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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through The Trumpet of the Swan, 1966-1970.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is Ursula Nordstrom?
(a) The owner of Harper & Brothers.
(b) The editor at Harper & Brothers.
(c) A former Harper's coworker of White.
(d) A former New Yorker coworker of White.

2. How does White describe the perception of him at the New Yorker office in July, 1931?
(a) An unapologetic vacationist.
(b) A perpetual vacationist.
(c) An unpredictable vacationist.
(d) A returning vacationist.

3. For which newspaper is White a campus reporter?
(a) Cornell Times.
(b) Cornell Post.
(c) Cornell Daily News.
(d) Cornell Daily Sun.

4. In his letter to fifth grade students, how many sheep does White say that he has?
(a) Fifteen.
(b) Twenty.
(c) Five.
(d) Ten.

5. In a letter to his brother, Stanley, what does White fear the surgeons will find in his abdomen during an operation?
(a) Ahi Carpaccio.
(b) Shrimp newburg.
(c) Shad roe.
(d) Fiddlehead ferns.

Short Answer Questions

1. What type of background did White's mother have?

2. In a letter to Stanley, how often does White say he puts his head in traction?

3. At what age did White begin to develop his writing style?

4. Which one of the following is not included in the list of people White says will read the pamphlet he worked on in Washington?

5. In his January, 1942 letter to Katharine, how does White describe his meeting with the assembled team in Washington?

(see the answer key)

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