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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. In 'Temperance' what does the vampire say Chinese vampires drink instead of blood?

2. Where does the narrator meet Becky?

3. What does Becky make out of plasticine?

4. What does the third stage of the disease affect?

5. In 'My Life' what does the poet claim caused the death of his wife?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe how the disease progresses in Disease Maker's Croup.

2. Why does the father in 'Locks' feel that we owe it to ourselves to tell each other stories?

3. Are the boys at the party in any danger?

4. Based on this story, how do you think the author feels about the problem of Susan?

5. In what ways is 'In The End' a reversal of the creation story in Genesis?

6. Describe the narrator's attempts to find Scarlet in 'Pages from a Journal...'

7. Why does Becky break up with the narrator?

8. Is 'In the End' a hopeful story or a sad one?

9. In 'The Day the Saucer's Came' why does the person in the poem not notice such incredible events?

10. Do the machines feel emotion?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of reality and fiction in these stories and poems. What are the differences between real life and stories? Why does the author keep returning to this theme?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss characterization in two of the stories or poems in the collection. How has the author communicated what the characters are like, and how does he create sympathy for them? Do the characters act consistently? Do they seem like real people?

Essay Topic 3

The author often uses storytelling with first person narrators to tell his stories and poems. In which stories and poems does he do this, and why? What effect does this create? How does it complement the story that is being told?

(see the answer keys)

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