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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 "Lady Marmalade," what did Lou suggest Sedaris's childhood stomach pains were caused by?
(a) Their mother's cooking.
(b) Hemorrhoids.
(c) A desire for attention.
(d) A desire to get out of school.

2. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what does Bermey say caused him to lose sympathy for the Black Lives Matter movement?
(a) The rebranding of two popular syrups.
(b) The removal of Confederate monuments.
(c) The renaming of a Raleigh neighborhood.
(d) The looting and vandalism.

3. In the opening of "Fresh-Caught Haddock," whose death does Sedaris mention?
(a) Duante Wright.
(b) Andre Hill.
(c) George Floyd.
(d) Breonna Taylor.

4. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," what does Sedaris see on the floor at Charlotte Douglas International Airport?
(a) A pair of boxer shorts.
(b) Dog excrement.
(c) Cigarette butts.
(d) A discarded condom.

5. In "Pearls," what does Amy's astrologer predict?
(a) Biden's election.
(b) Amy's relationship breakup.
(c) Brexit.
(d) An earthquake.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does the title of the essay "Lady Marmalade" come from?

2. In "The Vacuum," what does Sedaris say is the only thing he was able to successfully hoard?

3. In "Smile, Beautiful," what finally inspires Sedaris to get his teeth fixed?

4. In "Pussytoes," where do the siblings stay together on the night before Lou's funeral?

5. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what does Sedaris metaphorically compare the BLM protests to?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Smile, Beautiful," what two reasons does Sedaris mention for his surprise when the man on the street tells the woman to smile?

2. What sentiment does Sedaris close the essay "The Vacuum" with, and what example does he give?

3. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what does a Jewish acquaintance point out to Sedaris about his proposed solutions for Confederate monuments?

4. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what two examples does Sedaris give of his father's tendency to exaggerate?

5. In "Lady Marmalade," what reasons do the Sedaris siblings have for being skeptical of Tiffany's claims that Lou sexually abused her?

6. In "Pearls," how does the purchase of the second apartment illustrate one of Sedaris's main ideas about successful relationships?

7. In "Lady Marmalade," what anecdote does Sedaris share about his father's photography and his sister Lisa?

8. What is the rhetorical function of opening "The Vacuum" with the description of the supermarket near Sedaris's apartment?

9. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what do the changes in Lou suggest to Sedaris might be true in his own life?

10. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," what does Sedaris say about using Hugh as a test audience for his writing?

(see the answer keys)

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