ ] swallow

d [ ] regret

20 marks

Plot
Choose the best answer.
41 The Durbeyfields _____ is killed in an accident.
a [ ] chicken

b [ ] horse

c [ ] dog

d [ ] cow

42 _____ gives help and presents to the Durbeyfield family.

a [ ] Richard Crick

b [ ] Parson Tringham

c [ ] Alec dUrberville d [ ] Izzy Huett

43 Mrs dUrberville offers Tess work looking after _____.
a [ ] horses

b [ ] children

c [ ] cows

d [ ] chickens

44 Angel Clare is studying to become a _____.

a [ ] parson

b [ ] farmer

c [ ] musician d [ ] teacher

45 Angel Clares father wants him to marry a _____ woman.

a [ ] Christian

b [ ] country

c [ ] clever

d [ ] rich

46 Angel and Tess take some buckets of milk in a waggon to _____.

a [ ] Tesss parents
c [ ] London

b [ ] the dUrbervilles house

d [ ] the railway station

47 Joan Durbeyfield tells Tess not to talk to her husband about _____.
a [ ] her cottage

b [ ] her baby c [ ] religion

d [ ] her noble family

48 Angel hits a man in the face because he says Tess is _____.

a [ ] a country girl

b [ ] already married

c [ ] not a maiden

d [ ] ugly

49 When he is sleepwalking, Angel carries Tess to a _____.

a [ ] tomb

b [ ] farm c [ ] cottage

d [ ] bed

50 In the end, Tess kills _____.

a [ ] Angel Clare

b [ ] herself c [ ] Mercy Chant

20 marks

Totalmarks

d [ ] Alec dUrberville

Tess of the dUrbervilles

1 a 5

f 3

b 8

g 10

c 6

h 9

d 4

i 2

e 1

j 7

2 a Alec, Tess
b Tess, the parson
c Izz
d Angel, Tess
e Tess, Angel
f Alec, Tess
g Angel, Angels parents
h Angel, the police
3 a ... a parson said Sir John to him.
b ... he was dying and her father would not let the parson baptize him.
c ... he didnt find it.
d ... he went to Brazil.
e ... take care of her younger sister Liza-Lu.
4 Because he was learning how to farm.
5 Students individual answers.

Tess of the dUrbervilles

Setting
1

10

Characters
11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Dialogue
21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Vocabulary
31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

Plot
41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50