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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What do people forget about writing?
(a) It is a science that is hard to understand.
(b) It is easy and anyone can do it.
(c) It is a gift that only certain people have.
(d) It is a craft and it can be learned.

2. What is a major problem with humorous writing?
(a) It is too hard to be funny in writing and takes a gifted person.
(b) Sarcasm does not come out in writing.
(c) It gets dated, and what is funny in 1980 will not be funny in 2080.
(d) It can never be taken seriously.

3. What did his parents teach him that made him a fantastic writer?
(a) His mother taught him to spell, and his father taught him to write.
(b) His mother instilled in him a love and respect for good writing, and his father taught him to have a strong work ethic.
(c) HIs father took him to a field trip to a newspaper office.
(d) His mother was a writer and went to career day at his school.

4. What is the best way to add humor into writing?
(a) Making seperate paragraphs that only have the funny line in them.
(b) Making all funny lines italicized.
(c) Making a funny sentence sneak up on a reader to get an unexpected laugh.
(d) Adding asterisks to funny lines.

5. What does the fear cause writers to do?
(a) It will lead to excessively bad writing.
(b) It will make writers stop writing.
(c) It will stop the flow of information.
(d) It will keep writers away from discovering new subjects.

6. Do criticism writers need to take a stance on a show?
(a) Opinions should always be left out of writing.
(b) Yes, but they should mind their wording to not offend those in the show.
(c) Absolutely. They have the power to make or break a show.
(d) No, that should be left up to the audience.

7. Writers should always look for ________________.
(a) Things that relate places to another.
(b) People to tell them about a place so they don't have to actually go anywhere.
(c) The unique aspects of a place.
(d) Making places more accessible to other people.

8. Does ZInsser give in to his editor's changes?
(a) Yes, they are the editors after all.
(b) No, and he never gives in.
(c) No. He tends to fight them constantly.
(d) Sometimes, only when they are worth it.

9. What does Zinsser throw away in his writing classes?
(a) Deadlines.
(b) Story prompts.
(c) Books.
(d) Story webs.

10. What advice does Zinsser have for all writers?
(a) To never give up in the face of adversity.
(b) To challenge their editors occasionally.
(c) To write as much as they can and become a content mill.
(d) To write the best they can and defend their writing.

11. What freedom does he give his students?
(a) He doesn't give deadlines, the gives very little guidance, and just lets people write and turn in first drafts.
(b) He doesn't give freedom. He is very demanding of his students.
(c) The power to decide what to write about, what angle to take, what perspective, and what to cut out.
(d) He lets everyone out early on Fridays.

12. Is there room for opinion when writing a sports article?
(a) Yes. Readers trust sports writers to make sports predictions about their favorite teams.
(b) Writers should limit commentary and stick to the stats.
(c) Absolutely not.
(d) There is always room for commentary.

13. What do sports writers forget to do when writing about sports for so long?
(a) They get into the lives of their athletes in too much depth.
(b) They forget who their readers are and what they are writing about.
(c) They forget to research the athletes personal lives.
(d) They use too many stats and not enough writing.

14. What does Zinsser think about writing memoirs?
(a) He likes memoirs and reads them constantly.
(b) He is against memoirs and thinks writers should never write about themselves.
(c) He encourages them and wants writers to stop being afraid about writing about themselves.
(d) He thinks memoirs are tacky writers.

15. How does Zinsser create his final products?
(a) He takes a week to read over his writing with fresh eyes.
(b) He pawns them off to his editor which sends his writing back with red squiggles.
(c) He spends hours finding the right words, best rhythms, and makes sure every sentence leads into another.
(d) He usually knows his writing is good, so he just gives everything a once over and he is done.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Zinsser gain an edge over his competition?

2. How much information should a writer provide to his or her readers?

3. Does Zinsser ever use humor in his writing?

4. What should writers focus on when writing travel pieces?

5. How does Zinsser end his travel article that he wrote about Timbuktu?

(see the answer keys)

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