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Quizzes > Literature & Language > Books & Literature

The Landlady by Roald Dahl: Quiz Your Knowledge

Think you know every twist? Check The Landlady questions and answers PDF - dive in now!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art style header featuring The Landlady motifs on golden yellow background with quiz title and plot twist hints

This The Landlady quiz helps you practice CommonLit questions and spot key clues, motives, and twists in Roald Dahl's tale. Use it to check gaps before class or a reading check, then start the quiz to see how closely you're reading.

In which city does Billy Weaver arrive when he finds the boarding house?
London
Oxford
Bath
Cambridge
Billy Weaver arrives in the city of Bath to start a new job and seeks lodging there. The setting of Bath is emphasized early in the story, establishing the quaint yet eerie atmosphere. Bath's historic charm contrasts with the sinister events that unfold in the boarding house.
What fact about the guest book puzzles Billy when examining the previous entries?
The signatures are from children
There are only two signatures
The dates are in the future
The entries are written in pencil
Billy notices only two names in the guest book, which is odd considering how welcoming the boarding house appears. The scarcity of entries hints at something unusual about the landladys previous guests. This detail raises suspicion before the storys climax.
How does the landlady initially entice Billy to stay at her boarding house?
By offering a very low price
By promising him a private room with a view
By threatening other boarding houses
By giving him free meals forever
The landlady mentions a surprisingly low price for the room, making the offer seem almost too good to be true. This affordability, combined with her charming demeanor, lures Billy into accepting before he realizes any danger. Dahl uses this tactic to build a false sense of security.
Which pets does the landlady keep in her parlor?
A parrot and a dachshund
A cat and a rabbit
A turtle and a goldfish
A canary and a terrier
Inside the parlor, Billy sees an old parrot and a friendly dachshund, both of which the landlady mentions she has stuffed after they died. These animals contribute to the storys unsettling mood when their stillness is revealed. Their presence foreshadows the fate of her human guests.
Why does Billy initially feel comfortable in the landladys presence?
Her strict rules
Her warmth and homeliness
Her mysterious silence
Her loudness and humor
The landladys friendly manner and grandmotherly charm make Billy feel safe and welcomed. Dahl contrasts her pleasant demeanor with the underlying menace to heighten suspense. This initial comfort delays Billys realization of the storys darker elements.
What strange taste does Billy notice in the tea served by the landlady?
Citrus tang
Sweet honey
Bitter almonds
Mint freshness
Billy detects a faint taste of bitter almonds in the tea, which is a classic indicator of cyanide poisoning. This subtle clue alerts readers to the storys true horror before Billy fully realizes his danger. Dahl carefully places this detail to foreshadow the tragic outcome.
What does the landlady mean when she says, I stuff all my little pets myself when they pass away,?
She taxidermies her animals and foreshadows her treatment of guests
She buries her pets in the garden
She donates their bodies to science
She transforms them into toys
The landladys casual remark about stuffing pets is a dark hint that she practices taxidermy, and this foreshadows how she handles human guests. This line shifts the tone from cozy to sinister, revealing her lethal hobby. Dahl uses this to intensify the readers dread.
What profession is Billy Weaver relocating for?
Schoolteacher
Banking clerk
Salesman
Journalist
Billy is moving to Bath to begin work as a banking clerk, a detail mentioned at the storys opening. This mundane reason for travel contrasts with the extraordinary danger he later faces. Dahl uses Billys ordinary job to underscore the storys ordinary-meets-terrifying theme.
What year does the guest book entry for Christopher Mulholland show?
1938
1945
1920
1950
The entry for Christopher Mulholland is dated 1920, which is odd given how fresh the ink appears on the page. This discrepancy deepens the mystery around the landladys previous guests. Such anachronisms feed the storys eerie tone.
Which literary device best describes the storys shift from cozy atmosphere to underlying menace?
Personification
Hyperbole
Dramatic irony
Metaphor
The shift is an example of dramatic irony, where readers sense the danger before the protagonist does. Dahl builds tension by letting readers pick up on ominous clues that Billy overlooks. This device heightens suspense and engages the audiences anticipation.
Why is the taste of bitter almonds significant in the context of the story?
It symbolizes innocence
It shows she uses special tea leaves
It represents nostalgia
It hints at cyanide poisoning
Bitter almonds are famously associated with the smell and taste of cyanide, indicating the landladys lethal intentions. This detail is a classic poison clue in literature and alerts informed readers to the impending crime. Dahl places it at a critical moment to foreshadow the conclusion.
Which two names appear in the guest book before Billys signature?
Edward Hamilton and Peter Jones
Thomas Rivers and Anthony Bell
Walter Finch and Harold Gorringe
Christopher Mulholland and Gregory Templeton
The names Christopher Mulholland and Gregory Templeton are the only prior entries, both of whom are later discovered to have disappeared. These specific names provide concrete evidence of the landladys previous victims. Recalling them is key to understanding the plot twist.
Which theme is most prominent in The Landlady, as shown by the contrast between the landladys kindness and her true intentions?
Revenge
The power of hospitality
Greed and ambition
Appearances versus reality
Dahl explores the theme of appearances versus reality by presenting a warm, hospitable landlady who harbors deadly secrets. The story warns readers not to trust surface impressions. This tension between what is shown and what is hidden drives the narratives suspense.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Recall Key Events -

