The Westing Game
Identification: Find a character on the list who matches each description. Write the letter of the character next
to the matching number on your answer document. Each character is only to be used once.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
G.
Dr. Wexler
Grace Wexler
Angela Wexler
Turtle Wexler
Mr. Theodorakis
Flora Baumbach
H. Sydelle Pulaski
I. Mr. Hoo
J. Doug Hoo
K. Berthe Erica Crow
L. Sam Westing
S. Theo
N. Otis Amber
O. Sandy McSouthers
P. Julian Eastman
Q. Dr. Sikes
R. Barney Northrup
T. Violet Westing
1. the girl with the braid who followed the stock market
2. the bomber responsible for the blast at the wedding shower
3. the beneficiary who was also a private investigator
4. his wife didn’t know he was a bookie
5. he ended up with an Olympic gold medal
6. he was once in love with Sam Westing’s daughter
7. she was once married to Sam Westing
8. she committed suicide rather than marry a crooked senator
9. he is an inventor who hates Mr. Westing
10. she fancies herself an interior decorator
11. he is tongue-tied around Angela
12. he is Turtle’s friend with the chipped tooth
13. her daughter with Down’s syndrome died not too long ago
14. he was once married to Berthe Erica Crow
15. she wears rhinestone glasses and is the “mistake”
16. he limps into the Westing house on October 31st
17. a.k.a. Windkloppel, Westing, Northrup, McSouthers
18. he has buck teeth and lies about the crowd of people begging to live in Sunset Towers
Multiple Choice: Write the letter of the correct answer.
19. Sam Westing is known for satisfying his love of disguises on
a. July 4
b. February 14
c. April 1
d. January 1
20. When most of the tenants first met Sam Westing, he is disguised as
a. Otis Amber b. Julian Eastman c. Dr. Sikes
d. Barney Northrup
21. Like Doug, Theo is
a. an athlete
c. in love with Angela
b. Greek
d. from a restaurant-owning family
22. The main reason Sydelle decorates her crutches is to
a. make extra money
b. get attention
c. take her mind off her pain d. express herself artistically
_____23. Turtle is dressed as
when she enters the Westing mansion on
Halloween.
a. a boy
b. Betsy Ross c. a witch
d. a turtle
24. Berthe Erica Crow became an alcoholic after
a. her house burned
b. her patent was stolen
c. her husband divorced her d. her daughter died
25. Judge Ford hired
as a private investigator.
a. Barney
b. Otis c. Sandy
d. Chris
26. Turtle’s real name was
a. Alice
b. Tabitha-Ruth
c. Violet
d. Tortoise
27. Turtle has her hair cut after it is
a. criticized
b. burned
c. knotted
d. caught
28. On Westing’s deathbed, Turtle lies to him about
a. Theo and Doug
b. Crow and Otis
c. Chris and Shirley
d. Grace and Angela
29. Grace Wexler’s silver cross never turns up because
a. Madame Hoo liked it too much to return it
b. it was blown up during the explosion
c. it had never been lost in the first place
d. it was placed on the corpse after Turtle dropped it
30. The 3rd bomb goes off at the
a. coffee shop
b. Angela Wexler’s bridal shower
c. the elevator
d. Mr. Hoo’s restaurant
31. In the newspaper obituary it says
a. Sam Westing was a master at chess
b. Violet was poisoned the day before her wedding
c. Mrs. Westing wanted to marry Mr. Theodorakis
d. Mr. Eastman was injured in a car accident
32. The missing parts of the song
a. point to Julian Eastman
c. spells out Crow’s name
b. indicates where the money is
d. reveals Mr. Westing’s true identity
Sequencing: Put the events in each set in chronological order by lettering them
A-E (A being first, E
being last)
Set 1
_____ 33. Turtle goes into the Westing house on a dare.
_____ 34. Otis Amber delivers invitations from Barney Northrup.
_____ 35. Sam Westing is in a car accident.
_____ 36. JJ Ford plays chess with Sam Westing.
_____ 37. Turtle figures out why Sandy has been limping.
Set 2
_____ 38. A bomb explodes in Angela’s face.
_____ 39. A bomb explodes in the lobby.
_____ 40. A bomb explodes in the Chinese restaurant.
_____ 41. Fireworks burn the Westing house to the ground.
_____ 42. A bomb explodes in the coffee shop.
Vocabulary – Using the context provided, determine the best meaning of the following vocabulary words
from The Westing Game.
