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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does one of King's babysitters do to him?
(a) Mistreats him and complains to his mother about his behavior.
(b) Feeds him too many eggs and then locks him in a closet.
(c) Tortures King with a belt.
(d) Forces him to stay in his room all day.

2. Who is the character Carrie based on?
(a) Two girls he knew in high school.
(b) A friend of his wife's.
(c) His imagination.
(d) One of his students.

3. How does King's mother die?
(a) She dies of uterine cancer.
(b) She dies from an overdose.
(c) She dies of injuries received in a traffic accident.
(d) She dies of cirrhosis.

4. When does King get the idea for Carrie?
(a) After reading about another girl.
(b) After taking a job at a high school.
(c) When his wife tells him a story she overheard.
(d) After watching a similar TV show.

5. How does King obtain money from his classmates?
(a) He writes a novel based on one of Poe's stories and sells it at school.
(b) He writes term papers for them.
(c) He writes clever short stories.
(d) He writes jokes and sells them.

Short Answer Questions

1. When King's principal hears about King's episode with the newspaper, what does he suggest?

2. What type of job does King believe writing to be?

3. How does King describe the image discussed in chapter two?

4. Why does it prove valuable to King to work for a local newspaper?

5. What is the first thing King requests in the second chapter that his readers accept about writing?

Short Essay Questions

1. When King asks the writer to accept 'the magic of writing, but to take it seriously', what is he saying?

2. King was a heavy drinker and addicted to cocaine. He believed that these two elements contributed to his creativity. In terms of the chapter, C.V., do you think his belief was justified? Why or why not?

3. Why does King write? Explain in your own words based on the chapters, C.V., and What Writing Is.

4. In what way is the book, On Writing, to be different from King's usual work?

5. King opens the chapter, What Writing Is, with an image. What is the image and how is it described? In what ways is this image different from other images presented in books? What is King's motive in doing this? Do you think this is an effective way to allow the reader to see the scene? Why or why not?

6. In what ways is the rabbit on the table of symbol of King's belief in magic and telepathy? Explain in your own words.

7. How would you summarize the different jobs King had during his early career? How might these jobs have influenced his work?

8. How did King learn to edit his work? Why was this important to the young writer?

9. What conclusions can you draw from King's comparison of writing as a career versus writing as a passion? Explain in your own words.

10. One of King's babysitters was particularly cruel. How might she have affected his later writings?

(see the answer keys)

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