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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The walls of Vaughan's apartment are covered with close-ups of whose body?
(a) Marilyn Monroe's.
(b) Elizabeth Taylor's.
(c) James Ballard's.
(d) Dr. Helen Remington's.

2. What is Helen wearing when Ballard sees her in the yard at Northolt station?
(a) A white raincoat.
(b) A black suit.
(c) A green jacket.
(d) A red dress.

3. What is Ballard's "ironic gesture" to provoke Catherine and Renate, who don't want him to drive?
(a) Borrowing cars.
(b) Buying cars.
(c) Renting cars.
(d) Stealing cars.

4. At Northolt station, why does Helen ask Ballard to take her to the airport?
(a) Because she is taking a vacation to Spain.
(b) Because she works in the immigration department.
(c) Because she is picking up a friend from America.
(d) Because she likes to see the planes take off and land.

5. Who tells Ballard that there is "a certain moral virtue in being materialistic"?
(a) Robert Vaughan.
(b) Catherine Ballard.
(c) Vera Seagrave.
(d) Helen Remington.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who witnessed Ballard inappropriately touch a flight attendant on an escalator and were on his flight to Orly?

2. According to Ballard, Catherine's driving becomes what after his release from the hospital?

3. In the hospital, what contained the "hundred histories of collision and bereavement" according to Ballard?

4. According to Ballard, as he recuperates in the hospital, what does he state as the "only real experience" he had been through in years?

5. What kind of airline pilot removes the young wife from the crash with Ballard?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the hospital, what does Ballard begin to do once he's mobile and how is it significant?

2. Why does Ballard begin renting cars and what do they signify?

3. Where does Ballard take Renata after his release from the hospital and why?

4. What is Helen Remington doing at the impound yard when Ballard returns to survey the damage to his car and what does it show about her character?

5. Describe Ballard and Catherine's marriage and explain its relevance to the novel.

6. How do Ballard, Helen, and Vaughan react to Seagrave's accident at the stock-car races and why is it significant?

7. How does Dr. Helen Remington react to Ballard when he tries to speak to her in the hospital corridor?

8. How does Ballard regard his accident and why is it significant?

9. Who is Elizabeth Taylor and what role does she play in the novel?

10. What kind of car does Ballard buy after his accident and what does it signify?

(see the answer keys)

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