Around the World in Eighty Days — Comprehension Quiz

Multiple Choice

1. In what year does the story begin?
A) 1814
B) 1872
C) 1900
D) 1865

2. Where does Phileas Fogg live?
A) No. 7, Saville Row
B) The Reform Club
C) Lincoln's Inn
D) Gray's Inn

3. What club does Phileas Fogg belong to?
A) The Harmonic Society
B) The Royal Institution
C) The Reform Club
D) The Entomologists' Society

4. Why did Mr. Fogg dismiss his previous servant, James Forster?
A) He was late to work
B) He brought shaving water at the wrong temperature
C) He lost some money
D) He was rude to a guest

5. What is Passepartout's nationality?
A) English
B) French
C) American
D) Italian

6. What game does Phileas Fogg often play at the club, keeping his winnings for charity?
A) Chess
B) Whist
C) Billiards
D) Cards for money

7. What time does Passepartout's watch show when Mr. Fogg asks him, and how far off is it?
A) 11:22, four minutes too slow
B) 11:30, on time
C) 11:15, ten minutes slow
D) 12:00, one hour fast

8. Which of the following jobs had Passepartout NOT held before becoming a valet?
A) Circus rider
B) Sergeant fireman
C) Ship's captain
D) Professor of gymnastics

Short Answer

9. Describe two details from the text that make Phileas Fogg seem mysterious or hard to know.

10. Why does Passepartout say he hopes to live a "tranquil life" with Mr. Fogg? What about Fogg's reputation attracted him?

11. Based on Chapter I, what kind of daily routine does Phileas Fogg follow? Give at least two specific examples of his exactness.

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Answer Key

1. B) 1872
2. A) No. 7, Saville Row
3. C) The Reform Club
4. B) He brought shaving water at the wrong temperature
5. B) French
6. B) Whist
7. A) 11:22, four minutes too slow
8. C) Ship's captain

1. Sample answer: No one knows how he made his fortune; he has no known wife, children, or close friends; he seems to know the whole world well despite apparently never leaving London for years.

1. Sample answer: Passepartout had lived many different, adventurous lives (singer, circus performer, fireman, etc.) and now wanted domestic peace and quiet. He heard Mr. Fogg was "the most exact and settled gentleman in the United Kingdom," which appealed to his wish for a calm, orderly life.

1. Sample answer: Mr. Fogg eats and sleeps at exactly fixed hours, walks the same route in the club at the same pace, leaves for the Reform Club at exactly half-past eleven every day, and returns home at exactly midnight. He also expects his servant to be extremely prompt and precise, as shown by his dismissal of James Forster over shaving water temperature.