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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. When the narrator of "Mothers" and Bad are in Georgia, what does Bad say about the ocean?
(a) That it is a grandmother.
(b) That it is a baby.
(c) That it is a mother.
(d) That it is a lesbian.

2. What was Father Jones feeding the girl on the rooftop before she fell off?
(a) Drugs.
(b) Orange slices.
(c) Brownies.
(d) Sandwiches.

3. What does pregnancy do to the narrator and her husband’s desire for each other, in "The Husband Stitch"?
(a) It makes them cautious and delicate.
(b) It frightens them.
(c) It gives them more perversities to play out.
(d) It makes them more chaste and religious.

4. What does the narrator of "The Husband Stitch" do to keep her son from trying to touch the ribbon?
(a) Shake a can of pennies.
(b) Distract him by jingling keys.
(c) Let him hold it, warily.
(d) Slap his hand away.

5. How frequently does Benson buy groceries?
(a) Once a month.
(b) Twice a month.
(c) Twice a week.
(d) Weekly.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the daughter go out to get, in the story the narrator of "The Husband Stitch" tells, of the daughter in Paris?

2. Who is Uncle E?

3. What color is the narrator’s ribbon in "The Husband Stitch"?

4. How does the narrator of "The Husband Stitch" describe the boy she meets in the beginning of the story?

5. What does the narrator of "The Husband Stitch" say is the first mistake a woman can make?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you describe the relationship between the narrator and Bad in "Mothers"?

2. What special gift does Stabler possess, which travels from person to person like a virus?

3. What kind of atmosphere does Machado create with her epigrams?

4. What is the noise Stabler and Benson hear throughout "Especial Heinous"?

5. What was Father Jones’ relationship with the girl who fell from the rooftop?

6. What is the significance of the narrator’s green ribbon, in "The Husband Stitch"?

7. What can the title of this book mean?

8. Throughout the story, the narrator provides instructions to the reader, about how to read the story aloud. What effect does this have?

9. What is the effect of the narrator remembering scenes of sexual intimacy within the context of the virus destroying civilization?

10. How would you describe the atmosphere Machado creates in "Especial Heinous"?

(see the answer keys)

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