To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 4 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. What is the first item Scout finds in the knothole of the Radley oak tree?

   • Correct answer: Two sticks of Wrigley's Double-Mint chewing gum
   • A newspaper clipping from The Maycomb Tribune
   • Two polished Indian-head pennies in a velvet box
   • A lost baseball hit over from the schoolyard

   Scout's first discovery in the knothole is two pieces of Wrigley's Double-Mint gum wrapped in tinfoil. The Indian-head pennies come on a separate occasion.

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2. 2

   Question 2. How does Jem react when he learns Scout chewed the gum from the Radley tree?

   • He is curious and demands to examine the tree
   • He is furious and threatens to inform Atticus
   • He is delighted and requests a portion for himself
   • Correct answer: He is horrified and orders her to spit it out

   Jem orders Scout to spit the gum out and gargle, warning her that she is not supposed to even touch the trees at the Radley Place and will get killed if she does.

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3. 3

   Question 3. What are the dates on the Indian-head pennies found in the knothole?

   • 1903 and 1909
   • 1895 and 1901
   • Correct answer: 1900 and 1906
   • 1899 and 1910

   The two polished Indian-head pennies are dated 1906 and 1900. Jem says Indian-heads are strong magic that bring good luck, which is why he thinks they are valuable to somebody.

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4. 4

   Question 4. Which character takes the starring role of Boo in the children's Radley game?

   • Scout
   • Correct answer: Jem
   • Walter Cunningham
   • Dill

   Jem takes the starring role of Boo Radley, while Dill plays old Mr. Radley and Scout plays Mrs. Radley.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What scene from the Radley family history is the centerpiece of the children's game?

   • Boo breathing on the azaleas in a cold snap
   • Boo peering in windows when the moon is down
   • Correct answer: The scissors incident where Boo stabs his father
   • Boo being locked in the courthouse basement

   Boo's big scene is the scissors incident: Jem sits in the swing cutting up newspapers, and when Dill walks by and coughs at him, Jem fakes a plunge of the scissors into Dill's thigh.

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6. 6

   Question 6. When Atticus catches the children playing, what does he take away from them?

   • Correct answer: The scissors
   • The brushbroom
   • The newspaper
   • The car tire

   Atticus sees Jem with scissors and a torn-up newspaper, takes the scissors because they are no things to play with, and asks whether the game has anything to do with the Radleys. Jem says it does not.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does Scout hear while lying on the pavement in front of the Radley steps after the tire incident?

   • Someone calling her name from the porch
   • Someone crying behind the shutters
   • Someone coughing inside the dark house
   • Correct answer: Someone laughing quietly inside the house

   Scout hears quiet laughter from inside the Radley house, which she keeps secret from Jem. This is evidence of Boo's awareness of and amusement by the children.

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8. 8

   Question 8. According to Scout's narration, what was the FIRST reason she wanted to quit the Radley game?

   • Atticus caught them cutting up the newspaper
   • Correct answer: The laughter she heard inside the Radley house
   • Jem called her a girl for imagining things
   • She was tired of always playing Mrs. Radley

   Scout reveals that Atticus's disapproval was only the second reason she wanted to quit. The first was the laughter from the tire incident, which made Boo feel unsettlingly real and human.

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9. 9

   Question 9. Which of these events actually happened in this chapter?

   • True or False: Jem retrieves the tire from the Radley yard after Scout's tire ride ends there.

     Happened

     After Scout runs back in a panic without the tire, she reminds Jem that he once touched the house, and he dashes in through the gate to retrieve it.

   • True or False: Scout tells Jem about the laughter she heard inside the Radley house.

     Didn't happen

     Scout keeps the laughter a secret from Jem. This decision to process the experience privately marks an important step in her developing independence.

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10. 10

    Question 10. In Chapter 4, what does "auspicious" mean when Scout says the remainder of her schooldays "were no more auspicious than the first"?

    • Difficult and demanding
    • Suspicious or secretive
    • Carefully supervised
    • Correct answer: Promising or favorable

    Auspicious means promising success or good fortune. Scout is saying the rest of her school days were no more promising than her disastrous first day.

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does "arbitrated" mean in "Jem arbitrated, awarded me first push"?

    • Correct answer: Settled a dispute by judging between sides
    • Argued forcefully on behalf of one side
    • Decided randomly, without any reason
    • Declined to take either side in an argument

    To arbitrate is to settle a dispute by judging between the two sides. When Scout and Dill both claim the first ride in the tire, Jem decides that Scout goes first and Dill gets an extra turn.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What does "gingerly" mean in "gingerly pocketed a tiny shiny package"?

    • In a hasty and careless way
    • Correct answer: In a careful and cautious way
    • In a lighthearted and lively way
    • In a sneaky and secretive way

    Gingerly means carefully and cautiously. Jem looks around first and then handles the tinfoil package from the Radley tree with great care, as if it might be dangerous.

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