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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why doesn't Zissner provide examples of these writers he admires?
(a) Because of copyright law.
(b) So that people will go to the library to discover the writers themselves.
(c) Because he has a word count limit to abide to.
(d) He didn't want their writing to prove better than his.

2. What has literature transformed into?
(a) Literature now includes nonfiction and fiction alike.
(b) Literature now includes poetry.
(c) Literature has not transformed at all.
(d) Literature is still mainly novels,and very rarely includes other writing.

3. What makes a good first sentence?
(a) The first sentence only sets up the second sentence. That is the one writers should focus on.
(b) A good ending is best to tie up the first sentence.
(c) A good first sentence has a good lead. A good lead is one that works.
(d) A good first sentence needs to be written with exceptional grammer.

4. Why does the doctor write?
(a) He is writing a book.
(b) He writes because he hates being a surgeon.
(c) He writes for fun.
(d) He writes to make extra money.

5. Chapter 3 is about __________.
(a) Reducing clutter.
(b) Clutter.
(c) Simplicity.
(d) Increasing the simplicity of writing.

6. What does Zissner think of gimmicky writing?
(a) It is what gets writers through the door.
(b) It never works.
(c) It is the secret to selling a book.
(d) It is worth a try to sell a book or article.

7. Has the period of political euphemisms improved since the Vietnam War?
(a) Yes, politicians hire better speech writers.
(b) No, it has gotten worse.
(c) No, it is the same.
(d) Yes, politicians know how to unclutter their writing now.

8. What group of people does the author think has the worst type of writing?
(a) Musicians.
(b) Toddlers.
(c) Teachers.
(d) Politicians.

9. What are the two components of the original Roget's Thesaurus?
(a) Antonyms with very in depth definitions.
(b) A dictionary of antonyms, and one of synonyms.
(c) A list of synonyms and their definitions with pictures on one side.
(d) A dictionary listing of words, and a numberd section with synonyms arranged in broad concepts.

10. What is an example of a hit book that was rejected several times?
(a) Harry Potter.
(b) Jurassic Park.
(c) Pride and Prejudice.
(d) Eleven on Top.

11. What is a major job of a nonfiction writer?
(a) Majoring in the subject they will write about.
(b) Learning as much as possible about a subject before taking on a project.
(c) Taking on a project with a clean slate. Just like a jury in a legal battle.
(d) Conducting interviews with people who know about the writing project subject.

12. Who are two authors that Zissner admires for solid writing and ornamentation?
(a) Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe.
(b) Virginia Woolfe and Sylvia Plath.
(c) Sylvia Plath and Jane Austen.
(d) Normal Mailer and Virginia Wolfe.

13. Should exclamation points be used in serious writing?
(a) Only serious writing has serious exclamation points. How else would people understand astonishment?
(b) They should be used sparingly. One per paragraph is fine.
(c) They should be sprinkled into paragraphs like salt and pepper. The more the better.
(d) They should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

14. What tense does Zissner recommend when starting a new piece?
(a) Combination third and first.
(b) Third person.
(c) Second person.
(d) First person.

15. What happens when a product of writing is never read?
(a) It becomes worthless and a waste of good time.
(b) It gets categorized under the bad books section.
(c) The author's reputation is harmed.
(d) It gets burned.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Zinsser approach unusual words?

2. How does a thesaurus help with brainstorming?

3. What does Zissner believe authors are fearful of in their writing?

4. What does a Thesaurus help a writer with, besides finding alternate words?

5. When does the writing start for a nonfiction article?

(see the answer keys)

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