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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What item in the catalog would appeal to the violent?
(a) Jump ropes.
(b) Brass knuckles.
(c) Chalk.
(d) Fake teeth.

2. For the most part, Camper people are _________________.
(a) Former school teachers.
(b) Environmentalists.
(c) Unaware of other drivers.
(d) History buffs.

3. How did the narrator arrive at the correct answer to the equation in front of the Algebra class?
(a) Cheating.
(b) Inspiration.
(c) Wild guess.
(d) Computation.

4. What is the narrator's most common position in life?
(a) Strategist.
(b) Visionary.
(c) Tactician.
(d) Observer.

5. What does the narrator especially appreciate about the catalog?
(a) The prices.
(b) The free shipping.
(c) The b&w illustrations.
(d) The chatty captions.

Short Answer Questions

1. When the narrator imagines a future archaeological dig at a lost city, what does he think the rediscovered city will be called?

2. Who was the character in the Charmin bathroom tissue commercials?

3. What kind of car did the narrator's family have?

4. Who does the narrator say are not heroes anymore?

5. What item is marketed to both cyclists and ladies in the Johnson Smith catalog?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator speculate that the archaeologists might think the commercials are somehow religious media?

2. What ironies does the narrator point out in the actuality of camper and van usage as opposed to the typical perceptions of the vehicles?

3. How does the narrator recall growing up in his family in small-town Indiana?

4. What are the typical bumper sticker messages found on campers as opposed to the stickers found on vans?

5. What scenario does the narrator imagine in which archaeologists discover television advertising and what are their perceptions of it?

6. What defense mechanisms did the kids in the back of the room develop in order to deflect the teachers' questions?

7. Who is Howard and why is he so depressed about the word "lemon"?

8. With what does the narrator credit the Johnson Smith catalog for being and how will it stand up as an American culture artifact?

9. What prompts the narrator's memory about the great ice cream war?

10. What human foibles does the Johnson Smith catalog prey on and why does the narrator appreciate it?

(see the answer keys)

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