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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. Which of the following is one of Christine’s stepchildren?

2. In what department does Sylvia teach?

3. With which of the following does the novel begin?

4. Which of the following nicknames does Naomi assign Peter?

5. What does Ivan order at the restaurant with Peter?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ivan ease his pre-performance jitters?

2. Why had Ivan’s father called Alexei his home help?

3. Why does Ivan regard profit as an inefficiency?

4. How does Naomi respond to online comments threatening her?

5. Why does Peter make a point of smiling at children and the elderly?

6. To what does Ivan ascribe his social difficulties?

7. Why had Ivan thought about cancelling his chess exhibition in Leitrim?

8. Why does Ivan think himself boring?

9. Why had Ivan not thought to borrow money from Peter?

10. How does Peter define having ideals?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sources attest to the presence of Intermezzo on best-seller lists. Assuming that sales figures reflect popularity, what accounts for the popularity of the novel? How does it do so?

Essay Topic 2

Consider Ivan’s recollection of his conversation with Sylvia about green hats and sisters (261-63). Does Ivan’s logic check out? Does his reasoning more fully? How or how not?

Essay Topic 3

To what other writer’s work in your experience does Rooney’s seem most similar? What makes the writers similar? What differentiates them? Overall, which do you regard as doing better at the craft of writing, and why?

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