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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was better than backhand, according to Bombeck's tennis advice?

2. In "Mother Mystique," what did Bombeck believe was the only way for a mother to survive?

3. According to "White Socks in a Pantyhose World," why would the research rat have died of a heart attack?

4. Why did Bombeck begin to brown-nose her butcher?

5. When her family mourned Bombeck's imaginary death in "Is There Life After Mine?" what did they regret the most?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Bombeck's humor.

2. In "White Socks in a Pantyhose World," what did Bombeck worry about?

3. In "Who Killed Apple Pie?", what does Bombeck say started to happen to housewives and what was the result?

4. Describe some of the things that children must be aware of when staying home alone in "Primer for Imaginative Children."

5. Who is Lorraine Suggs?

6. What did Bombeck claim about remembering children's names in "Haven't I Always Loved Whatshisname Best?"

7. According to "Primer for Imaginative Children," what had become the typical office's stance on doctor's appointments and surgeries?

8. Who was Lionel?

9. With what issue did Bombeck struggle in "The Varicose Open" and why?

10. What was Bombeck's reaction to her daughter's announcement about the bill in Congress in "Have a Good Day?"

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about "Are You Listening?" Discuss the action of this story, as well as Bombeck's reasoning for sharing her experiences, despite her admittedly less than patient behavior. Discuss this essay by comparing it to different circumstances which showcase Bombeck's admitted fallibility with being a patient person and how she hoped to spread her learned lesson to her readers. Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Bombeck in relationship to feminism in the following format:

Part 1) The time period in which she wrote.

Part 2) Bombeck's liberation of the stereotyped housewife.

Part 3) Her relationship to her mother and daughter.

Part 4) Fashions and trends.

Part 5) Respect.

Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Compose an essay that discusses the evolution of Bombeck's writing using "If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?" Develop a clear thesis statement and cite specific examples from the text to support your arguments. Discuss the changes in the technical aspects of her writing, her subject matter, and how her opinions did or did not change on certain topics throughout the years. Do not focus on these topics exclusively. In this essay, creating an outline to guide your work will be helpful.

(see the answer keys)

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