The ABC Murders

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following characters serves as a red herring?

A) Mr. Cust

B) Franklin Clarke

C) Captain Hastings

D) Hercule Poirot

2. Which of the following best represents Inspector Crome’s view of Poirot?

A) He respects and admires him.

B) He thinks he is overrated and past his prime.

C) He fears and distrusts him.

D) He finds him entertaining.

3. Which of the following best represents Poirot’s and Hasting’s views of the ideal crime to be solved?

A) Hastings prefers violent crimes, while Poirot prefers theft.

B) Poirot prefers violent crimes, while Hastings prefers theft.

C) Hastings prefers simple, domestic crimes, while Poirot prefers high-profile crimes.

D) Hastings prefers high-profile crimes, while Poirot prefers simple, domestic crimes.

4. Which of the following best characterizes Poirot’s treatment of Hastings?

A) Playful, occasionally condescending

B) Bitter, occasionally malevolent

C) Regretful, occasionally indulgent

D) Fearful, occasionally provocative

5. Which of the following is not true about the first three murder victims?

A) Their cities of residence are in alphabetical order.

B) Their last names are in alphabetical order.

C) They are each killed in the same way.

D) An ABC guide is found next to each victim.

6. Which event most closely relates to the theme of Chance, Choice, and Fate?

A) Franklin Clarke reading Mr. Cust’s palm

B) Poirot’s first interview with Mary Drower

C) Donald’s disturbing dream set on the beach

D) Poirot’s visit to Lady Clarke

7. When Poirot asks whether Betty was attractive, Inspector Crome incorrectly attributes his interest to which of the following?

A) Poirot’s lustful nature as a foreigner

B) Hastings’s influence

C) Poirot’s forgetfulness

D) Poirot’s sense of humor

8. Which plot element is least connected to Christie’s theme of The Importance of Class in English Society?

A) Thora Grey’s hypothetical marriage to Sir Carmichael Clarke

B) Franklin Clarke’s manipulation of Mr. Cust as a door-to-door salesman

C) Hastings’s differing responses to Mrs. Asher and Sir Carmichael Clarke’s deaths

D) Mr. Cust’s alibi while playing dominoes

9. What role does Hastings play in solving the case?

A) He corrects Poirot’s logic.

B) He makes an offhand comment that proves insightful.

C) He actively obscures the truth.

D) He makes no contribution to solving the case.

10. What does Poirot suggest that Franklin Clarke’s passion for trains reveals about him?

A) His resourcefulness

B) His immaturity

C) His nostalgia

D) His brutality

11. The novel features passages written from which perspectives?

A) First person only

B) Second and third person

C) Third person only

D) First and third person

12. Which best describes the tone of the letters Franklin Clarke writes to Poirot as ABC?

A) Taunting

B) Deferential

C) Hysterical

D) Defensive

13. To which of Franklin’s crimes does Poirot object most strongly?

A) Mrs. Asher’s murder

B) Betty Barnard’s murder

C) Sir Carmichael Clarke’s murder

D) The framing of Mr. Cust

14. How does Hastings respond to the physical signs of his aging, such as his thinning hair?

A) He is at peace with the process.

B) He enjoys jokes at his expense.

C) He is self-conscious about aging.

D) He is unaware of the changes.

15. How does Megan’s character compare to Betty?

A) Megan is more flirtatious and impulsive than Betty.

B) Megan is smarter and more sensible than Betty.

C) Megan is more poised and athletic than Betty.

D) Megan is crueler and more vindictive than Betty.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How do Poirot’s investigative methods and emphasis differ from those of the Scotland Yard detectives?

2. How does Christie present Mr. Cust as a sympathetic character, even as he appears to be guilty?