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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. Who runs out of the house second and finds the boy at the end of the story?

2. What did the housemaid say to the woman who hung about the suburbs looking for work?

3. Why did people in the city begin spending time in the suburbs even if they were not housemaids or gardeners?

4. What happens "after the first fixing of [the metal fencing's] razor teeth at the end of the story?

5. What is the name of the company that installs the security fence the man and woman have installed toward the end of the story?

Short Essay Questions

1. After building a higher wall, what did the man and woman notice the cat doing one night while discussing the latest robberies?

2. Why were homeowners particularly crushed when intruders drank their single malt scotch?

3. Who helps remove the little boy at the end of the story? How do they do it?

4. What does the wife tell her husband she is worried after installing the serrated metal coils around their wall?

5. Describe what would likely happen should someone attempt to climb the wall with the serrated metal coils installed?

6. Why did the neighborhood alarm systems tend to go unanswered?

7. What were intruders able to do even while the alarms wailed in the suburbs, and what did they take?

8. Despite thinking it the ugliest, what option did the man and woman choose to enhance security after building a higher wall?

9. Describe the various security options the man and woman noticed during their neighborhood walk.

10. Rather than noting lovely roses and gardens, what did the man and woman begin to admire during their neighborhood walks with their son and dog?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a brief essay analyzing the title “Once Upon a Time.” Explore the ways in which this title connects to the plot and themes of the story.

Essay Topic 2

Write a detailed analysis of tone in Gordimer's “Once Upon a Time.” Include whether the tone changes or remains the same. If it changes, include details on when, why and whether this change is effective.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the significance of the riots in "Once Upon a Time." Where do they occur? Why? In what ways are the main characters impacted by these riots?

(see the answer keys)

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