Question

(b) short story reading comprehension exercise
lamb to the slaughter
story order - 15 points total
directions: place the following plot statements from the first half of the story into their correct chronological order by placing 1 on the first occurrence and placing a 7 on the latest. you will do the same in the second section with the added responsibility of circling the number that indicates the climax of the story. note! it is not necessary to have the sequence of events in perfect order. if you are within one of the correct number, that is an acceptable answer.
first half of the story:
____ mary goes to the cellar to get a leg of lamb for supper.
____ mary comes home to find her husband dead.
____ marys husband gives her shocking news that he will leave her.
____ mary goes upstairs to sit in front of the mirror and get ready to go out.
____ mary greets her husband home from work.
____ mary goes to the grocery store to buy additional food for dinner.
____ mary kills her husband by hitting him with the leg of lamb.
second half of the story:
____ unknowingly, the detectives destroy the evidence against mary.
____ mary giggles in the living room with relief.
____ a detective returns to say that mary was at the grocery.
____ the detectives are persuaded by mary to stay for dinner.
____ the detectives are able to determine that marys husband was killed by a large blunt object.
____ detectives begin to search marys house for clues.
____ mary calls the police department to notify them of her husbands murder.
story order ____/14 (+1 bonus if all are correct)
climax ____/1
true or false - 10 points total
directions: if the statement is true, put a \t\ on the line next to it, if not, place an \f\.

1. ____ to confirm marys story, the detectives send a man to the grocery store.
2. ____ the wife kills her husband and goes into a screaming fit.
3. ____ it can be inferred that the husband is leaving the wife for another woman.
4. ____ the wife tries to run, but realizes the police would catch her since they know her.
5. ____ the wifes biggest concern is for her baby.
6. ____ the detectives insist that mary stay at the house while they search it..
7. ____ the detectives suggest the husband was killed by a large metal object.
8. ____ the wife gets away with murdering her husband.
9. ____ the detectives locate another man to blame for the murder.
10. ____ the wife loves her husband very much.

true or false ____/10 (+1 bonus if all are correct)

Explanation:

To answer the story - order questions, one must have read "Lamb to the Slaughter" and understand the sequence of events. For the true - or - false questions, knowledge of the story's details is required to determine the accuracy of each statement.
For the story order in the first half: Mary first greets her husband home from work (1). Then her husband gives her shocking news that he will leave her (2). She goes to the cellar to get a leg of lamb for supper (3). She kills her husband by hitting him with the leg of lamb (4). She goes upstairs to sit in front of the mirror and get ready to go out (5). She goes to the grocery store to buy additional food for dinner (6). She comes home to find her husband dead is not in the first - half sequence as she is the one who kills him.
For the second half: Mary calls the police department to notify them of her husband's murder (1). Detectives begin to search Mary's house for clues (2). The detectives are able to determine that Mary's husband was killed by a large blunt object (3). The detectives are persuaded by Mary to stay for dinner (4). A detective returns to say that Mary was at the grocery (5). Unknowingly, the detectives destroy the evidence against Mary (6). Mary giggles in the living room with relief (7). The climax is when the detectives unknowingly destroy the evidence against Mary.
For the true - or - false:

1. T - Detectives send someone to the grocery store to confirm Mary's alibi.
2. F - She doesn't go into a screaming fit after killing her husband.
3. F - There is no indication he is leaving for another woman.
4. F - There is no mention of her trying to run.
5. T - Her concern for her baby is evident.
6. F - There is no mention of them insisting she stay.
7. F - They don't suggest a large metal object; just a large blunt object.
8. T - She gets away with the murder as the evidence is destroyed.
9. F - They don't locate another man to blame.
10. T - Her initial behavior shows she loves her husband very much.

Answer:

Story Order - First Half:
Mary greets her husband home from work - 1
Mary's husband gives her shocking news that he will leave her - 2
Mary goes to the cellar to get a leg of lamb for supper - 3
Mary kills her husband by hitting him with the leg of lamb - 4
Mary goes upstairs to sit in front of the mirror and get ready to go out - 5
Mary goes to the grocery store to buy additional food for dinner - 6
Story Order - Second Half:
Mary calls the police department to notify them of her husband's murder - 1
Detectives begin to search Mary's house for clues - 2
The detectives are able to determine that Mary's husband was killed by a large blunt object - 3
The detectives are persuaded by Mary to stay for dinner - 4
A detective returns to say that Mary was at the grocery - 5
Unknowingly, the detectives destroy the evidence against Mary - 6
Mary giggles in the living room with relief - 7
Climax: Unknowingly, the detectives destroy the evidence against Mary - 6
True or False:

1. T
2. F
3. F
4. F
5. T
6. F
7. F
8. T
9. F
10. T