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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. Sedaris is considered a celebrity by French teenagers because

2. Amy Sedaris sends her brother

3. Hugh claims Sedaris is a genius at

4. According to Sedaris, speaking Easy French means

5. Why has Sedaris' conscience been bothering him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What gives Sedaris a new confidence about speaking French?

2. Why does the barber refuse to believe Jodi Foster would clean up after her own dog while walking on the beach?

3. Why is Reggie so indignant about his job on the construction site clean-up crew?

4. What does Sedaris do to help himself sleep at night when various beverages fail him?

5. Why does Sedaris fear he is considered the village idiot in Normandy?

6. Why does Sedaris finally start referring to nouns in their plural form?

7. What has become Sedaris' habit when friends come to visit him in Paris?

8. Why does Sedaris claim Americans believe French people are arrogant?

9. Why are Sedaris' fantasies about manipulating American people rather than French people?

10. Why is Sedaris relieved that he squeals and grabs his neighbors' legs when the men are injured by the vachettes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What expectations does Sedaris seem to have for American behavior? What stereotypes does he point out other nations have attributed to Americans? Write an essay in which you defend, refute, or qualify at least three stereotypes Sedaris identifies in Americans.

Essay Topic 2

Consider the motifs of trauma and tragedy in Sedaris' essays. Write an essay of your own in which you reflect on the effect of trauma and tragedy on Sedaris or other characters. Use examples from the text to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Sedaris identifies many of his own accomplishments, large and small, throughout his essays. Considering these accomplishments, write an essay in which you identify the qualities Sedaris seems to admire most in himself. What is he most proud of? What does he mock about himself? Use specific examples from the text to support your argument.

(see the answer keys)

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