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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. Where does Katharine travel to in order to get her divorce before marrying White?

2. Which movie character does White write to his brother, Stanley, about in 1937?

3. When does White submit the manuscript for Stuart Little to his agent?

4. Which one of White's books is co-authored by Katharine?

5. What job does Katharine Angell, White's future wife, have with the New Yorker when he begins writing there?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Katharine Angell's background?

2. What is the New York Herald Tribune's response to White's letter, and how does he reply?

3. Why does White decline a job offer from the Saturday Review?

4. What unscheduled vacation does White take from the New Yorker and how does he inform them of his absence?

5. What happens in 1941 that leads to White's work in Washington?

6. How does White gain confidence as a writer while in college, and what acquaintances does he make there?

7. What suggestions does White have for the New Yorker between 1932 and 1935?

8. Where were White's parents from and what is their background?

9. What is the topic of the humorous letter of outrage that White sends to Harold Ross in July, 1945?

10. What does White do after he returns from his road trip?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe White's involvement with "The Elements of Style", what inspires him to first write a remembrance for Professor Strunk, how his text is revised and expanded, the contributions that he makes to the new edition, and the reasons why the book has become so popular with students and writers. Use White's letter to a former secretary later in his life to also explain why he indicates that he does not understand "The Elements of Style".

Essay Topic 2

E.B. White provides an autobiography about his family background as the preface for the "Letters of E.B. White".

1) Describe the background of White's parents and what led them to make their home in Mt. Vernon.

2) Explain which siblings White is closest to and why.

3) Describe the help and encouragement that White receives while growing up.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze White's response to a letter by Cathy Durham about why he has not written another children's book. Include why he might have replied that way, the response of Cathy's librarian, and the solution that White's publisher develops for preventing any future issues.

(see the answer keys)

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