Name ______________________________________________ Date _____________

Of Mice and Men — Chapter 1 Quiz

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word or phrase. The blanks that fall inside
quotation marks or block quotations need to be answered with the exact word or phrase from
the novel.

The story opens at a spot along the Salinas River, a few miles south of Soledad in central
California. Two men emerge from a well-worn path that leads to the opening, and readers are
introduced to the tale’s main characters: the hard featured _____1_____, and _____2_____,
a giant of a man.

The men are in the hot, dry region to get jobs as manual laborers on a _____3_____.

Readers learn of their relationship. _____4_____ is the boss, and always seems angry about
something, usually having to do with Lennie.

We learn of their history. They’ve recently left a ranch in Northern California. They had to
leave their ranch jobs abruptly because Lennie fingered a woman’s dress and frightened her.
He said he only wanted to _____5_____ the texture of the dress.

They also just got off a _____6_____. George is angry because the driver let them off too
early, saying the ranch was ‘“jes’ a little stretch down the road.”’ The walk turns out to be
_____7_____ miles in the heat.

Lennie drinks the water in the river without considering if it’s good water. We get hints that his
_____8_____ might be child-like, however much he looks like a man.

Lennie can’t _______9_______ where they are going or why, giving Steinbeck an opportunity
to reveal exposition. Not long ago the men got bus tickets after learning of the ranch jobs near
Soledad. Their previous jobs were in Weed, California near the border of Oregon.

They start to settle down for the night near the river. George discovers Lennie is carrying a
dead _____10_____ in his pocket, and George throws it away. But, when Lennie goes out to
find _____11_____ to start a fire to cook some beans, Lennie retrieves the dead creature.

Readers start to see Lennie as a very simple soul with low _______12_______. George is the
boss of their partnership, and Lennie does whatever George tells him.

Over and over again, George reminds Lennie that when they meet their new _____13_____
on the ranch, George will do the talking for the both of them. Lennie is not to say anything.
George wants the _____14_____ to see Lennie work first, so he knows Lennie is a good
worker, despite his lack of intelligence.

George laments how life would be so much easier without Lennie around. He recounts the
events that led to their fleeing the jobs in Weed:

‘You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get. Jus’ keep me shoving all
over the country all the time. An’ that ain’t the worst. You get in _____15_____.
You do bad things and I got to get you out.’ His voice rose nearly to a shout.
‘You crazy son-of-a-bitch. You keep me in hot _____16_____ all the time.’ He
took on the elaborate manner of little girls when they are mimicking one
another. ‘Jus’ wanted to feel that girl’s _____17_____—jus’ wanted to pet it like
it was a _____18_____——Well, how the hell did she know you jus’ wanted to
feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse. She yells and
we got to hide in a irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin’ for us, and we got to
sneak out in the dark and get outta the country.’

Readers wonder why George sticks with Lennie. The answer is slowly revealed. George does
genuinely care for Lennie, despite being constantly put out and annoyed by the big man.

Lennie, who can feel George’s anger, offers to leave and go live in a ____19____ somewhere.
But George knows Lennie would never survive on his own with his limited intelligence.

Lennie, who briefly complained about about a lack of _____20_____ for his beans, changes
his tune to make George happy. He says that if he had any _____21_____, he’d give it to
George for his beans.

They talk about how they are so much better off than most ranch hands, who don’t have
anyone in their life. They have ________22________.

They also talk of a dream they have of one day scraping enough money together to get a little
place of their own, and have ______23______ for Lennie to take care of.

Before the two turn in for the night, a proactive George plans for an future potential problems.
He tells Lennie, “‘If you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you
to come right here an’ hide in the _____24_____ . . . Hide in the _____25_____ till I come
for you.’”
Quiz 1 Answers

1 George
2 Lennie
3 ranch
4 George
5 feel / touch
6 bus
7 four / several
8 mind / brain / intelligence / IQ
9 remember
10 mouse
11 twigs / kindling / wood
12 intelligence / IQ
13 boss
14 boss
15 “trouble”
16 “water”
17 “dress”
18 “mouse”
19 cave
20 ketchup
21 ketchup
22 each other / one another
23 rabbits / bunnies
24 “brush”
25 “brush”