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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 was the name of the corporate-owned ice cream parlor that moved into town?

2. What might be a typical correspondence course offered through the catalog?

3. According to the narrator, how do Camper people drive?

4. Why might the films found on Madison Ave. lead the archaeologists to think they are scriptures?

5. How is the Johnson Smith catalog distributed?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What are the differences in driving styles between the Camper Crowd and van people?

3. Describe the narrator's surprise inspiration in Algebra class and how he avoided looking like the failure he was sure he was.

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

5. What is the imaginary Sociology lecture the narrator gives on car culture and describe the differences between the Camper Crowd and Van people.

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

7. How does the narrator's experience in the Lincoln Tunnel mirror his demeanor during his school years?

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. Describe how Mr. Leggett managed to drive The Happy Cow out of business.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Shepherd was a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony. Briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 2

Shepherd wrote most of these stories with the theme of disappointment. Choose three situations from any of the stories and explain the disappointment in each. How did the narrator maintain any hope given the disappointments he always seemed to experience?

Essay Topic 3

Give some examples of humor in the book. Do you think Shepherd appreciated slapstick humor or wit of a more sophisticated nature? Or both? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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