View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Smile, Beautiful," whose life history inspires Sedaris's offer to the fan he meets at his Reno book signing?
(a) Gretchen's.
(b) Amy's.
(c) Hugh's.
(d) Lisa's.

2. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what is Lou wearing when Sedaris, Amy, and Hugh go to visit him?
(a) A fishing hat.
(b) A gold bracelet.
(c) Running shoes.
(d) A red bandana.

3. In "Pussytoes," what does Amy claim women's bathrooms smell like?
(a) Mildew.
(b) Vomit.
(c) Feces.
(d) Perfume.

4. In "A Better Place," what does Sedaris say is the subject of our greatest art?
(a) Love.
(b) Change.
(c) Death.
(d) Family.

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

Short Answer Questions

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

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

3. In "The Vacuum," what does Sedaris's agent say will put sex workers out of business?

4. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what concern does Sedaris express about the looting in New York?

5. In "Pearls," what instrument does Hugh take up?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When describing protests in "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what two examples of White participants' vandalism does Sedaris give, and how do Black bystanders react?

3. In "A Better Place," what is the rhetorical purpose of describing Lou's grave site in such detail?

4. In "Fresh-Caught Haddock," what examples of his own unconscious racism does Sedaris give?

5. What literal and figurative meanings does Sedaris convey with the title "Pearls"?

6. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what is the rhetorical function of Sedaris's comment that his father used to watch at lot of Fox News?

7. In "Pussytoes," what is Sedaris's reaction to his father's "Little Black Book"?

8. In "A Better Place," what are Sedaris's practical objections to the idea that deceased loved ones look down on us from heaven?

9. In "Smile, Beautiful," how do Hugh and Amy react after Sedaris reveals his newly corrected teeth?

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

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 950 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample