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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. What good news does John describe in the winter of 1978?

2. How did the system John built perform?

3. When John was thirteen, what grade level was he working at, in building things?

4. What did Jim Boughton make with his creation?

5. What was John being paid to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was the winter of 1978 good for John?

2. Describe John's departure from high school.

3. What was John's relationship with Porsches after this first encounter?

4. Describe John Robison as a child.

5. What does John say was his mother's reaction to the dissolution of her marriage?

6. Describe Dr. Finch's strange behavior.

7. Describe John's habit of digging holes.

8. What story does John say he told the proud parents whose children would be going to Harvard and Smith?

9. Describe John's attempts to act normal.

10. How did John's life change when he started to go on the road with rock bands?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the humorous tone John Robison takes throughout his memoir? What does he gain, by it? What does he lose?

Essay Topic 2

Debate the proposition that John is often making fun of himself throughout his memoir.

Essay Topic 3

How trustworthy is John Robison as a narrator? Do you believe what he says, or would you expect the facts to come out differently, if someone ever wrote a biography of him?

(see the answer keys)

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