43. “You’re going to be fine, Angie-pie, you’re going to be fine,” Grace said despondently.
a. cheerfully
b. sounding depressed and discouraged
c. softly
d. forcefully
44. “Don’t worry, judge.” The doorman escorted her to the door of apartment 4D. “What you tell me is strictly
confidential.”
a. humorous
b. public
c. harmful
d. private and protected
45. “Come on, Grace, it’ll do you good.” The podiatrist urged his reluctant wife down the third-floor hall.
a. unwilling, hesitant
b. glamorous
c. violent
d. unattractive
46. Theo had an alibi. He was nowhere near the Wexler apartment the day the third bomb went off.
a. proof of someone’s whereabouts during the time a crime took place
b. a good friend who will lie for you when you’re in trouble
c. a faulty excuse for why you are not the culprit
d. a part of the elbow joint that controls movement of the arm
47. “Exactly, Mr. McSouthers. Sam Westing plotted against the person he held responsible for his daughter’s
suicide, the person who forced Violet Westing to marry a man she loathed.”
a. loved
b. hated
c. missed/longed for
d. divorced
Figurative Langauge
48. Grace tried again, her voice dripping with honey.
The underlined phrase means:
a. Grace was speaking very loudly.
b. Grace had a sore throat and put honey on it.
c. Grace was speaking with an extra sweet tone of voice.
d. Grace was trying to hide something.
49. For a minute there, she thought she might choke on the thumping heart that had jumped into her throat.
This personification is used to show us that:
a. Turtle was very excited.
b. Turtle was very scared.
c. Turtle was a bully.
d. Turtle had a heart condition.
50. Thump, thump, thump. Someone was coming, or were there two of them?
This is an example of:
a. Onomatopoeia
b. Personification
c. Idiom
d. Hyperbole
51. At last slow morning crept up the cliff and raised the Westing house, the house of whispers, the house of
death.
This sentence has an example of:
a. Simile
b. Personification
c. Idiom
d. Hyperbole
52. “I knew those clues were a pile of fertilizer.”
This sentence is an example of:
a. Idiom
b. Hyperbole
c. Simile
d. Metaphor
Extended Response #1
Flora Baumbach’s hands were gentle, they never hurried or pulled a stray hair. Flora Baumbach loved
her, she could tell. “I like when you call me Alice,” Turtle said, “but I better not call you Mrs. Baumbach
anymore, because of the bomb scare, you know.” Calling her Flora would spoil everything. “Maybe I could
call you Mrs. Baba?”
“Why not just Baba?”
That’s exactly what Turtle (Alice) wanted to hear. “Was your daughter, Rosalie, very smart, Baba?”
“My, no. You’re the smartest child I ever met, a real businesswoman.”
Turtle glowed behind The Wall Street Journal. “I bet Rosalie baked bread and patched quilts and dumb
stuff like that.”
The dressmaker’s sure fingers fumbled over the red ribbons she was weaving into a four-strand braid.
“Rosalie was an exceptional child. The friendliest, lovingest…”
Turtle crumpled the newspaper. “Let’s go. I’m late for school and you’ve got that big trade to make.”
“But I haven’t finished tying the ribbons.”
“Never mind, I like them hanging.” Turtle felt like kicking somebody, anybody, good and hard.
53. Describe how Turtle’s feelings changed during this passage. You must have evidence from the text that
proves how she felt!
Beginning of Passage: __________________________________________________________
Text evidence:
____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
End of the Passage: _____________________________________________________________
Text evidence:
____________________________________________________________________________________
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