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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 problem does the cab driver claim plagues the town of Rock Springs?

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the girl in the story "Verona"?

3. What does Louise's husband do for a living?

4. Which of the following best describes the genre of the stories the editors chose for this collection?

5. Which of the following facts is NOT true of John Williams?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reaction does the narrator have when watching Sonny play his music in the story "Sonny's Blues"?

2. What type of relationship do George and Lenore have in the story "Weekend"?

3. How does Pendleton react to the newcomer in his restaurant in the story "The Fisherman From Chihuahua"?

4. What part about Arty's life made him feel like a "Bystander"?

5. What happens when Sean is trapped in an elevator in the story "Midair"?

6. Who is Push in the story "A Poetic for Bullies," and who is his sidekick?

7. What type of relationship does Carlyle form with Mrs. Webster in the story "Fever"?

8. How does Willie's father react when Willi tells him what he witnessed in the barn?

9. What pleasant memory does the young girl from the story "Verona" have about her father from her childhood?

10. What memory does Sean have of his father from when he was a 6 year old boy in the story "Midair"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story "Fever," Carlyle has three main women in his life who play a part in helping him heal from his "sickness." Describe the sickness that Carlyle suffers from in his story. Choose two of the important women in his life and describe their role in helping him heal. What is the same about their methods of care? What is different? Describe how Carlyle emerged from his sickness, and what he learned about his life and relationships while he was ill. Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

In "The Story of a Scar," the young man listening to the older woman's story constantly heckles the story and judges the woman before its completion. Choose at least two examples of moments in which the young man judged the older woman. What assumptions did he make about her before she had finished her story? Did his assumptions turn out to be true? Explain why or why not. Finally, describe how the young man reacted when the older woman's story was complete. Had his opinion of the woman changed or did it remain the same? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe help to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

The story "The Lover of Horses" is a story about obsessions. First, create a list of the obsessions present in the family of the narrator. Which of these obsessions do you think is most harmful to the family's function? Why? Choose one of the obsessions from your list and explain how it leads to heartache for some characters, and a sense of grandeur for others. Finally, explain how the narrator is able to succumb to her own obsessions only as a method of letting her father go. Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

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