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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. In a response to a student's letter, what does White say is the best way to learn about a writer?

2. How long were Katharine and E.B. White married?

3. How many major surgeries does Katharine have between 1966 and 1970?

4. What type of sound do the suggested songs for "Charlotte's Web" have in White's opinion?

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

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 is White's problem with taxi cab doors in his 1950 memo to Harold Ross?

3. What changes does White experience after Katharine passes away?

4. What are the elements included in the Philadelphia Orchestra's children's concert of "The Trumpet of the Swan" in 1972?

5. How long does White study the screenplay for "Charlotte's Web" and what suggestions does he make?

6. How does White explain the process of writing a book to fourth-graders of Columbus, Ohio?

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

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

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

10. What joke does White make to his brother, Stanley, before having a hernia operation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze White's early childhood and how it inspired him to begin writing. Also, include why he began writing at such an early age, his opinion of school, the subjects of his earliest letters, and how they show the initial development of his writing style.

Essay Topic 2

In 1937, White displays his whimsical nature in a letter to Katharine.

1) Explain White's motivation for his letter, leaving the New Yorker, and why he thinks it is an ancient privilege to live in a whimsical way rather than a reasonable way.

2) Compare his decision in the letter with other impulsive decisions that he has made, such as unannounced vacations, trips, etc.

3) Analyze White's tone in his letter to Katharine, what he hopes to accomplish, and the aspects of his decision that he has considered as well as the ones that he has not considered.

Essay Topic 3

Explain three examples of the office memos that White would write to other writers and editors at the New Yorker. For each example, describe what White's intentions are and the writing techniques he uses to achieve them.

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