Anne of Green Gables — Comprehension Quiz

Multiple Choice

1. Where does Mrs. Rachel Lynde live?
A. In a house on top of the steep red hill
B. Where the Avonlea main road dips into a hollow
C. At Green Gables
D. In the town of Carmody

2. What is Mrs. Rachel Lynde known for in Avonlea?
A. Being a quiet, shy woman who avoids her neighbors
B. Knitting cotton warp quilts and keeping close watch on everyone's business
C. Running the general store in Carmody
D. Being the schoolteacher

3. What does Mrs. Rachel notice about Matthew Cuthbert that surprises her?
A. He is plowing his fields early
B. He is dressed in his best suit and driving the buggy in the middle of a busy day
C. He is walking instead of driving
D. He is talking to strangers in the yard

4. Why does Mrs. Rachel decide to visit Marilla Cuthbert?
A. To borrow some turnip seed
B. To ask about the Sewing Circle meeting
C. To find out where Matthew is going and why
D. To deliver a cotton warp quilt

5. Why was Green Gables built so far from the main road?
A. Matthew's father wanted to be near the water
B. Matthew's father was as shy and silent as Matthew and wanted to be far from other people
C. The land near the road was too rocky to build on
D. Marilla wanted privacy from Mrs. Rachel

6. What surprising news does Marilla share with Mrs. Rachel?
A. Matthew is getting married
B. They are adopting a boy from an orphan asylum in Nova Scotia
C. They are moving away from Green Gables
D. Matthew is sick and went to see a doctor

7. Who gave Marilla and Matthew the idea to adopt a child?
A. Mrs. Rachel Lynde
B. Peter Morrison
C. Mrs. Alexander Spencer
D. The minister of the church

8. Why did Matthew and Marilla decide to get a boy instead of a girl?
A. Because Marilla did not like girls
B. Because a boy could help with farm work, since Matthew is getting older
C. Because the orphanage only had boys available
D. Because Mrs. Spencer suggested a boy

Short Answer

9. Describe Marilla Cuthbert's appearance and personality based on how she is introduced in the chapter.

10. Why does the author say Mrs. Rachel Lynde could "attend closely to their neighbors' business"? What does this reveal about her character?

11. Explain why Mrs. Rachel finds it so hard to believe that Matthew and Marilla are adopting a child. Use details from the text to support your answer.

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Answer Key

1. B
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. B
7. C
8. B
9. Marilla is described as a tall, thin woman with angles and no curves, with graying dark hair pulled into a tight knot. She looks like a woman of "narrow experience and rigid conscience," though her mouth suggests she might have a hidden sense of humor.
10. The author notes that many people neglect their own business to focus on others', but Mrs. Rachel manages both her own affairs and her neighbors' business at the same time. This shows she is highly capable, nosy, and deeply involved in the goings-on of Avonlea.
11. Mrs. Rachel finds it hard to believe because Matthew and Marilla are quiet, private people who rarely do anything unusual — Matthew almost never leaves home or dresses up, and the family had never shown interest in such things before. The news seems as unlikely to her as Matthew bringing home "a kangaroo from Australia."