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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 do people say instead of "no" in "At the Translation Conference"?

2. What happens in Part II of "The Aliens Arrive"?

3. Why does the spider dislike the floor in "Spider Signatures"?

4. What happens to the albatross in "Plasticene Suite"?

5. What were all the werewolves in the old days in "Update on Werewolves"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the speaker think about the world in the poem "Walking in the Madman's Wood"?

2. What is the problem with plastics in the poem "Faint Hopes"?

3. What is the "defining foliage of the oil age" in the poem "Foliage"?

4. Why does the speaker insinuate people are so desperate for rain in the poem "Tracking the Rain"?

5. In the poem "Fatal Light Awareness," what do we know that the birds do not?

6. What does the editor in the poem "Editorial Notes" suggest the speaker do for the readers?

7. What have many humans lost, according to the speaker in "Improvisation on a First Line by Yeats"?

8. In quoting Rilke, what does Atwood say about poetry?

9. What is the main message in "Heart of the Arctic"?

10. What should have been inside the dead bird instead of plastic in the poem "Midway Island Albatross"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Atwood use animals and insects to convey messages to the readers not only about the natural world, but about human nature, throughout this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Judging from this collection, what is Atwood's opinion and outlook on the future of the planet in terms of human influence on the environment? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Atwood treat the topic of technology and technological advancement in the modern world throughout this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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This section contains 653 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample