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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. How long does James manage to keep the secret from people in Chapter 71?

2. What country is the piano player from in Chapter 71?

3. How old is Pierce's son at the time of the train accident in Chapter 56?

4. How many years does Charles Boles serve in prison?

5. What instrument does Olga Samaroff play in Chapter 39?

Short Essay Questions

1. Which other gift of Van Cliburn does Harvey reveal in Chapter 74?

2. How does a young goat herder become known for the optimum in elegance in Chapter 46?

3. How does Lucy's engagement allow Harvey to discuss a president's assassination in Chapter 58?

4. What is Olga's secret in Chapter 39?

5. How is the song of the enemy used as a motivational anthem by Americans in Chapter 62?

6. What is the irony of a detective's last case in Chapter 48?

7. In what way does reality mirror fiction in Chapter 49?

8. What are some of the interesting facts about Kris Kristofferson in "Establishment Boy"?

9. How does Harvey use two different time periods as the element of surprise in "The Code of Love"?

10. Which president has a penchant for speed in "Drag-Strip Simpson," and how does Harvey document his hobby?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lincoln's assassination is a popular topic for Harvey in the book.

1) Explain how Edwin's letter in Chapter 22 is connected to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by coincidence.

2) Analyze the story about Mary, Lincoln's wife, in Chapter 28, and the issue that is discussed in the story.

3) Describe Lucy's engagement in Chapter 58 and how it might have influenced the tragic assassination of President Lincoln.

Essay Topic 2

Some of the stories in "The Rest of the Story" are meant to be thought provoking and leave the audience with questions of their own.

1) Describe the story about Agatha Christie in Chapter 7 and what her plan might cause the reader to think about.

2) Explain why the story in Chapter 9 about Patrick Henry is thought provoking and the question it raises.

3) Analyze the use of irony in both of the stories in Chapter 7 and Chapter 9.

Essay Topic 3

As Harvey's stories display, life is full of choices. The events in a person's life can be a result of the decisions they make.

1) Describe Joe DiMaggio's life and the choices he makes that lead him to achieve greatness in baseball in Chapter 29.

2) Explain the decisions and their results in two other stories from the book.

(see the answer keys)

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