Book III - Chapter II. The Grindstone Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

Comprehension Quiz: Book III - Chapter II. The Grindstone

Where is Tellson's Bank in Paris located at the opening of this chapter?

  • In a fortified building near the Bastille prison
  • In a wing of a nobleman's house in the Saint Germain Quarter
  • On a busy commercial street near the Seine riverfront
  • In the basement of a government building near the Tuileries

How did the nobleman who owned the house escape from revolutionary Paris?

  • He bribed a prison guard to smuggle him out at night
  • He disguised himself in his own cook's dress and crossed the border
  • He hid in a delivery wagon beneath sacks of flour
  • He used false identity papers forged by a Tellson's clerk

What object in the courtyard causes Mr. Lorry to shiver when he sees it from the window?

  • A guillotine erected by revolutionary soldiers overnight
  • A large grindstone that appears to have been hurriedly brought there
  • A pile of confiscated weapons stacked against the wall
  • A bonfire where the mob is burning aristocratic furnishings

What news does Lucie bring when she and Dr. Manette arrive at the bank?

  • That the revolutionary tribunal has issued a warrant for Mr. Lorry
  • That Monseigneur has been captured trying to flee across the border
  • That Charles Darnay has been stopped at the barrier and sent to prison
  • That Defarge has offered to help them escape to England immediately

In which prison is Charles Darnay being held?

  • The Bastille, the same prison Dr. Manette once occupied
  • The Conciergerie, the main holding prison for political enemies
  • La Force, one of the prisons targeted during the September Massacres
  • The Abbaye, reserved for enemies of the new French Republic

Why does Mr. Lorry desperately tell Dr. Manette not to look out the window?

  • Because snipers on the rooftops might target anyone visible at a window
  • Because a blood-soaked mob is sharpening weapons — they are murdering prisoners
  • Because soldiers are executing aristocrats by firing squad in the courtyard
  • Because seeing the revolutionary flags would enrage Dr. Manette dangerously

Why does Dr. Manette believe he can walk safely among the revolutionaries?

  • He carries official papers from the new French Republic government
  • He is a well-known physician who has treated many revolutionary leaders
  • He is a former Bastille prisoner, revered as a hero by the patriots
  • He is protected by Defarge, who holds authority over the local mob

How does Dickens describe the atmosphere around the grindstone?

  • A silent, methodical efficiency like a military armory at work
  • A wicked atmosphere of "gore and fire" with blood, wine, and sparks
  • A festive carnival atmosphere with singing and revolutionary songs
  • A quiet, eerie stillness broken only by the grinding of metal

What do the revolutionaries shout as they escort Dr. Manette away?

  • "Death to the aristocrats! Long live the Republic one and indivisible!"
  • "Live the Bastille prisoner! Save the prisoner Evremonde at La Force!"
  • "To the guillotine with all enemies of France! Show no mercy!"
  • "The Doctor leads us! Follow the white-haired saint to victory!"

What does Mr. Lorry tell Lucie when she is frightened by the grinding noise later that night?

  • He tells her the truth — that the mob is sharpening weapons used to kill
  • He says it is construction workers repairing the courtyard pavement
  • He tells her the soldiers' swords are sharpened there, calling it an armoury
  • He claims the noise comes from a factory on the other side of the wall

What does the blood-soaked man do at dawn when the grinding finally stops?

  • He washes himself at the courtyard fountain and walks into the street
  • He collapses beside the grindstone and does not stir until midday
  • He staggers into one of Monseigneur's carriages to sleep on its cushions
  • He pounds on the gate of Tellson's Bank demanding food and drink

What does the final image of the grindstone at sunrise represent?

  • The promise of a new day bringing hope and renewal to France
  • The permanent, indelible stain of the violence — blood the sun cannot erase
  • The idea that revolutionary tools will eventually rust and be forgotten
  • The contrast between industrial progress and agricultural tradition

What contrast does Dickens draw between Tellson's London and Paris branches?

  • London is profitable and expanding while Paris is bankrupt and closing
  • London is staid and respectable while Paris has orange trees, a Cupid, and dancing clerks
  • London employs old conservative men while Paris employs young revolutionaries
  • London serves aristocrats exclusively while Paris serves both rich and poor

What historical event is depicted in the grindstone scene?

  • The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789
  • The September Massacres of 1792, when mobs killed over a thousand prisoners
  • The Reign of Terror executions ordered by the Committee of Public Safety
  • The Women's March on Versailles demanding bread from the king

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