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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 kind of car was used in the fatal event?

2. Which of the following items is not something the man sees when he looks out the window into the rainy day?

3. Who is sad about the pumpkin truck accident?

4. The man ends up with a broken ____ and a bloody wound.

5. In "I Get Smart," a woman initially owns ____ cats.

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes the car accident in "Pumpkins?"

2. Discuss the opening scene in "Ponderosa."

3. Explain the goal of the stones in the desert.

4. Explain the actions of the bears in Chile in "Brilliant Silence." Why do the bears act this way?

5. In "The Colonel," what is the situation with the men at dinner?

6. What causes the stones to become fearful? What is a distinction of stones?

7. "The Father" discusses the birth of a new baby and the family resemblance. What opinions are voiced?

8. What is the accident that injures Jimmy? What happens after the accident?

9. Why does the girl think the U.S. is being attacked by Russian missiles?

10. Why do the man and his young lover have such varying opinions on what they see in "Everything is Green?"

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"Flash Fiction: Very Short Stories by James Thomas" is a collection of stories designed to be so short that they cannot be claimed as short fiction or sudden fiction. Compare and contrast the three types of stories. Also compare them to a short story and novella.

Essay Topic 2

"Corners" is a story about three sisters, Mildred, Marie, and Jessie. Marie dies. Examine the process each sister must go through to come to terms with Marie's death. Who is the eldest sister? How does each handle Marie's death? Explain how Jessie's behavior is colored by jealousy as much as grief. Also examine how Mildred tries to cheer Jessie. Discuss sibling rivalry.

Essay Topic 3

It is said that people have muscle memory from activities they have done before, even if it is something that occurred long ago. This brings about the old saying, "It's just like riding a bike." Discuss the dancing bears in "Brilliant Silence." Do you think muscle memory applies to the bears' descendants? Is it possible? Is there some genetic marker that causes the young bears to dance? Is it simply learned behavior? If it is learned behavior, how and why are the young bears affected by the full moon?

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