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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. At the livestock barns of the fair, Wallace observes that horses are _______.
(a) Noble.
(b) Lazy.
(c) Dirty.
(d) Stupid.

2. Why does Wallace see fighting irony as "impossible"?
(a) People enjoy it.
(b) It's an integral part of the world.
(c) It insults those who question it.
(d) It is too powerful.

3. What natural disaster does Jim Edgar discuss with the press?
(a) The tornado.
(b) The earthquake.
(c) The hurricane.
(d) The flood.

4. Why does Wallace see the baton twirling competition as dangerous?
(a) Because they throw the batons into the crowd.
(b) Because they twirl blindfolded.
(c) Because the batons are on fire.
(d) Because they twirl very fast.

5. According to Wallace, how did Leyner's image-fiction attempt to solve irony?
(a) It mocked it.
(b) It ignored it.
(c) It embraced it.
(d) It negated it.

Short Answer Questions

1. Wallace's thesis is that irony and ridicule are simultaneously entertaining and _______.

2. Post-structuralists believe that although the historical context can aid a text, much of it really depends on what?

3. According to Wallace, commercials make people watch more television because they want to understand the _______.

4. Wallace claims that television teaches viewers that _______ is the most important quality in a person.

5. Hix comments that he feels the post-structuralists' argument makes the concept of an author _______.

Short Essay Questions

1. To Wallace, is he still a Midwesterner? Why or why not?

2. According to Wallace, was Image-Fiction successful? Why or why not?

3. After listening to Governor Jim Edgar's speech, how does Wallace feel about Illinois? Why?

4. Does Wallace admire Lynch? Why or why not?

5. How does Wallace feel about the setting for "Lost Highway"? Why does he feel this way?

6. According to Wallace, what is a "Kmart Person"?

7. According to Wallace, why does television seem real?

8. How does sexual harassment make a clear distinction between Eastern and Midwestern women for Wallace?

9. According to Wallace, are commercials self-aware? What is the effect of this on the viewer?

10. What does Wallace observe as ironic in television? Does he see this as detrimental? How?

(see the answer keys)

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