    Summarize the main plot developments in Roald Dahl's "The Landlady", ensuring mastery of the landlady commonlit answers and key story points.

  2. Analyze Character Motivations -

    Examine Billy Weaver's decisions and the landlady's behavior to interpret underlying motives and suspenseful foreshadowing.

  3. Interpret Suspense Techniques -

    Identify Dahl's use of dark humor and tension-building methods to enhance understanding before taking the landlady quiz answers.

  4. Apply Answer Strategies -

    Utilize proven tactics to answer the landlady questions and answers PDF format effectively and improve quiz performance.

  5. Evaluate Key Twists -

    Recognize and assess crucial plot twists and horror elements that define the chilling finale of the Landlady story.

  6. Access Supplementary Resources -

    Navigate to and use the commonlit the landlady answers and related materials to reinforce comprehension and study prep.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Setting as Foreshadowing -

    Roald Dahl places the story in 1950s Bath - an era of genteel guesthouses that masks sinister undercurrents (Dahl, 1959). The cozy décor and warm hearth subtly contrast the tale's dark conclusion, preparing you for the twist. Recall "the landlady commonlit answers" by noting how everyday details can hide danger.

  2. Billy Weaver's Character Arc -

    Billy's youth and naiveté drive the plot forward; his polite curiosity makes him an ideal Dahl protagonist (University of Oxford Lit. Dept., 2018). Chart his decisions - from choosing the cozy "Bed and Breakfast" sign to accepting tea without question - to predict key quiz answers. Mnemonic trick: "PCA" (Politeness, Curiosity, Acceptance).

  3. The Landlady's Eccentric Hospitality -

    Her overly attentive manners - including remembering guest names and offering tea - serve as red flags (SparkNotes, 2020). Note her soothing tone and offhand remarks about taxidermy: these details are core to "commonlit the landlady answers." Highlight every odd hospitality cue when studying.

  4. Symbolism of Taxidermy and Tea -

    The landlady's stuffed pets symbolize her desire to preserve her victims - a chilling parallel to Billy's fate (Journal of Literary Symbols, 2021). Tea represents both comfort and poison, a dual image you'll see in The Landlady questions and answers PDF. Use the phrase "TAX TEA" as a memory hook: TAXidermy + TEA = Threat.

  5. Irony and the Ambiguous Finale -

    The story closes on an unsettling note: Billy's fate is implied, not described, making the ending both shocking and open to interpretation (Cambridge Lit. Review, 2019). When tackling the landlady quiz answers, focus on how Dahl uses dramatic irony - readers suspect his doom before he does. Remember: unanswered questions heighten the horror.

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