View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does the narrator of "Firestone" give a woman on the bus his sneakers?
(a) He sees she has no shoes.
(b) He believes they will help her.
(c) He believes they will help her son whose motorcycle is damaged.
(d) He no longer wants them.

2. How does the narrator's father die in "We Get Along"?
(a) He was in an accident.
(b) He commits suicide.
(c) He has a heart attack.
(d) He is murdered by his wife.

3. Why does the narrator in "Glen's Homophobia Newsletter" encourage readers to mention his newsletter to others rather than lending them their copies of it?
(a) He wants readers to purchase his newsletter.
(b) He wants readers to feel they are part of a special club.
(c) He is concerned about backlash from readers.
(d) He wants to remain anonymous.

4. What is found in the bathroom of a Sunoco station in "Firestone"?
(a) A baby girl
(b) A baby boy
(c) Clothing
(d) A large sum of money

5. The phrases "'I hope it doesn't tire him out'" and "'the original boob tube'" in "Firestone" are examples of...
(a) metaphors.
(b) similes.
(c) puns.
(d) hyperbole.

6. What reason did the narrator's parents give for neglecting him in "Parade"?
(a) They did not like him.
(b) They did not know how to be good parents.
(c) They loved his brother more than they loved him.
(d) They were afraid he would reject them.

7. What business are the narrator's parents in in "We Get Along"?
(a) Apartment rental
(b) Service station
(c) Pest control
(d) Housecleaning

8. Why is Taylor given many of the narrator's job duties in "Firestone"?
(a) The narrator is incapable of performing the duties.
(b) The manager likes Taylor better than the narrator.
(c) Taylor is more qualified.
(d) Taylor claims he has a child to support.

9. What genre could "Parade" be classified as?
(a) Realistic fiction
(b) Drama
(c) Satire
(d) Autobiography

10. Who does Anita O'Day claim is the manager of her record company?
(a) Herself
(b) Her dog
(c) Her mother
(d) No one

11. In "We Get Along", what does the narrator's mother do the night after her husband's funeral?
(a) She plays golf.
(b) She obsessively cleans the apartment.
(c) She goes on a drinking binge.
(d) She smashes the windows of her car.

12. What is Mrs. Toni obsessed with in "Don's Story"?
(a) Crime stories
(b) Her daughter
(c) Greyhound buses
(d) Don's life

13. What feature do both the waiter and Brandon Tartikoff notice about Don in "Don's Story"?
(a) His hands
(b) His height
(c) His unique background
(d) His clothing

14. Who is the narrator in "The Last You'll Hear From Me"?
(a) Annette Kelper
(b) Eileen Mickey
(c) Trish Moody
(d) Randy Sykes

15. Who does the narrator's mother insult at the beginning of "We Get Along"?
(a) The apartment
(b) Her son
(c) A mildew stain
(d) Her husband

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the reason for the narrator's appearance on the Oprah show in "Parade"?

2. Why is it unusual for the narrator of "Firestone" to be working at a car service station?

3. In "We Get Along", what does the narrator's father record in a notebook hidden in his desk drawer?

4. Why does the narrator of "Music for Lovers" want to remove his uvula?

5. What genre is "The Last You'll Hear from Me"?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 594 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample