O Pioneers!

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

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following best explains why the farms of Hanover, Nebraska, initially fail?

A) The land is too difficult to farm.

B) Many of the farmers don’t know how to farm the land well.

C) The farmers find better-paying jobs in other towns.

D) The debts placed on the farmers are crippling.

2. Why does John name Alexandra as his successor?

A) Alexandra will be able to find a husband who will help build the farm.

B) John loves Alexandra the most out of his children.

C) Alexandra is the most imaginative and committed of his children.

D) John doesn’t believe in his sons.

3. Why doesn’t Alexandra want to buy farmland closer to the river?

A) Alexandra believes in her father’s land.

B) Alexandra doesn’t believe the wealthy river farm owners will sell their land.

C) Alexandra doesn’t think the river farms are better situated than her own.

D) All of the above

4. What or whom does the novel juxtapose with the struggle that Alexandra experiences in her youth?

A) Oscar and Lou’s dreams of moving away

B) Marie’s beauty

C) Emil’s innocence

D) Alexandra’s mother’s garden

5. Where is Alexandra’s family from?

A) Norway

B) Germany

C) Bohemia

D) Sweden

6. What does Alexandra defend Ivar against?

A) Institutionalization

B) His relatives

C) Xenophobia

D) Prison

7. Which of the following themes dominates Part 2?

A) Respect the Power of the Land

B) Sacrifice of Self for the Good of the Community

C) Loneliness Is a Double-Edged Sword

D) Love is More Important Than Survival

8. Why is Frank jealous of Marie?

A) Marie is popular and gets everything she wants.

B) Marie is better educated.

C) Marie has inherited family money that Frank is not entitled to.

D) Marie doesn’t need to work as hard as Frank.

9. Why don’t Oscar and Lou approve of Alexandra’s friendship with Carl?

A) They believe that Carl is sinful and will hurt Alexandra’s reputation.

B) They believe that Carl and Alexandra’s friendship is improper because she is single.

C) They worry that Carl will try to marry Alexandra for her financial assets.

D) They believe that Carl sets a bad example for Emil.

10. Which of the following symbols best represents Marie’s commitment to her marriage?

A) The transition from winter to spring

B) The white mulberry tree

C) The farmland

D) Catholicism

11. What does Alexandra’s secret fantasy reveal about her character?

A) She doesn’t respect men.

B) She loves her independence.

C) She desires a partner.

D) She wants to be a mother.

12. In what context does Emil kiss Marie for the first time?

A) He declares his love for her.

B) His friends plan a prank.

C) He and Marie argue about his future.

D) He bids Marie goodbye for good.

13. How does Amédée’s death change Emil’s perspective on life?

A) Emil becomes depressed.

B) Emil becomes disillusioned with his plans to study law.

C) Emil decides to live his life to the fullest.

D) Emil becomes an angry person.

14. What does the white mulberry tree symbolize?

A) The unpredictability of life

B) Innocence

C) Sacrifice of self for the good of the community

D) Unrequited love

15. What comforts Alexandra after Emil’s death?

A) Ivar’s loyalty

B) Carl’s love

C) Rainfall

D) Sunshine

Long Answer

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

1. What does the success of Hanover prove about John Bergson’s dream?

2. What does Oscar and Lou’s suspicion of Carl reveal about their community?

3. How does Emil’s desire to travel differentiate him from his family?