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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. The man compares the dialogue to running down the page like a rivulet of _____.

2. What is the chef cooking when he is arrested?

3. What is the name of the girlfriend in "The Burlington Northern, Southbound?"

4. How does the father eventually die?

5. In "Yoghurt," a man and woman fight over _____ in a grocery store.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Emily feel invisible in "Offerings?" What does Emily do after she collects a large number of apologies?

2. What causes the woman to be upset in "Water?" What does the woman do?

3. Discuss the interruptions faced by the man in "The Continuity of Parks."

4. Discuss the life of the young girl in "The Restraints."

5. What holiday tragedy happens to Franky Gorky in "The Nicest Kid in the Universe?"

6. In "Fear: Four Examples," explain the main source of the man's fear regarding his daughter.

7. Discuss the odd behavior in the town described in "A Chronicler's Sin."

8. Discuss the findings of the parents in "The Sewers of Salt Lake."

9. What is the thing that seems to bother the woman most in "The Haircut?"

10. What realization does the widow come to in regards to her missing husband?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"The Last Parakeet" is a fanciful story about a Brazilian parakeet that has turned itself in and is prepared to tell its life story. Create a script for the parakeet's interview on national television. Ensure that the script is ten minutes in length. What types of questions might the interviewer ask the parakeet? What might the parakeet say regarding his unusual position? What questions would you ask the parakeet if you had the opportunity?

Essay Topic 2

"Ice Storm" is a telling story about boys that resist the urge to kill blinded pheasants during a particularly nasty winter storm. What happens to the animals during the storm? Why are the pheasants blinded? What about the boys makes them want to capture, harm or kill the birds? What causes the boys to rethink their motives and protect the birds from freezing to death? Examine a person's nature to protect versus kill.

Essay Topic 3

A man desires to read his novel in "The Continuity of Parks." What about the novel has the man so intent on reading it? How does a person become so involved in a fantasy world that he becomes oblivious to everything around him? Is it a form of entertainment or escapism? Compare and contrast entertainment and escapism. Give examples of each as well as examples where both may apply.

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