1. What is the occasion for Marlene’s dinner party?
A. A business deal
B. A birthday celebration
C. A wedding anniversary
D. A recent promotion
Answer: A recent promotion (D)
Marlene celebrates her recent promotion with a dinner party.
2. Who are the guests at Marlene’s dinner party?
A. Women from history, art, and myth
B. Friends and family members
C. Famous businesswomen
D. Coworkers and acquaintances
Answer: Women from history, art, and myth (A)
The guests are women plucked from history, art, and myth.
3. What is Isabella Bird known for?
A. Her poetry
B. Her Buddhist teachings
C. Her paintings
D. Her writing and exploration
Answer: Her writing and exploration (D)
Isabella Bird is a nineteenth-century writer, explorer, and naturalist.
4. What is the common thread among the women’s stories at the dinner party?
A. Their successful careers
B. Their happy marriages
C. Their struggles against patriarchy
D. Their travels around the world
Answer: Their struggles against patriarchy (C)
The women discuss their sufferings, which stem from the crushing violence of a life lived on the terms of the patriarchy.
5. What is Patient Griselda known for?
A. Her artistic talents
B. Her bravery in war
C. Her obedience to her husband in the face of horrible mistreatment
D. Her disobedience to her husband
Answer: Her obedience to her husband in the face of horrible mistreatment (C)
Patient Griselda is a character from the stories of Boccaccio and Chaucer, known for her obedience to her husband.
6. What is Marlene’s profession?
A. Explorer
B. Businesswoman
C. Writer
D. Artist
Answer: Businesswoman (B)
Marlene is a businesswoman who hosts a dinner party.
7. What is the name of the woman Marlene interviews at the Top Girls Employment Agency?
A. Jeanine
B. Jean
C. Joan
D. Griselda
Answer: Jeanine (A)
Marlene interviews a woman named Jeanine who hopes to be placed in a job that will pay more money and offer more opportunity for advancement.
8. What is Lady Nijo’s backstory?
A. She was a concubine who became a wandering Buddhist nun after she fell out of favor at court
B. She was a warrior who fought in many battles
C. She was a famous artist who traveled the world
D. She was a queen who ruled her kingdom with an iron fist
Answer: She was a concubine who became a wandering Buddhist nun after she fell out of favor at court (A)
Lady Nijo is a thirteenth-century concubine who became a wandering Buddhist nun after she fell out of favor at court.
9. What is the tone of the dinner party?
A. Ravenous and intoxicated
B. Intimate and emotional
C. Formal and reserved
D. Rowdy and argumentative
Answer: Ravenous and intoxicated (A)
The women eat ravenously, grow deeply intoxicated, and talk over one another as they share the stories of their often-painful lives.
10. What is Dull Gret known for?
A. Her musical talents
B. Her painting
C. Being the subject of a Flemish renaissance painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
D. Her poetry
Answer: Being the subject of a Flemish renaissance painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder (C)
Dull Gret is the subject of a Flemish renaissance painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder.
11. What is Jeanine planning to save money for?
A. A vacation
B. A party
C. A business
D. A wedding
Answer: A wedding (D)
Jeanine reveals her plans to Marlene, who advises her against sharing them with prospective employers.
12. What is Marlene’s new position at the Top Girls Employment Agency?
A. Promoted over a man named Howard Kidd
B. Manager
C. Receptionist
D. Boss
Answer: Promoted over a man named Howard Kidd (A)
Marlene has been promoted over a man named Howard Kidd, a prominent employee.
13. What does Angie reveal she wants to do to her mother?
A. Argue with her
B. Move away from her
C. Hug her
D. Kill her
Answer: Kill her (D)
Angie reveals a desire to kill her mother.
14. Why does Mrs. Kidd visit Marlene’s office?
A. To congratulate Marlene on her promotion
B. To apply for a job
C. To ask Marlene to forfeit her promotion so her husband can have it
D. To gossip about Marlene’s personal life
Answer: To ask Marlene to forfeit her promotion so her husband can have it (C)
Mrs. Kidd asks Marlene to forfeit the promotion so that her husband Howard can claim it.
15. What does Angie do after picking up a brick?
A. Puts the brick down after Kit implies she is too scared to use it
B. Throws it at her mother
C. Drops it and runs away
D. Holds it up to threaten her mother
Answer: Puts the brick down after Kit implies she is too scared to use it (A)
Angie puts the brick down after Kit implies she is too scared to use it.
16. What is Shona caught lying about during her interview?
A. Her age
B. Her education
C. Her work experience
D. Her resume
Answer: Her resume (D)
Shona has lied about everything on her resume, and has never held a job in her life.
17. What does Marlene think Angie will end up doing?
A. Working at Top Girls Agency
B. Becoming a bagger at a grocery store
C. Starting her own business
D. Becoming a manager
Answer: Becoming a bagger at a grocery store (B)
Marlene thinks Angie will end up being a bagger at a grocery store.
18. What happens to Howard Kidd after Marlene is promoted?
A. He congratulates Marlene
B. He gets angry and quits
C. He suffers a heart attack
D. He files a complaint
Answer: He suffers a heart attack (C)
Nell comes back into the main office with news that Howard has suffered a heart attack.
