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. What does the "flying virgin" write across the New Mexican sky?
(a) Neuter your animals
(b) Don't litter
(c) Stop having babies
(d) God is the answer

2. What is the first thing Henderson says to Carl when Carl returns to the office?
(a) That Duncan is dead
(b) Did he call the airlines about crab lice
(c) That Carl now reports to Henderson
(d) That everyone is looking for the culling song

3. What does Carl say is the only pattern in crib deaths?
(a) That the number of deaths decreases during times of economic stress
(b) That the number of deaths is completely unrelated to the weather
(c) That the number of deaths increases as the weather cools
(d) That the number of deaths increases during school vacations

4. Where is the baby sitter when Carl goes to cover his second crib death story?
(a) In the bedroom
(b) Outside
(c) In the ambulance
(d) At the hospital

5. What does Helen tell Rhonda she has to do to get past the grief?
(a) Make herself hard
(b) Cry until she's exhausted
(c) Have many more children
(d) Give herself time to grieve

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Helen have in her hand when she's talking with Mona?

2. How many copies of the book were there in the original press run?

3. What is the newscast that Helen hears that she encourages the others to listen to?

4. What does Carl say is the only fact known about sudden infant death syndrome?

5. Why is Carl really meeting Mona?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Carl begin to make the connection about the poem and the deaths of children?

2. What does Helen say was the reaction of her husband after the death of their son?

3. Briefly describe three of three people Carl kills on the way back to his office.

4. What is Mona working on during their car trip and why does she say it's a good hobby?

5. What does Carl imagine could be the long-reaching effects of having the culling song become public knowledge?

6. What does Carl offer up as "credentials" that he's worthy of following this story and why does he give that information to Helen?

7. What is Carl's purpose for his first meeting with Helen?

8. How did Helen's husband die and what was the official cause of death?

9. What is the inverted pyramid?

10. List the details Carl learns about the man in the trench coat that Carl killed.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 930 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample