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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Nancy's son get home from school in "Pretty Nancy"?
(a) Taxi.
(b) A private car.
(c) Nancy picks him up.
(d) Schoolbus.

2. Which of Joan's relatives does she show her college rejection letter to in "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice"?
(a) Her daughter.
(b) Her sister.
(c) Her niece.
(d) Her cousin.

3. In "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice," what does Joan say her father did when she told him of her rejection letter?
(a) He shrugged his shoulders and offered her a drink.
(b) He told her he knew she would not get in.
(c) He told her she will never amount to anything now.
(d) He told her she should call the school and complain.

4. In "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice," what does Joan say her friend was disappointed about in her 4-year-old's reference letters?
(a) Nobody mentioned she was potty-trained.
(b) Nobody mentioned how much money her parents made.
(c) Nobody mentioned her songwriting skills.
(d) Nobody mentioned her interest in art.

5. How old is Walter Davis' son in "Fathers, Sons, Screaming Eagles"?
(a) 9.
(b) 14.
(c) 18.
(d) 22.

6. What does one of the speakers in "Getting Serenity" say used to happen to him each time he passed Gardena?
(a) He would buy drugs.
(b) He would go to a bar.
(c) He would break out in a cold sweat.
(d) He would vomit.

7. What does the newsman want Nancy to do as she answers the first question he asks her in "Pretty Nancy"?
(a) Nip a bud.
(b) Smile and nod.
(c) Pour some lemonade.
(d) Giggle and look away.

8. How old is Nancy's daughter Patti in "Pretty Nancy"?
(a) 8.
(b) 19.
(c) 15.
(d) 12.

9. In what grade does Joan's friend get on the essay she wrote for him in "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice," how many applications does Joan say the private kindergarten her friend was trying to get her child into received?
(a) 15.
(b) 1000.
(c) 5.
(d) 90.

10. Where did the second speaker in "Getting Serenity" first start gambling?
(a) Atlanta.
(b) Nevada.
(c) L.A.
(d) Vietnam.

11. What kind of talk does Didion find unsettling during the meeting in "Getting Serenity"?
(a) Talk of lying and stealing.
(b) Obsession with dates and numbers.
(c) Talk of death and dying.
(d) Talk of miracles and Higher Powers.

12. Where does Didion say she used to eavesdrop on people's conversations thinking "it was a good way to learn about life" (23) in "Getting Serenity"?
(a) Restaurants.
(b) The Greyhound.
(c) The Airport.
(d) The Post Office.

13. What does Nancy say her husband never did even for the movies?
(a) Smiled.
(b) Wore new clothes.
(c) Combed his hair.
(d) Wore makeup.

14. Though Didion agrees that writing in underground newspapers is often "amateurish and badly written," she disagrees with what sentiment?
(a) That they are biased.
(b) That they are unnecessary.
(c) That they are boring.
(d) That they are interesting.

15. What does Didion say she did when she first read the college rejection letter in "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice"?
(a) She cried.
(b) She called her mom.
(c) She tore the letter.
(d) She did not really care.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Nancy's husband in "Pretty Nancy"?

2. Who do the San Simeon tour guides in "A Trip to Xanadu" tell the group still stays in the 21 room guest house?

3. What style of writing does Didion compare Alicia's underground piece to in "Alicia and the Underground Press"?

4. One meeting attendee in "Getting Serenity" says his idea is getting what?

5. Who built the castle Didion discusses in "A Trip to Xanadu"?

(see the answer keys)

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