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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. What is the nickname given to Al Capone's associate in Chapter 35?

2. According to Harvey, what instrument does Jack Benny play that makes a classical composer laugh?

3. Where is the important letter that Taylor misses in Chapter 30 originally sent from?

4. Where does Dr. Joseph find the research for his new execution invention?

5. Why does a rugby player pick up the ball during a game in Chapter 19?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Dr. Pemberton inadvertently discover a popular soft drink formula?

2. What is the foreshadowing used in "Snow Man"?

3. What irony is Harvey depicting in "The Name of the Game"?

4. What is the Lone Ranger's irony in "Who Was That Masked Man?"

5. How does a father's change of ways help his son in "Bad, Bad Ed O'Hare"?

6. How does Harvey describe the life of W.C. Fields?

7. Why does Edwin carry "The Letter" with him in Chapter 22?

8. Which two events does Harvey discuss in "The Night Sin City Died"?

9. What is the story behind the "Pen Pals" in Chapter 14?

10. What lesson is outlined in "Strong Man's Weakness"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the lessons that Harvey depicts in the lives of General George Patton and Henry Kissinger in Chapter 21 and Chapter 23. Use examples from both stories to explain the underlying theme that Harvey is delivering and what the reader should learn from them.

Essay Topic 2

As Harvey's stories display, life is full of choices. The events in a person's life can be a result of the decisions they make.

1) Describe Joe DiMaggio's life and the choices he makes that lead him to achieve greatness in baseball in Chapter 29.

2) Explain the decisions and their results in two other stories from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the reasons that accidents can lead to significant discoveries as they are described in the book. Include a detailed analysis of the events that unintentionally brought about the origins of things (ex. paper, Masonite, the game of football, the potato chip, etc.) as well as the value of accidental inventions in general.

(see the answer keys)

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