The Hobbit Test (reading comprehension) is ready to go with 48 multiple-choice questions, 4 short answer questions, and one essay question. This test is purely a reading check and does not address vocabulary or literary elements. Omit the last two pages if you want multiple choice only. Print / save as-is or download the resource folder to make changes.
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The Hobbit Reading Test questions to cut-and-paste
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1) Why does Gandalf choose Bilbo to join the quest of Thorin and Company?
A. Bilbo has previous adventure experience.
B. Bilbo owes Gandalf a favor.
C. Gandalf actually meant to invite Frodo.
D. Gandalf believes Bilbo has hidden qualities.
2) How might one describe Bilbo’s reaction to the arrival of the party of dwarves?
A. Angry and insulting
B. Polite and confused
C. Stingy and selfish
D. Joyful and jolly
3) What item does Gandalf give Thorin?
A. A magic whistle
B. A phial (little bottle) of poison
C. The key to a secret door
D. Thorin’s father’s crown
4) What do the trolls mostly argue about?
A. Which of them is the greatest warrior
B. Where to hide from Gandalf
C. What makes the stars twinkle
D. How to cook
5) How are the marauding (attacking and robbing) trolls defeated?
A. Bilbo tricks them into fighting each other.
B. Gandalf delays them until sunrise.
C. Thorin defeats them in a sword contest.
D. They accidentally eat poisoned food.
6) The incident with the trolls shows that…
A. Bilbo is a gifted burglar.
B. Bilbo is a terrible burglar.
C. Bilbo can save the day when he must.
D. Bilbo has no courage at all.
7) What is the secret to reading the hidden messages on the map of the Lonely Mountain?
A. Holding the map up to moonlight
B. Chanting an ancient spell
C. Folding the map in a certain way
D. Viewing it through a piece of crystal
8) The narrator explains that goblins are…
A. Gross but harmless.
B. Evil and stupid.
C. Intelligent and cruel.
D. Ugly but kind.
9) The riddle that Bilbo uses to best (defeat) Gollum uses the question, …
A. “What have I got in my pocket?”
B. “What has hands but cannot clap?”
C. “What is wiser than all the kings?”
D. “What is always hungry?”
10) How does Gollum react to losing the ring?
A. He is indifferent (not caring).
B. He is relieved.
C. He is amused.
D. He is outraged and desperate.
11) What special power does the ring provide?
A. Invisibility
B. Super speed
C. Super strength
D. Teleportation
12) Why do the wolves gather in the forest clearing in the middle of the night?
A. They hunt for geese.
B. They are meeting with the goblins.
C. They are looking for the Ring of Power.
D. They are celebrating a wolf holiday.
13) Who rescues Bilbo and the dwarves from wargs and goblins in the pine forest?
A. Gandalf alone
B. Giant eagles
C. Elven warriors
D. Honorable goblins
14) What is unusual about Beorn’s home?
A. It is underground.
B. It floats on water.
C. It is made entirely of glass.
D. The servants are animals.
15) Why does Gandalf leave the company for the later part of the journey?
A. He must attend to other wizard business.
B. He grows angry with Thorin Oakenshield.
C. He has injured himself and must recover.
D. His magic does not work in Mirkwood.
16) What happens to Bombur when he falls into the enchanted river of Mirkwood?
A. He gains magical strength.
B. He falls into a deep sleep.
C. He starts turning into a tree.
D. He becomes angry and violent.
17) How does Bilbo save the dwarves from the spiders in Mirkwood?
A. He distracts and battles the spiders.
B. He leads spiders into traps.
C. He scares them and tricks them into leaving.
D. Trick question! He does not save the day.
18) What does Bilbo name his sword?
A. Butterknife
B. Silkslicer
C. Shadowblade
D. Sting
19) Why does the company leave the set path through the forest of Mirkwood?
A. A group of trolls has set a trap for them.
B. A group of elves are having a feast.
C. They find a map to buried treasure.
D. An enchanted fog leads them off course.
20) Why do the elves imprison the dwarves?
A. They suspect them of plotting with goblins.
B. Thorin refuses to reveal what they are up to.
C. The elves want the dwarves’ treasure.
D. Gloin insults the Elvenking.
21) How does Bilbo survive in the elf kingdom?
A. He uses his invisibility to steal food.
B. He sings and tells stories to the king.
C. The guards treat him with kindness since he is not a dwarf.
D. He is put to work in the kitchens.
22) How does Bilbo free the dwarves from jail?
A. He uses the magic lamp.
B. He bribes the guards with gold.
C. He sneaks them out in barrels.
D. He starts a fire as a distraction.
23) How are the people of Lake-town impacted by the presence of Smaug the dragon?
A. They cannot leave their homes at night.
B. They must feed the dragon at great expense.
C. They ignore it and go about their business.
D. The dragon makes them feel safer.
24) What ancient prophecy (mystical prediction) do the people of Lake-town recall?
A. The dragon will rule forever.
B. The dwarf king will return.
C. An elf wizard will defeat Smaug.
D. A halfling (hobbit) will defeat Smaug.
25) How do the Lake-town people react to the arrival of Thorin Oakenshield?
A. They imprison him.
B. They celebrate his arrival.
C. They ignore him completely.
D. They force him to leave.
26) When the company views the town of Dale, who are the only residents still living there?
