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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What question does White tell Thurber he would like to ask President Roosevelt?
(a) "What's So Funny?"
(b) "Where's the Humor?"
(c) "What's the Joke?"
(d) "What's with the Laughter?"

2. Published in 1934, what is the title of White's third book?
(a) "Every Day is Saturday".
(b) "What if Every Day Was Sunday?".
(c) "Every Day is Sunday".
(d) "What if Every Day Was Saturday?".

3. Which one of the following is not included in the list of people White says will read the pamphlet he worked on in Washington?
(a) Gas station workers.
(b) Future soldiers.
(c) Teachers.
(d) Manicurists.

4. Where does White wait for Alice during a missed opportunity to see her?
(a) A tree.
(b) A classroom.
(c) A river.
(d) A bridge.

5. Which of the following is not included in the list of purchases White reports to his parents in a letter?
(a) Boots for five dollars and fifty cents.
(b) Milk for twenty cents.
(c) Bread for ten cents.
(d) A shirt for ninety cents.

6. In his January, 1942 letter to Katharine, how does White describe his meeting with the assembled team in Washington?
(a) Neither oppressive nor bureaucratic.
(b) Oppressive and bureaucratic.
(c) Oppressive, but not bureaucratic.
(d) Bureaucratic, but not oppressive.

7. Writing under a nom de plume, what does White express concern over?
(a) The lack of quality news stories.
(b) The excessive number of movie critics.
(c) The changes in the design of sailing boats.
(d) The disappearance of the American touring car.

8. How does the New York Herald Tribune refer to White in their response to his criticism?
(a) A committee of few.
(b) A committee of one.
(c) A committee of ignorance.
(d) A committee of misinformation.

9. Where were E.B. White's parents born?
(a) Queens, NY.
(b) Brooklyn, NY.
(c) Mount Vernon, NY.
(d) New York, NY.

10. How many children does Katharine have when she and White are married?
(a) Two.
(b) Three.
(c) One.
(d) None.

11. According to White's letter to Katharine, what is "man's ancient privilege"?
(a) Living a whimsical life.
(b) Living a reasonable life.
(c) Living an organized life.
(d) Living a thought-provoking life.

12. What car do White and Howard Cushman use to travel around the country?
(a) Oldsmobile.
(b) Mercer Raceabout.
(c) Model T Roadster.
(d) Studebaker.

13. In a newsbreak report to Harold Ross, how long does it take White to locate the paste?
(a) Two minutes.
(b) Six minutes.
(c) Eight minutes.
(d) Four minutes.

14. What poet does White parody in a December, 1918 letter to his mother?
(a) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
(b) Robert Browning.
(c) Robert Frost.
(d) T.S. Eliot.

15. For which newspaper is White a campus reporter?
(a) Cornell Times.
(b) Cornell Daily News.
(c) Cornell Post.
(d) Cornell Daily Sun.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does White describe publicity to Alice while working at the American Legion News Service?

2. What issue should people be concerned about, according to White in a 1947 letter to John Wentworth?

3. How much bed rest does Katharine have while recovering from an illness after the birth of their son?

4. Following the death of Katharine's father, where do the Whites vacation?

5. What does White write about in a tongue-in-cheek letter to Harold Ross in July, 1945?

(see the answer keys)

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