Of Mice and Men Chapter 1 Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. A traveler is described as enormous, broad-shouldered, and bear-like, with a tendency to imitate his companion. Which character is this?
The ranch boss
George Milton
Lennie Small
The bus driver
2. George says life would be easier without Lennie, yet he continues to protect and guide him. What does this tension suggest about their relationship?
Their bond combines frustration and responsibility with genuine companionship
George believes Lennie will soon become fully independent
George remains with Lennie only because the ranch requires pairs of workers
Their friendship depends entirely on their plan to earn equal wages
3. When George becomes angry because there is no ketchup for the beans, how does Lennie respond?
He leaves the campsite to search for ketchup
He refuses to eat until George apologizes
He blames the bus driver for losing their supplies
He says he would not want any ketchup even if they had some
4. Who cared for Lennie before George took responsibility for traveling with him?
The owner of their previous ranch
George’s mother
The woman Lennie encountered in Weed
Lennie’s Aunt Clara
5. Why does Lennie try to hide a dead mouse from George?
He wants to trade it for food at the ranch
He plans to use it as bait while fishing
He thinks it proves that someone followed them from Weed
He expects George to disapprove and take it away
6. What is the main literary effect of George repeatedly telling Lennie to return to the riverside brush if trouble occurs?
It confirms that George plans to leave Lennie there immediately
It explains why the ranch boss will distrust them
It establishes a contingency plan while foreshadowing that further trouble may occur
It resolves the danger created by the incident in Weed
7. How does the peaceful riverside setting function within Chapter 1?
It proves that George and Lennie have already reached their dream property
It offers temporary refuge from conflict and becomes George’s planned meeting place if trouble occurs
It isolates Lennie so George can travel to the ranch alone permanently
It shows that the men intend to abandon ranch work for fishing
8. What are George and Lennie supposed to do after reaching the new ranch?
Ask the ranch owner to sell them a piece of land
Purchase supplies before continuing north
Report for new laboring jobs and present their work cards
Find the workers who chased them out of Weed
9. Why does George retell the story of the farm they hope to own?
To persuade Lennie that their new ranch already belongs to them
To help Lennie memorize instructions from the ranch boss
To explain why they must return to Weed the following day
To reassure them both with a shared vision of independence and belonging
10. Why did the incident involving the woman’s red dress become more dangerous when she screamed?
Lennie panicked and held the dress more tightly instead of releasing it
The scream caused nearby animals to stampede
Lennie became angry that she had interrupted him
George mistook the scream for a signal to run
11. Lennie wants to stroke soft things but repeatedly kills mice without intending to. What does this most clearly reveal in Chapter 1?
He struggles to control his great physical strength while seeking comfort
He secretly dislikes the animals he collects
He is practicing skills needed for ranch work
He understands the consequences but ignores George’s rules
12. What caused George and Lennie to leave Weed?
George argued with their employer over unpaid wages
Lennie accidentally killed a ranch animal
Lennie held on to a woman’s dress after she became frightened and screamed
They missed the bus that carried workers to the next ranch
13. Which part of George and Lennie’s imagined future matters most to Lennie?
Caring for the rabbits on their own land
Owning enough horses to travel whenever they wish
Growing beans so they never need to eat canned food
Hiring other workers to perform the farm labor
14. Suppose Lennie gets into trouble after they begin work. According to George’s plan, where should Lennie go?
To the nearest railway station
To the brush beside the river where they are camping
Back to the irrigation ditch in Weed
Into the ranch bunkhouse to wait for George
15. At the river, Lennie closely copies George’s movements when they settle down. What does this behavior help establish?
Lennie is competing with George for leadership
Lennie depends on George for cues about how to act
Lennie is pretending not to know the route to the ranch
Lennie has more experience camping outdoors than George
16. Where does the opening of Chapter 1 primarily take place?
In the bunkhouse of a ranch outside Weed
In a wooded clearing beside the Salinas River, south of Soledad
At a railway station in the Salinas Valley
On a farm owned by George and Lennie