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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 reason does Bob give for falling out of touch with Jimmy?

2. What is the most likely reason that Bob does not recognize Jimmy when they are talking?

3. Why have the two men set this particular meeting time?

4. What can logically be inferred about Jimmy's question about whether Bob and Jimmy kept in touch?

5. What causes the few pedestrians around to hurry "dismally" past Bob (621)?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes Bob to finally realize that the plainclothes officer is not Jimmy Wells?

2. What is the significance of the similarities and differences in the ways that Bob's and the plainclothes officer's faces are revealed?

3. What is amusing about the plainclothes officer's answer to Bob's question about whether he is doing well in New York?

4. How did Bob and Jimmy know one another, 20 years ago?

5. What is the effect of the passage depicting Bob continuing to wait in the doorway as it begins to rain?

6. What surprises Bob about the appearance of the man that he thinks is his old friend, and how does the man explain away Bob's doubts?

7. Why does Bob guess that Jimmy might not be as much of a success as Bob himself has become?

8. Why does Jimmy, in his role as the police officer, ask Bob if he is going to keep waiting for his friend to show up?

9. What is appropriate about the plainclothes officer greeting Bob with the line "It's Bob, sure as fate" (621)?

10. What does the note from Jimmy explain to Bob?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

O. Henry clearly admired New York City police officers. His stories hold them up as examples of humble servants of the public good. Research "Tammany Hall" and then write an essay comparing O. Henry's police officers with the historical reality. Cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that uses psychological research to defend a thesis about environment and morality. Be sure to cite your sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you make and defend a claim about the thematic motifs of materialism and greed in "After Twenty Years." Support your ideas with evidence from the text.

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