Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
In which US state was the poet T.S. Eliot born?
Answer
Missouri
Question
At what age did T.S. Eliot move to England and become a British citizen?
Answer
25
Question
What congenital condition limited T.S. Eliot's physical activity and socialising as a child?
Answer
Double inguinal hernia
Question
Which thrill-seeking Mark Twain character did the young T.S. Eliot particularly favour in his reading?
Answer
Tom Sawyer
Question
What was the name of the college preparatory division Eliot attended between 1898 and 1905?
Answer
Smith Academy
Question
Which four languages did T.S. Eliot study at Smith Academy?
Answer
Latin, Ancient Greek, French, and German
Question
At what age did T.S. Eliot begin writing poetry?
Answer
14
Question
Whose translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam influenced Eliot's early poetry?
Answer
Edward Fitzgerald
Question
What is the title of T.S. Eliot's famous poem about J. Alfred Prufrock?
Answer
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Question
In what year was T.S. Eliot awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature?
Answer
1948
Question
Which 1930s cat-themed book by T.S. Eliot is the musical Cats based upon?
Answer
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Question
What assumed name did T.S. Eliot use when writing cat poems to his godchildren?
Answer
Old Possum
Question
What are the names of four cats T.S. Eliot owned during his life?
Answer
Jellylorum, Pettipaws, Wiscus, and George Pushdragon
Question
Which composer created the 1981 musical Cats based on T.S. Eliot's poetry?
Answer
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Question
How is the character of Skimbleshanks described physically in the musical Cats?
Answer
A bright and energetic orange tabby
Question
At what specific time does the 'whisper' go down the line about the Night Mail's departure?
Answer
11.39
Question
What object do the guards and porters jokingly suggest Skimbleshanks might be hunting for?
Answer
A thimble
Question
According to the poem, why can the Night Mail not start until Skimbleshanks is found?
Answer
The train can't go without him
Question
From which part of the train does Skimbleshanks finally appear just before departure?
Answer
The luggage van
Question
What colour are Skimbleshanks' eyes?
Answer
Glass-green
Question
What signal is given immediately after Skimbleshanks flashes his eyes?
Answer
All Clear!
Question
For which specific geographical region is the Night Mail bound?
Answer
The northern part of the Northern Hemisphere
Question
What is the specific name of the express train that Skimbleshanks is 'by and large' in charge of?
Answer
The Sleeping Car Express
Question
Which three types of railway crew members does Skimbleshanks supervise?
Answer
The driver, the guards, and the bagmen
Question
What is Skimbleshanks doing when he 'paces and examines all the faces' of the travellers?
Answer
Conducting a regular patrol
Question
Skimbleshanks examines the faces of travellers in which two train classes?
Answer
The First and the Third
Question
What specific human behaviours does Skimbleshanks strongly disapprove of?
Answer
Hilarity and riot
Question
Cloze: 'You can play no _____ with Skimbleshanks!'
Answer
Pranks
Question
What is written on the door of the passenger's 'little den'?
Answer
The passenger's name
Question
How is the bedsheet in the passenger berth described in the poem?
Answer
Newly folded
Question
What physical evidence of cleanliness is mentioned regarding the berth floor?
Answer
Not a speck of dust
Question
In the berth, how does a passenger 'make a breeze'?
Answer
By turning a handle
Question
What facility is provided in the berth for washing one's face?
Answer
A funny little basin
Question
What is the purpose of the crank located by the berth window?
Answer
To shut the window if you sneeze
Question
What choice does the guard offer the passenger regarding their morning tea?
Answer
Whether they like it weak or strong
Question
Skimbleshanks ensures that passengers are not bothered by which specific pest?
Answer
Mice
Question
What is Skimbleshanks' nightly drink of choice while on watch?
Answer
Tea with a drop of Scotch
Question
For what reason does Skimbleshanks occasionally stop 'here and there' during his watch?
Answer
To catch a flea
Question
At which station is the passenger 'fast asleep' while Skimbleshanks walks the platform?
Answer
Crewe
Question
Where does Skimbleshanks greet the stationmaster 'with elation'?
Answer
Carlisle
Question
In which town does Skimbleshanks speak to the police to report anything 'they ought to know about'?
Answer
Dumfries
Question
At which stop does Skimbleshanks help the passengers get out of the train?
Answer
Gallowgate
Question
Which physical feature does Skimbleshanks wave to say 'I'll see you again!'?
Answer
His long brown tail
Question
According to the poem's final lines, on which train will you 'meet without fail' the Railway Cat?
Answer
The Midnight Mail
Question
What is the title of T.S. Eliot's most famous play, particularly noted in the source material?
Answer
Murder in the Cathedral
Question
At what time is the railway signal described as being 'nearly due'?
Answer
11.42
Question
What activity are the bagmen engaged in while Skimbleshanks supervises them?
Answer
Playing cards
Question
Cloze: Skimbleshanks will 'watch you without _____ and he sees what you are thinking'.
Answer
Winking
Question
How is Skimbleshanks' arrival at the rear of the train described in terms of movement?
Answer
He saunters
Question
According to his friend Robert Sencourt, where would the young T.S. Eliot often curl up with a book?
Answer
In a window-seat
Question
Which two major poems are listed as works T.S. Eliot is 'known for'?
Answer
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and The Waste Land
Question
In the poem, where is Skimbleshanks 'busy' just before the signal goes 'All Clear'?
Answer
The luggage van
Question
What is the primary role of Skimbleshanks on the Night Mail train?
Answer
Supervision and control of the journey
Question
How often does Skimbleshanks have a cup of tea during his nightly watch?
Answer
Every now and then