A. Children who run wild
B. Goblins and trolls
C. Poor people and desperate criminals
D. Trick question! There is no one there.
27) Which of these helps Bilbo discover the secret of entering the Lonely Mountain?
A. Snails
B. Fog
C. Toenails
D. Umbrellas
28) What does Bilbo steal first from Smaug?
A. An egg
B. A cup
C. A necklace of gems
D. A chest of gold coins
29) How does Smaug react upon Bilbo’s second visit to his lair?
A. He immediately tries to eat him.
B. He ignores Bilbo and flies away.
C. He talks to Bilbo to learn more about him.
D. He buries Bilbo under a pile of gold.
30) How does Smaug realize Bilbo’s presence?
A. Bilbo sneezes loudly.
B. He sees Bilbo’s footprints.
C. He smells Bilbo’s body odor.
D. Bilbo mistakenly speaks aloud.
31) One weakness of dragons is…
A. They are extremely hard to wake up.
B. They have soft underbellies.
C. They are simple and easy to fool.
D. They cannot fly in cold weather.
32) What secret does Bilbo keep from Thorin?
A. The location of the Arkenstone
B. A message left behind by Smaug
C. What happened in the haunted chamber
D. The recipe for his grandmother’s biscuits
33) Why are some people of Lake-town hopeful when they see the Lonely Mountain alight?
A. They think Gandalf is making fireworks.
B. They think the dwarves are killing Smaug.
C. They think the dwarves are making gold.
D. They think Smaug is coming to visit.
34) Who kills Smaug the Tremendous?
A. Thorin Oakenshield
B. Bard the bowman
C. Gandalf
D. Trick question! Smaug dies of old age.
35) What do the dwarves hope will save them once they are barricaded inside the mountain?
A. Making a deal with the men of Lake-town
B. Making a deal with the wood-elves
C. Hiding the treasure and lying about it
D. More dwarves coming to their aid
36) What does Bilbo do in a desperate final attempt to prevent a war?
A. He tries to assassinate (murder) Thorin.
B. He tries to use one of Gandalf’s spells.
C. He gives part of the treasure to Bard.
D. He tells Smaug about the secret entrance.
37) What event unites dwarves, men, and elves?
A. Thorin’s death
B. The arrival of Gandalf
C. Goblins attacking
D. Bilbo’s speech
38) What creatures join the Battle of Five Armies to save the day at the last moment?
A. Eagles and Beorn
B. Trolls and dragons
C. Wolves and Roäc
D. Ents and entwives
39) Bilbo Baggins changes the outcome of the entire battle when he…
A. Captures a baby dragon.
B. Trips Thorin.
C. Kills the leader of the wargs.
D. Trick question! He does little in the battle.
40) What is Bard the bowman’s special ability?
A. He never misses a shot.
B. He can understand the speech of birds.
C. He dreams about future events.
D. He can convince anyone to believe him.
41) Who becomes the leader of the dwarves after Thorin’s death?
A. Balin son of Fundin
B. Fili son of Agunn
C. Kili Stoutheart
D. Dáin Ironfoot
42) Where is Bilbo when he wakes up following the Battle of Five Armies?
A. In a comfortable bed in a warm tent
B. Chained to a wall in a dungeon
C. Lying on the ground on a hillside
D. In the talons (claws) of an eagle
43) What is Thorin Oakenshield’s final message to Bilbo before he departs?
A. A warning about the dangers of adventure
B. A request to take the Arkenstone away
C. A thought on the value of joy over wealth
D. A command to leave Erebor forever
44) Who kills the goblin leader named Bolg?
A. Thorin Oakenshield
B. Gandalf
C. Beorn
D. Bard the bowman
45) What ultimately becomes of the precious Arkenstone after the battle?
A. It stays with Thorin.
B. It sinks to the bottom of the lake.
C. Bilbo and Gandalf leave it with the elves.
D. Trick question! Nobody knows.
46) What problem does Bilbo discover upon returning home to the Shire?
A. His home is destroyed.
B. His belongings are being sold.
C. His friends refuse to speak to him.
D. The sheriff arrests him at the border.
47) What of Bilbo’s reputation in the Shire?
A. He has become a hero to all hobbits.
B. He is considered greedy and selfish.
C. He is seen as odd and a bit crazy.
D. He is viewed as worldly and wise, so they decide to make him the mayor.
48) At the closing of the novel, Bilbo…
A. Is eager for another journey.
B. Is satisfied but forever changed.
C. Regrets going on the adventure.
D. Rages angrily that no one believes him.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
49) Explain the dwarves’ initial doubts about hiring Bilbo and one way that he later proves himself.
50) Briefly summarize how Bilbo acquires the ring and discovers its magical properties.
51) Describe Smaug the dragon. Include both his physical attributes and his personality.
52) Give a detailed description of one fanciful (imaginative) location included in The Hobbit.
EXTENDED RESPONSE PROMPT
53) How does Bilbo change over the course of the story? How is Bilbo at the beginning of the story different from Bilbo at the end? What lessons does he learn and how does he learn them?
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Product contents: The Hobbit Test (comprehension / reading questions only)
- Answer key – The Hobbit Reading Test (PDF and DOCX)
- The Hobbit Reading Test (PDF and DOCX)
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- Alter DOCX file as desired in MSWord or Google docs.
- Use to check independent reading, assign extra credit or credit recovery, homeschool, or conclude a class reading.
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