Zane Champie

Ms. WIlson
HELA 10
21 April 2015
Catcher in the Rye Test Questions
Knowledge Questions
1. What was the name of Holdens roommate at Pencey?
a. Ackley
b. Stradlater
c. Maurice
d. Carl Luce
2. Who does Holden speak with when he first returns home in the story?
a. Phoebe
b. His father
c. His mother
d. D.B.
Comprehension Questions
3. Read the opening passage of the novel starting at the top of page 1 and continue
through to And they probably came to Pencey that way on the middle of page 2. What
does the authors word choice in this section reveal about Holden?
a. It demonstrates his level of intelligence and eloquence in how he
carries himself.
b. It helps the reader understand Holdens opinions of the people
around him and details his rough personality.
c. It shows his overall positive and optimistic attitude throughout his
endeavors.
d. It displays the loving side of Holdens personality.
4. Compare and contrast Holdens actions in real life and those in his fantasies,
such as when he says that he would plug him anyway. Six shots right through his fat
hairy belly. when thinking about Maurice on page 104.
a. Holden feels much more confident in his real life than in his
fantasies, where he is often more reserved.
b. Holden dreams of being more heroic and less yellow, as he
sometimes cannot defend himself in real life to his liking.

c. Holdens confidence exudes in both real life and in his fantasies,

showing the reader how strong his personality is.
d. Holden is very timid in his real life, but is able to come out of his
shell in his fantasies.
5. What is the main idea of the passage beginning at the top of page 31 and
continuing on through to Ackley was a very nosy bastard at the bottom of page 33?
a. Stradlater is a very well-liked guy.
b. Holden and Jane used to play checkers very often.
c. Holden is very fond of Jane and wants to speak with her again.
d. Jane is a very talented dancer.
Application Questions
6. What is the meaning behind the red hat that Holden often mentions wearing?
a. He feels like it helps him to better fit in with the status quo.
b. The hat helps him to stay warm.
c. He enjoys being asked about the hat, and wears it a lot because
of this.
d. The hat serves as a comfort mechanism for him and makes him
an individual.
7. When Holden walks by the little boy singing If a body catch a body comin
through the rye on page 115, why does he begin to feel less depressed?
a. The boy had a wonderful voice, like nothing Holden had heard
before.
b. The boy reminded Holden of his own passion for music.
c. The boy was carefree and innocent.
d. He sees that the boy is with his family.
8. When Carl Luce says, I refuse to answer any typical Caulfield questions tonight.
When in the hell are you going to grow up? on page 146, what does this reveal about
Holden?
a. Holden is often viewed as immature by his peers.
b. Holden has a bad habit of asking too many questions
c. Holden usually asks a variety of different questions because he is
curious.
d. Holden is fond of Carl and tries hard to become his close friend.

9. What is the deeper meaning behind Holdens statement to Phoebe saying that he
would like to be the catcher in the rye?
a. It means that he wants to live life to the fullest.
b. It shows that he wants the best for Phoebe and wants her to work
hard.
c. It means that Holden wants to preserve youth and innocence in
others.
d. It shows that Holden has practical dreams for his own future.
10. How do both Mr. Spencer and Mr. Antolini try to help Holden?
a. They both try to tell him to seek help from his parents.
b. They tell him to find a source of expression, such as acting.
c. They encourage him to look around himself in the city to examine
lifes real importance.
d. They tell him to try to apply himself to his education, even if it is
difficult.
Analysis Questions
11. How does Holdens attitude toward the figures in the museum compare/contrast
with his feelings about the profanity that he found towards the end of the novel?
a. He finds comfort in stability, but hates that bad things can also
remain.
b. He gets bored with the same thing in the museum, and feels like
the profanity is interesting and contrasts the censorship of normal life.
c. Holden is indifferent to the figures and the profanity, showing that
Holden has lost his passion in life.
d. Holden dislikes the figures because they represent education to
him, and enjoys the profanity because it strays from this.
12. What rhetorical device is present in the following quote from page 9? Its really
ironical because Im six foot two and a half and I have gray hair. I really do. The one side
of my head-the right side-is full of millions of gray hairs. Ive had them ever since I was a
kid.
a. Irony
b. Metaphor
c. Simile
d. Hyperbole

13. How does Holdens tone change in the passage beginning with He kept
standing there. and ending with Why wont you give me your hand? on page 21?
a. Changes from sarcastic to wise
b. Changes from sarcastic to jovial
c. Changes from annoyed to sarcastic
d. Changes from wise to annoyed
14. Which rhetorical device is used in the paragraph starting with, The funny part
was, though, we were the worst skaters on the whole goddamn rink.?
a. Metaphor
b. Anaphora
c. Hyperbole
d. Sarcasm
15. Read the opening paragraph of chapter 20, starting with, I kept sitting there
getting drunk and waiting for old Tina and Janine to come out and do their stuff, but they
werent there. How does Holdens tone change by the end of this paragraph?
a. It becomes sarcastic
b. It becomes hopeless
c. It becomes excited
d. It becomes solemn
Synthesis Questions
16. Improve Holdens word choice by finding the best replacement for the underlined
portion of the following sentence from page 17. It was this red hunting hat, with one of
those very, very long peaks.
a. extended
b. gargantuan
c. prolonged
d. protracted
17. On page 9, Holden says that This is about the fourth school Ive gone to..
Which of the following could not be considered a possible reason for his common
switching of schools?
a. He views those who try as phonies
b. He fails to see real life applications in his schoolwork

c. His family is forced to move around frequently

d. He feels lack of motivation due to the death of his brother, Allie
18. When Holden says, That isnt too far from this crumby place, and he comes
over and visits me practically every weekend. on page 1, the reader does not know
what the crumby place really is. Which of the following is a plausible answer to what this
place is?
a. Another boarding school
b. His familys home
c. A hotel in New York
d. A mental hospital
Evaluation Questions
19. Holden often asks cab drivers if they know where the ducks have gone during
the winter, and recalls seeing a lake that was partly frozen and partly not frozen.
Evaluate the significance of this and explain how this relates to Holdens life.
What is the significance of innocence to Holden, and what examples of this significance are
given throughout the book? Explain.

20.
Zane Champie
Ms. WIlson
HELA 10
21 April 2015
Catcher in the Rye Test Answer Key

1. B
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. C
6. D
7. C
8. A
9. C
10. D
11. A
12. D
13. B
14. D
15. B
16. A
17. C
18. D
19. ANSWERS WILL VARY. Students should mention that Holden relates the
ducks to himself and the pond to life, or a similar relation to his own life with
these symbols. Any answer must be backed up with evidence from the book.
20. ANSWERS WILL VARY. Students should mention that Holden finds
comfort in the stability of the items in the museum, the carousel at the end of the
book, or use other examples from the text.