View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which newspaper does White write to in protest about their profile of New Yorker editor, William Shawn?
(a) New York Times.
(b) New York Herald Tribune.
(c) New York Daily News.
(d) New York Sun Times.

2. As he explains to his stepson, why is White not writing?
(a) He is taking an intentional vacation.
(b) He does not have an idea for a story.
(c) He is having bouts of dizziness.
(d) He has too many ideas for stories.

3. Who is Ursula Nordstrom?
(a) A former New Yorker coworker of White.
(b) The owner of Harper & Brothers.
(c) The editor at Harper & Brothers.
(d) A former Harper's coworker of White.

4. What examples does White include in a memo as entrances that would infuriate people if they were the same height as a taxi cab door?
(a) Subways, closets, and garages.
(b) Bars, subways, and garages.
(c) Bars, closets, and garages.
(d) Bars, subways, and closets.

5. How many major surgeries does Katharine have between 1966 and 1970?
(a) Five.
(b) Nine.
(c) Eleven.
(d) Seven.

Short Answer Questions

1. When does Katharine pass away?

2. What type of people did Ross hire when starting the New Yorker, according to White?

3. Who does the drawings for "Charlotte's Web"?

4. In a letter to James Thurber, what injury does White sustain while falling onto an awning?

5. How many minor surgeries does Katharine undergo between 1966 and 1970?

Short Essay Questions

1. In a December, 1951 letter, how does White respond to a depressed undergraduate student about her plans to become a writer?

2. What question does Cathy Durham ask White, and how does he respond?

3. How does White revise his work to be included in the new edition of "The Elements of Style"?

4. What complications does White have with his vision in 1982, and how many years does he provide newsbreaks for the New Yorker before retiring?

5. How does White categorize "Charlotte's Web" in his October, 1952 letter to Ursula Nordstrom of Harper & Brothers, and what are the sales like for the book's first edition?

6. In another letter to Stanley, what does White say about his use of traction?

7. What journalistic advice does White give to his granddaughter in 1975?

8. What ailments does White have in 1963, and how does he write about his recovery?

9. Which ailment and animal's escapades does White write to his stepson and his wife about in 1968?

10. How does White describe the beginning days of the New Yorker to an author that is researching a book?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 866 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample