Questions and Answers

 1.
1. Describe how the village looks on the day of the lottery.
o A.
Very metropolitan with shiny glass commercial buildings
o B.
Neat houses, green lawns and flowers everywhere
o C.
Gloomy and cold with gray houses
o D.
Dusty, dry with paint peeling off the houses

 2.
2. How many people live in the village?
o A.
About 300
o B.
Less than 100
o C.
3,446
o D.
Just under a thousand

 3.
3. What are people gathering in the town square?
o A.
There is a band concert in the morning.
o B.
They are voting on whether to discontinue the lottery.
o C.
The mayor is making a speech.
o D.
It is the annual lottery day.

 4.
4. What is the traditional job of the village boys on Lottery Day?
o A.
They play an exhibition football game before the lottery.
o B.
They collect stones and bring them to the town square.
o C.
They form an honor guard for the lottery box.
o D.
They keep the younger children off of the grass.

 5.
5. Which stones are the most prized for use in the lottery?
o A.
Shiny, decorative ones
o B.
Hard, jagged ones
o C.
Smooth, round ones
o D.
Heavy, flat ones

 6.
6. What is the date of the lottery?
o A.
July 4th
o B.
February 2nd
o C.
June 27th
o D.
April 1st
 7.
9. In a large village, how long might the lottery last?
Discuss
o A.
All day because they have more activities in the square.
o B.
An hour because the slips were mailed to people.
o C.
Not long because of better equipment.
o D.
As much as seven days.

 8.
10. What are the men doing before it is time for the lottery to begin?
o A.
Standing together and talking politics.
o B.
Standing together and talking about women.
o C.
Standing in a group but not talking.
o D.
Standing in a group talking about tractors and rain.

 9.
11. What are the women doing before the lottery?
o A.
Standing together and gossiping.
o B.
Putting up the bunting.
o C.
Avoiding each others eyes.
o D.
Running around looking for their children.

 10.
12. How do they assemble when it is time to begin the ceremony?
o A.
In double file lines.
o B.
Making a huge circle in the town square.
o C.
Crowding forward to try to be first to draw,.
o D.
Coming together in family groups.

 11.
13. What is being used for the first time this year?
o A.
Slips of paper instead of wood chips
o B.
A new black box
o C.
Black and white ping pong balls
o D.
A bigger stool

 12.
14. What serious formality occurs before the lottery begins?
o A.
The singing of the village anthem
o B.
The swearing in of the officials
o C.
The pledge of allegiance
o D.
 The blessing of the box

 13.
15. What is Mr. Zanini's distinction at the lottery?
Discuss
o A.
He is the last one to draw a slip from the black box.
o B.
He is the first one to draw in the lottery.
o C.
He is the oldest man at the lottery.
o D.
He is the only single man there.

 14.
16. What sound is heard as the papers are opened?
Discuss
o A.
Nothing. It is very quiet.
o B.
The school marching band.
o C.
Lil Wayne
o D.
The women speaking all at once.

 15.
17. What is the procedure after Bill reveals that his family is the one?
o A.
Slips will be put in the box for every member of the Hutchinson family.
o B.
The youngest Hutchinson will claim the prize.
o C.
The village people will vote for their favorite Hutchinson family member.
o D.
The Hutchinson family will draw straws to see who takes the prize.

 16.
18. Who needs help from Mr. Graves to open his slip?
o A.
Tessie
o B.
All of the children
o C.
Little Dave Hutchinson
o D.
The youngest daugter

 17.
19. Who will participate in the ritual?
o A.
All of Tessie's friends, neighbors and family members
o B.
The women only because Tessie is a woman
o C.
The children only because it is their holiday.
o D.
Only the men of the village

 18.
20. What type of story is The Lottery?
o A.
A comedy
o B.
A satire
o C.
A history
 o D.
A drama

 19.
21. What is Jackson's main theme in this short story?
o A.
The foolishness of blindly following tradition
o B.
The value of human life
o C.
The need for tradition in small towns
o D.
The need for change in a community

 20.
22. What is the tone as the story begins?
o A.
Dry like a newspaper article
o B.
An average day with overcast sky
o C.
Dreary and ominous
o D.
Cheerful, bright and colorful

 21.
23. What is Jackson's first element of surprise in the story?
o A.
Mr. Summers changing the tradition
o B.
Mr. Graves forgetting the stool
o C.
Tessie being late for the lottery
o D.
The boys gathering stones

 22.
24. What holiday is mentioned in the story that suggests this village is in America?
o A.
Christmas
o B.
The 4th of July
o C.
Halloween
o D.
Groundhog Day

 23.
25. How do most of the villagers appear to regard the lottery?
Discuss
o A.
They hate it.
o B.
They are confused by it.
o C.
They look forward to it.
o D.
They do not like the suspense.