19. Why does Angie go to London?
A. To explore the city
B. To visit her aunt Marlene
C. To go to school
D. To get a job
Answer: To visit her aunt Marlene (B)
Angie reveals that she is going to London to visit her aunt Marlene.
20. What does Marlene bring for Angie and Joyce when she visits?
A. Toys
B. Food
C. Presents
D. Clothes
Answer: Presents (C)
Marlene arrives at Joyce’s house bearing numerous presents for both Angie and Joyce.
21. What does Angie find in one of the parcels?
A. A book by her favorite author
B. The fancy dress from the first act
C. A letter from Marlene
D. A toy from her mother
Answer: The fancy dress from the first act (B)
Angie opens one of her parcels to find the fancy dress from the first act.
22. What does Marlene reveal that she did earlier in the day?
A. She went to the store
B. She went to the park
C. She went to visit their mother
D. She went to meet her friends
Answer: She went to visit their mother (C)
Marlene reveals that she went to visit their mother earlier in the day.
23. Why is Joyce upset with Marlene?
A. Because Marlene left Angie behind
B. Because Marlene is rich
C. Because Marlene didn’t visit their mother
D. Because Marlene didn’t bring a gift
Answer: Because Marlene left Angie behind (A)
Joyce is upset with Marlene for having left her own daughter behind.
24. What does Marlene believe will happen to her in the coming years?
A. She will face financial difficulties
B. She will move to a different town
C. She will enjoy great personal and economic success
D. She will have a failed marriage
Answer: She will enjoy great personal and economic success (C)
Marlene believes that she is going to enjoy great personal and economic success in the coming years.
25. What is the name of the prime minister that Marlene mentions?
A. Boris Johnson
B. Theresa May
C. Winston Churchill
D. Margaret Thatcher
Answer: Margaret Thatcher (D)
Marlene mentions that she believes Margaret Thatcher’s policies will bring her success.
26. Why does Marlene and Joyce’s argument end?
A. Because Joyce leaves the room
B. Because Marlene apologizes
C. Because they agree on a topic
D. Because Marlene tries to stop the argument
Answer: Because Marlene tries to stop the argument (D)
Marlene tries to stop the argument and asks Joyce if they can still be friends.
27. What is Angie doing when she comes downstairs in a daze?
A. Watching TV
B. Calling for her mother
C. Looking for a toy
D. Searching for her sister
Answer: Calling for her mother (B)
Angie comes downstairs in a daze, calling for her mother.
28. What is Joyce’s attitude towards Angie?
A. She loves taking care of Angie
B. She thinks Angie is a burden
C. She is happy to be Angie’s guardian
D. She is neutral about Angie
Answer: She thinks Angie is a burden (B)
Joyce confides in Marlene that Angie has, in fact, been a burden.
29. What does Joyce prepare for Marlene to sleep on?
A. A bed in Angie’s room
B. A guest bedroom
C. A hammock
D. The couch
Answer: The couch (D)
Joyce readies the sofa for Marlene to sleep on.
30. What is Angie’s repetitive response to Marlene?
A. Frightening
B. I’m scared
C. I’m lost
D. I’m hungry
Answer: Frightening (A)
Angie only replies, over and over, ‘Frightening’.
31. What is the central theme explored in the play Top Girls?
A. The importance of individualism in modern society
B. The role of women in medieval Europe
C. The impact of patriarchy on women’s lives
D. The struggle for power in the corporate world
Answer: The impact of patriarchy on women’s lives (C)
The play explores how women navigate and resist the patriarchal society.
32. What is the significance of the dinner party in the play?
A. It highlights the limitations of women’s stories in history
B. It celebrates the achievement of women in the corporate world
C. It showcases Marlene’s business skills and network
D. It demonstrates the range and vitality of women’s stories
Answer: It demonstrates the range and vitality of women’s stories (D)
The dinner party serves as a platform to showcase the diversity of women’s experiences.
33. What is Marlene’s character driven by in the play?
A. Her passion for sharing women’s stories
B. Her desire for power and success
C. Her need for validation from her family
D. Her quest for justice in the patriarchal society
Answer: Her desire for power and success (B)
Marlene’s ambition and drive for power are central to her character.
34. What is the underlying message of the play regarding women’s stories?
A. Women’s stories have the power to challenge patriarchal norms
B. Women’s stories are limited and less important than men’s
C. Women’s stories are only relevant in specific historical contexts
D. Women’s stories are secondary to men’s experiences
Answer: Women’s stories have the power to challenge patriarchal norms (A)
The play argues that sharing women’s stories is a powerful way to resist patriarchy.
35. What is the impact of Marlene’s sacrifices on her personal life?
A. She achieves a better work-life balance
B. She becomes emotionally disconnected from her family
C. She develops stronger relationships with her colleagues
D. She gains more power and influence in her career
Answer: She becomes emotionally disconnected from her family (B)
Marlene’s sacrifices for her career have taken a toll on her personal relationships.
36. What is the broader implication of the play’s exploration of women’s stories?
A. Women’s stories are only relevant in the corporate world
B. Women’s stories can challenge and change societal norms
C. Women’s stories are only important in personal relationships
D. Women’s stories are limited to specific historical contexts
Answer: Women’s stories can challenge and change societal norms (B)
The play suggests that sharing women’s stories can have a broader impact on society.
