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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. On page 194 of "A Better Place," what does Sedaris object to someone saying to describe Prince dying?
(a) "Slept."
(b) "Transitioned."
(c) "Went home."
(d) "Found peace."

2. In "Pussytoes," where do the siblings stay together on the night before Lou's funeral?
(a) A hotel.
(b) Sea Section.
(c) Lou's old house.
(d) Paul's house in Raleigh.

3. In "A Better Place," what feature of the restaurant does Sedaris repeatedly complain about?
(a) The atmosphere.
(b) The service.
(c) The prices.
(d) The food.

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

5. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," why does Sedaris spend months thinking about a show he did in Vancouver?
(a) The box office attendant is very rude to Sedaris.
(b) It is the last show before the pandemic temporarily halts his touring.
(c) A man carrying a gun is stopped at the theater door.
(d) A celebrity that Sedaris has seen on television attends this performance.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Happy-Go-Lucky," what is Lou wearing when Sedaris, Amy, and Hugh go to visit him?

2. In "Smile, Beautiful," what nation does Sedaris specifically mention as having more relaxed dental standards than the United States?

3. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," what does Sedaris notice everywhere once he starts touring again?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In "Pussytoes," what happens when Sedaris calls Gretchen about their father's death?

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

4. In "Smile, Beautiful," what does Sedaris share about the conditions under which he can be generous?

5. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," what rhetorical purpose unites Sedaris's choice to talk about varying face mask usage, fireworks stores, and gun sightings?

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

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

8. In "Lucky-Go-Happy," what does Sedaris start asking all of the teenagers at his readings, and what is his reaction to the responses he gets?

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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