View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following items does NOT make up the decoration in Johnnetta's home?
(a) Photographs from home.
(b) Family artwork.
(c) College antiques.
(d) Personal furniture.

2. Which word fills in the following sentence from the final chapter in "Composing a Life": All five women live with high levels of _____________?
(a) Adamance.
(b) Affection.
(c) Ambition.
(d) Ambiguity.

3. Which of the women adopted a daughter named Sarah late in life?
(a) Mary.
(b) Ellen.
(c) Joan.
(d) Alice.

4. What does it mean to be a "conserver"?
(a) To embrace change in relationships.
(b) To recycle past knowledge.
(c) To strive for perfection.
(d) To change identity.

5. Why are men often encouraged to remove distractions from their lives?
(a) So they can concentrate on one thing at a time.
(b) Because the male brain is wired differently than female brains.
(c) To ensure maximum financial success.
(d) So they can become experts in their field.

6. Who gave Joan's son Jon a blood transfusion when he was sick in the hospital?
(a) His grandfather.
(b) His younger sister.
(c) His aunt.
(d) His mother.

7. What is the key to organizing multiple lives at once?
(a) Money.
(b) Flexibility.
(c) Support.
(d) Structure.

8. To what food item did Joan compare her first home with Erik?
(a) An egg.
(b) A head of lettuce.
(c) A peanut.
(d) A loaf of bread.

9. What does Mary say Ellen's home "cries out for"?
(a) A child.
(b) A tribe.
(c) A heart.
(d) A maid.

10. How many sons does Johnnetta have?
(a) Two.
(b) Five.
(c) Three.
(d) Four.

11. What is the one thing modern day couples need to learn to deal with that couples in the past might not have had to deal with?
(a) Sudden life changes.
(b) Misbehaving children.
(c) Financial instability.
(d) Technological advances.

12. Which woman would Mary most likely call "superwoman"?
(a) Johnnetta.
(b) Herself.
(c) Alice.
(d) None of the women.

13. Which of the following statements best describes the five women profiled in this book?
(a) They are all fighters.
(b) They are went through periods of disillusionment.
(c) They are all idealists.
(d) All of the answers are true.

14. According to Mary, when should caretaking be done?
(a) When one has the means to give.
(b) Whenever there is need in the world.
(c) All the time, every day.
(d) When family members request it.

15. What is the name of the homeless shelter that provides shelter and food for as many people as possible, every night?
(a) Maple Mountain Resort.
(b) Pine Street Inn.
(c) Palm Springs Shelter.
(d) Oak Valley.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Mary feel about full-time female workers that also come home and cook for their families?

2. What does Mary compare to "an obese bully"?

3. In what decade did family shelters first start to pop up in Boston?

4. Why was Mary given the opportunity to act as president of the college where she worked?

5. Which word completes the following sentence: "All of the women in the book have repeatedly salvaged the capacity for ______________ in an imperfect system"?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 534 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample