View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When does Calvin read the obituary of Dick Francis' wife?
(a) The year Alice is diagnosed with lung cancer.
(b) A year after Alice dies.
(c) The year before Alice's bypass surgery.
(d) A year before Alice dies.

2. What is the name of Calvin's youngest daughter?
(a) Maggie.
(b) Sarah.
(c) Abigail.
(d) Isabelle Alice.

3. According to Calvin, what photo of Alice appears on the cover of the program at her memorial service?
(a) A photo of Alice taken in Italy. It is taken when she is in her fifties.
(b) A photo of Alice teaching in a classroom. It is taken when she is in her thirties.
(c) A photo of Alice wearing a hat. It is taken when she is in her twenties.
(d) A photo of Alice gardening. It is taken when she is in her forties.

4. How many siblings does Alice have?
(a) Alice has a twin sister.
(b) None, Alice is an only child.
(c) Alice has a brother and a sister.
(d) Alice has two sisters.

5. Of the following, which does Calvin NOT list among those Alice frequently takes care of?
(a) Alice's parents.
(b) Alice's children.
(c) Stray animals.
(d) Cancer patients.

6. How old is Alice when she is asked to be photographed by Doug Kirkland and model spring fashions in a magazine?
(a) Twenty-two.
(b) Thirty-five.
(c) Nineteen.
(d) Fifty.

7. How does Calvin characterize his father-in-law?
(a) Alice's father is realistic, responsible man.
(b) Alice's father is pessimistic and irresponsible.
(c) Alice's father is cold and tightfisted with his money.
(d) Alice's father is a sweet, optimistic man.

8. Where does Alice's father first meet Alice's mother?
(a) At a bowling alley.
(b) Greenwich Village.
(c) At a swimming pool.
(d) The Empire State Building.

9. In what year does Alice die?
(a) 2006.
(b) 1990.
(c) 1976.
(d) 2001.

10. Which statement best describes Alice's upbringing?
(a) Alice is poor and lives in squalor in a basement apartment in New York City.
(b) Alice is spoiled. She grows up in a house with a backyard swimming pool and a basement bowling alley.
(c) Alice is not popular in school. She is the class brain and is virtually never asked out.
(d) Alice is a pampered and wealthy girl who is captain of her cheerleading team.

11. In chapter one, what object does Alice wave in the air following Calvin's speech?
(a) A shoe.
(b) A book.
(c) A pen.
(d) A cigarette.

12. In chapter three, Calvin includes an excerpt from an article that Alice writes about her parents. Which of the following statements summarizes the point makes in the excerpt?
(a) Alice takes care of her mother.
(b) Alice leans on her mother.
(c) Alice's mother does not accept the help of others.
(d) Alice looks to her mother for advice on how to be a better parent.

13. In Calvin's second poem in chapter three, he likens Alice to which of the following?
(a) A fast driver.
(b) A dietitian in sensible shoes.
(c) A lass from Generation X.
(d) A World War II nurse.

14. Where does Alice attend college?
(a) City University of New York.
(b) Wellesley College.
(c) Hofstra University.
(d) New York University.

15. At the end of chapter three, Calvin describes an event in Alice's life that takes her by surprise. What happens?
(a) Alice does not remember how to get home from the plant nursery.
(b) Alice is not asked for her identification at a bar.
(c) Alice is stopped for speeding by a police officer and does not receive a ticket.
(d) Alice is stopped for speeding by a police officer, and receives a ticket.

Short Answer Questions

1. In chapter two, how does Calvin characterize his behavior during his second meeting with Alice?

2. At which institution does Alice teach English in her mid-twenties?

3. What is the headline for Alice's obituary in the Times?

4. According to Calvin, which of the following best describes Alice at age fifty?

5. What is the name of the Calvin's eldest daughter?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 682 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample