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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. How do the wife's children feel when all her husbands are home together in the story "The Used-Boys Raisers"?

2. Which of the family members warns against the vacation due to a killer being on the loose in the story "A Good Man is Hard to Find"?

3. In the story "The Misfits," what does Gay Langland do for a living?

4. How old is the narrator's father when he becomes ill in "The Lover of Horses"?

5. What question does the young man ask the older woman at the doctor's office at the end of "The Story of a Scar"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the fisherman die in the story "The Ledge"?

2. How does David Hawthorne die in the story "Redemption," and what is his family's reaction?

3. How does a monkey end up aboard ship in the story "Letters from the Samantha"?

4. What lie did James tell his fellow bus riders in the story "The Liar"?

5. What happens when the monkey goes wild aboard the ship in the story "Letters from the Samantha"?

6. Who is Arnold Friend in the story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

7. What happens after David accidentally shoots his father in the leg in the story "Walking Out"?

8. How does the grandmother react when face-to-face with the killer she read about in the newspapers?

9. What happens to Jancy on her drive to visit with her boyfriend in the story "The Heavenly Animal"?

10. How is the narrator viewed by the townsfolk in the story "Dream Children"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The story "Push" is all about the dangers of threats, either real or imagined. First, describe the two main characters of the story. What is the same about these two boys? What is different? Describe how they threaten one another and what actions each boy takes to ensure that they are the most popular kid on the playground. Then, describe the events of the boy's final fight on the playground. Which was victorious? What did each of the boys learn about themselves through their fights and threats for popularity? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

In the story "Redemption," Dale and Jack deal with David's death in different ways. Describe what the relationship between these two characters was like before David's death and compare it to what their relationship is like after David's death. How did each of these men cope with their loss? Explain how Jack eventually found "redemption" for his emotions. How did this sense of redemption affect his relationship with Dale? Be sure to include examples from the text that you believe strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

"The Christian Roommates" is the story of two young men who come together in college and end up changing each others lives irrevocably. First, describe the two roommates, Orson and Henry. What is the same about these two young men? What is different about them? Then, choose at least two arguments the two roommates got into during their time together at Harvard. How did these arguments affect their friendship? Finally, choose one of the two roommates and explain what happened to them after graduation. How was their life irrevocably altered by the roommate they spent time with at Harvard? Be sure to include examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

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