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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the woman tell the dump man to say if he comes to see what they are doing in "It's That It Hurts"?

2. What is the name of the woman's son who has been listed as MIA in "She Had Fallen Asleep..."?

3. Into whose home did a badger get into, according to the father in "A Silvery Night"?

4. What does the narrator say Don Laito and Dona Bone were in "Hand in His Pocket"?

5. What does the protagonist's friend say happens to most people who try to summon the devil in "A Silvery Night"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the narrator stop eating sweet breads in "Hand in His Pocket"?

2. To whom does the woman pray in "A Prayer"? Why?

3. What happens to the protagonist's younger brother in "And the Earth Did Not Devour Him"? How does he respond?

4. What does the woman present as a trade in "A Prayer"?

5. When does the narrator say that the protagonist first felt anger in "And the Earth Did Not Devour Him"?

6. What does the grandson say he wants most in life in "A Stroke Left the Grandfather Paralyzed..."? How does the grandfather respond?

7. How has the protagonist's father gotten ill in "And the Earth Did Not Devour Him"? What symptoms does he exhibit?

8. What does the minister promise to the workers in "One Afternoon a Minister..."?

9. What does the protagonist hide from his mother in "What His Mother Never Knew..."?

10. What happens when the protagonist hears someone calling his name in "The Lost Year"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What has happened to the narrator's father and brother in "And the Earth Did Not Devour Him"? Why? Why does the narrator feel responsible? What leads to the recovery of the father and brother?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the different stories, outlooks, and thoughts that are revealed in "When We Arrive." How does the author differentiate between the different characters in this story? What are the concerns of the laborers and the truck driver in the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

How is the protagonist of "First Communion" affected by what he sees in the window of the cleaners? How does this reaction reflect upon his actions as the story goes on? What do you think this implies about the character?

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