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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. When did Bombeck's son begin to believe that he was unappreciated by everyone?

2. In "A Baby's Bill of Rights," for what offense would Bombeck assign a penalty?

3. In "How to Speak Child Fluently," how did Bombeck feel about her son's paper?

4. Where did Bombeck feel particularly self-conscious in "Constitutionality of Drive-in Windows?"

5. What did Bombeck discover about her son's return to school in "Warning: Families May Be Dangerous To Your Health?"

Short Essay Questions

1. For what reasons did Bombeck decide that there should be two versions of "The Star-Spangled Banner?"

2. What are some of the fashions Bombeck discusses in "Fashions and Fads that Underwhelmed Me"?

3. In "Warning: Families May Be Dangerous To Your Health," what were signs that Bombeck's son was growing up?

4. What prank did Bombeck's husband play on her in "Register Camera Nuts" and how did she react?

5. How did Bombeck's husband humorously skewer the idealization of her analogy in "How to Speak Child Fluently"?

6. What was the story behind the note in "Warning: Families May Be Dangerous To Your Healthy."

7. Why was Bombeck always consistently cold in "The Right to Declare War?"

8. Discuss Bombeck's analogy of children in "How to Speak Child Fluently."

9. For what reasons did Jackie believe game shows were bad for people?

10. Why was Bombeck's son resistant to putting away his clean laundry?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze Bombeck's persona. Focus on her neuroses, intelligence, and how she claimed to have been frequently perplexed by her family and society. Develop a clear thesis statement and 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

Discuss aspects of Bombeck's writing techniques in the following format:

Part 1) Exaggeration.

Part 2) Subversion of cliches.

Part 3) Analogies.

Part 4) Nostalgia without the saccharine undertones.

Part 5) Honesty.

Compose a strong thesis and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,073 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample