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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Highfalutin," what does Sedaris say is the "saddest development in New York" in the last few decades (82)?
(a) The advent of online retail.
(b) The decrease in tourism.
(c) The cleanup of the Time Square area.
(d) The increase in homelessness.

2. In "Unbuttoned," what word does Sedaris point out is one that Lou habitually uses to describe others?
(a) Freak.
(b) Weakling.
(c) Bum.
(d) Weasel.

3. In "To Serbia with Love," what is Patsy's job in Paris?
(a) Tour guide.
(b) Museum curator.
(c) Interior decorator.
(d) Personal shopper.

4. In "Hurricane Season," what motivates Hugh to lock Gretchen and Sedaris out of the house?
(a) They tease Hugh about the name of the rental house.
(b) They imitate the pinching motions of crabs, implying that Hugh is being unreasonable.
(c) They tell him that they think the fish is overcooked.
(d) They agree with a renter about the dilapidated condition of some chairs.

5. Where did Sedaris once unexpectedly find a gun?
(a) Under a bed.
(b) In a pantry.
(c) In a medicine cabinet.
(d) In a desk drawer.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Themes and Variations," how does Sedaris meet Mary?

2. In "Highfalutin," who are Lex and Germalina?

3. In "To Serbia with Love," what do the problems Sedaris lists with potential travel companions have in common?

4. In "Hurricane Season," what do Hugh and Sedaris discover about Sea Section's second-floor ceilings?

5. In "Bruised," what word does Sedaris keep repeating as he tries to fend off Olivier's advances?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Themes and Variations," what kinds of people does Sedaris resist giving money to?

2. In "Hurricane Season," how does the example of the neighbor's "shocking" outdoor shower undermine the point Sedaris has just made about renters?

3. In "Active Shooter," how does Lisa explain to the instructor and to Sedaris her desire to take a gun-safety course?

4. In "Themes and Variations," what experience does Sedaris say shaped his desire to interact warmly with his fans?

5. In "Active Shooter," how is Lisa's concern about what she saw at Starbucks used as the basis for a joke later in the essay?

6. In "Unbuttoned," how does Sedaris contrast his feelings about his own medical procedure with his father's behavior?

7. In "Highfalutin," how does Sedaris describe Amy's writing and acting?

8. In "Bruised," what anecdote does Sedaris tell about a neighbor woman he knew when he was a child?

9. In "Hurricane Season," what type of art does Hugh hang in the rental house, and how does Sedaris characterize a recent tenant's reaction to this art?

10. In "To Serbia with Love," what does Milos say was better about Yugoslavia under Tito than today's Serbia?

(see the answer keys)

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