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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 did Flick say that his grandfather drank to cure a cold?

2. What does the narrator ruminate on as he sits in the tunnel?

3. In what class did the narrator's back row fakery defenses not work?

4. Which animals stun the archaeologists in the commercials?

5. What might the archaeologists think the car is used for in a Chevrolet commercial?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why do people find items such as those found in the Johnson Smith catalog to be humorous?

3. What prompts the narrator to think about advertising and a future archaeological dig where New York City is excavated?

4. Define a BNA and cite some supporting examples.

5. How was the great Ice Cream War another example of brains vs. brawn in the narrator's life?

6. What was the worst case scenario of a BNA?

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

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

9. Why does the narrator focus on TV commercials as a true reflection of American society?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the narrator's character. What are his similarities to Jean Shepherd? Do you think the narrator's character was based on Shepherd himself? Cite your reasons for your opinion.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Shepherd's writing style. How is he different from other writers of his time? What are some of his characteristic writing techniques? Identify some examples of his classic style in this book.

Essay Topic 3

Create a character study of the narrator. What are his physical characteristics? What are his personality traits? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What else can you say about the narrator?

(see the answer keys)

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