View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. On page 228 of "Pussytoes," what does Gretchen complain she is not allowed to say at work anymore?
(a) "Native plants."
(b) "Alien species."
(c) "Workmen."
(d) "Manpower."

2. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," why does the desk clerk at one hotel refuse to believe that the shirt Sedaris left behind belongs to him?
(a) The shirt has someone else's name sewn into it.
(b) Sedaris cannot clearly describe it.
(c) It is in a size much larger than Sedaris would wear.
(d) Its style strikes the clerk as feminine.

3. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," how does one of Sedaris's fans tell him her pet hamster died?
(a) Her father shot it.
(b) It was eaten by her pet snake.
(c) It was sucked into a vacuum.
(d) It had a heart attack.

4. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," how does Sedaris characterize continuing media coverage of the Covid pandemic?
(a) It causes divisions among Americans.
(b) It is needlessly alarmist.
(c) It fails to deliver important information.
(d) It is unrealistically optimistic.

5. In "Lady Marmalade," what new role does Lou take on once all of his children have moved out?
(a) Accountant.
(b) Photographer.
(c) Landlord.
(d) Neighborhood watch.

6. In "Pearls," what does Sedaris tell the woman in Sussex about Hugh?
(a) He is a right-to-life advocate.
(b) He is blind.
(c) He is an astrologer.
(d) He is 20 years old.

7. In "The Vacuum," what does Sedaris buy at the gourmet store Eataly that he later feels he has to defend to Hugh?
(a) Pasta.
(b) Chocolate milk.
(c) Hot dogs.
(d) Fruit cocktail.

8. What most bothers Sedaris about the phrases he discusses in "A Better Place" ?
(a) They are self-serving.
(b) They are empty of meaning.
(c) They are obvious lies.
(d) They are hypocritical.

9. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," when is Sedaris finally able to go back to touring?
(a) Spring of 2022.
(b) Fall of 2020.
(c) Fall of 2021.
(d) Spring of 2021.

10. On page 247 of "Lucky-Go-Happy," what space does Sedaris say he thinks of as his "office"?
(a) Theaters.
(b) Hotels.
(c) Airports.
(d) Coffee shops.

11. In "Lady Marmalade," what incident causes Lou's attitude toward Gretchen to change?
(a) She moves out when she is only seventeen.
(b) She accuses him of inappropriate behavior.
(c) He finds marijuana in her bedroom.
(d) He discovers her having sex with her boyfriend.

12. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what reason does Lou give for the priest disliking him?
(a) He uses language that the priest finds vulgar.
(b) He has not been to church in twenty years.
(c) He does not give enough money to the church.
(d) He no longer believes in God.

13. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," how old does Lou claim to be?
(a) 10.
(b) 21.
(c) 100.
(d) 90.

14. Where does the title of the essay "Lady Marmalade" come from?
(a) A nickname that Sedaris gave his sister Tiffany because of her breakfast habits.
(b) A song that was popular when Sedaris's parents took him and Gretchen to New Orleans.
(c) A pen name that Amy used when she wrote short stories and plays in high school.
(d) A painting that Lou did of Lisa when she was a teenager.

15. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what is Amy's implied motivation for wanting to take a trip to Emerald Isle?
(a) She misses her other siblings and wants to visit them.
(b) She wants to get away from the pandemic response in New York.
(c) She feels unsafe in New York during the protests.
(d) She is worried that they have not been to see Lou in several months.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Lady Marmalade," what does Sedaris say about Lou's physical aggression towards him and his siblings?

2. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what objection does Sedaris raise to one of the protest chants?

3. In "Smile, Beautiful," what does Sedaris offer to pay for on behalf of the young man in the thrift shop?

4. In "The Vacuum," what is Sedaris's first thought when he hears a man shouting "Look at the fucking clown!" (147)?

5. On page 238 of "Pussytoes," how does Sedaris say people refer to "a massively difficult person" once they get old?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 728 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample