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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. To whom does Vincent pour out his heart on AOL in "Vincent and Theo on AOL"?

2. Why does the narrator of "The Devil and William Gates" say that Bill Gates swears his soul to the devil?

3. In "The Cult," who has Stewart foretold will spring to life?

4. What is the list after "Five after Five" expected to feature?

5. Who should make a political plea at an awards ceremony according to the narrator of "The Recipe"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Gates do in "The Devil and William Gates" in order to convince the Devil to give him all power?

2. What irony is found in "The Recipe"?

3. Which child on the "Five Under Five" list do you find most interesting?

4. What explanation does Stewart give about his inaccurate predictions in "The Cult"?

5. What collection of genes makes up Cary Streisand of the "Five Under Five" list?

6. Who are Fred Silverman and Lenny Bruce as described in "Lenny Bruce: the Making of a Sitcom"?

7. Describe the concept of a "Five Under Five" list.

8. What do you think Stewart's purpose is in writing "The Recipe"?

9. What has Stewart foretold in "The Cult"?

10. Where is "The Recipe" discovered?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Historical events play a very significant role in Stewart's stories. Why do you think Stewart enjoys citing historical events as a way of making writing more humorous? Do you think real events or made-up events are funnier?

Essay Topic 2

How does the narrative point of view carried through all of Stewart's short stories in this book affect the way characters are perceived by the reader? Choose three examples from Stewart's short stories to show how this third-party point of view impacts the work.

Essay Topic 3

Distinguish between tone and mood as used in literature, and then compare and contrast the tone and mood of Stewart's work as a whole.

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