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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What trouble does White mention he has when writing, due to his impaired vision?
(a) Proofreading.
(b) Brainstorming.
(c) Rewriting.
(d) Writing fast.

2. How long does White carefully study the screenplay for "Charlotte's Web" before returning it to his agent with his annotations?
(a) One month.
(b) One week.
(c) Two months.
(d) Two weeks.

3. What type of people did Ross hire when starting the New Yorker, according to White?
(a) Unmotivated and inexperienced.
(b) Motivated if inexperienced.
(c) Talented and experienced.
(d) Talented if inexperienced.

4. In a May, 1952 letter, how does White describe the goose on the cover of "Charlotte's Web"?
(a) Uncharacteristically excited.
(b) Suspiciously serpentine.
(c) Uncharacteristically bird-like.
(d) Suspiciously sad.

5. When does White respond to a letter by Cathy Durham?
(a) July, 1961.
(b) February, 1962.
(c) March, 1961.
(d) September, 1962.

Short Answer Questions

1. 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?

2. In a letter to his brother, Stanley, what does White fear the surgeons will find in his abdomen during an operation?

3. How many corrections does White send to Scott Elledge for the first part of his biography?

4. When does Katharine pass away?

5. Which colleges are included in the list that White mentions as receiving portions of Katharine's books?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why does White write to Maine Sen. Margaret Chase Smith?

3. How does White's response to Cathy Durham generate controversy, and what solution does his publisher implement?

4. What does White reveal about his farm in his answer to the questions of Mrs. Bard's fifth-grade class in Larchmont, New York?

5. How does White contribute to his biography, and when and where does he pass away?

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

7. What is White's concern with the cover art for "Charlotte's Web" and what appropriate advice does he share?

8. What feedback and advice does White offer to James Thurber for the story,"The Thirteen Clocks"?

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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