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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. After reading William Styron's DARKNESS VISIBLE how does Vonnegut classify those that are suicidal?
(a) Those that are severe and those that are minor.
(b) Those that blame it on brain wiring and chemistry or those that blame the Universe
(c) They are either depressed or schizophrenic.
(d) Those that leave notes and those that do not.

2. How does Vonnegut describe Reagan's and Bush's war experiences?
(a) Neither of them had war experiences.
(b) Reagan was a PFC, as was Vonnegut, and Bush was an aviator and war hero.
(c) Both had extensive experiences as members of the military.
(d) One experiences warfare in sanitized movies and the other as an aviator who never has to see his victims.

3. What is a scheme of self-defense that only maligned and oppressed minorities should be allowed to use?
(a) Humiliation.
(b) Murder.
(c) Threats.
(d) Humor.

4. When the definition for Schizophrenia has been tightened, how is Mark now classified?
(a) Schizophrenic.
(b) Manic-depressive.
(c) Suicidal.
(d) Mentally retarded.

5. What does Vonnegut compare to an alcoholic stockbroker not wanting his head in a Port Authority Bus Terminal toilet?
(a) Third World Countries.
(b) Presidents Bush and Reagan.
(c) Mozambicans.
(d) Western Civilization builds weapons and convinces civilians to hate groups of humanity, but they do not want big wars.

6. For Vonnegut writing books is like what?
(a) Riding a bike.
(b) Singing a song.
(c) Eating a peanut butter sandwich.
(d) Any other job.

7. Why are Germans frightening?
(a) They like to fight other white people.
(b) They murder thousands during World War II.
(c) They do not like Jews.
(d) They like to fight those from other cultures.

8. Why does Rait believe she can say whatever she pleases in English?
(a) She is very opinionated.
(b) She likes speaking in English.
(c) She is a non-native speaker.
(d) She believes that what she has to say is important.

9. Why are certain words in Rait's limerick replaced with the sound "dah" when recited on the BBC?
(a) The limerick is too long.
(b) This sound replaces dirty language.
(c) It sounds funny.
(d) Rait made this adjustment to her limerick.

10. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, how many hours of television Failures of Christianity (murders) has one watched by graduation?
(a) 800 hours.
(b) 18,000 hours.
(c) 8,000 hours.
(d) 80 hours.

11. The "Religious Revival" Vonnegut describes has two commandments. What are they?
(a) Be free and live in peace.
(b) Divide and conquer.
(c) Stop thinking and obey.
(d) Have no other god but me and other thy father and they mother.

12. Jane gives birth to how many children?
(a) 2.
(b) 5.
(c) 1.
(d) 3.

13. Why are ex-hippies ashamed to belong to their social class?
(a) They are embarrassed by their actions in the 1960s.
(b) The social class is so pandered to by the administration that its young do not have to go and do not want to go to war.
(c) They despise Vietnam vets.
(d) They wish they had participated in the Vietnam War.

14. Jane, Vonnegut's first wife, is born a Quaker and dies as a member of what denomination?
(a) Episcopalian.
(b) Roman Catholic.
(c) Lutheran.
(d) Methodist.

15. What is the subtitle of SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE?
(a) "The Last Crusade."
(b) "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
(c) "The Children's Crusade."
(d) "A Mature Decision."

Short Answer Questions

1. To what does Vonnegut compare ignoring distractions and repeating a mantra?

2. What is Mark's only crime against his government?

3. Why does Vonnegut believe Christians have no alternative but to hate and then kill in imaginary self-defense?

4. How do jokes work?

5. Who is Vonnegut's favorite translator, with whom he falls in platonic love?

(see the answer keys)

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