View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Father finds Kay too __________ for the London School of Economics.

2. What position does Phil take in order to learn the newspaper business at the top?

3. ____________ can still function when he needs to, through correspondence, memos, and telephone.

4. Mother finds the women of Washington intellectually _______ but enjoys their luncheon debates.

5. What is the nickname of the daughter, Elizabeth, who is born in 1914?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Father arrange for Kay when she goes to San Francisco to meet with family?

2. What kind of man is John Sweeterman, who is brought in as a Post business manager?

3. What do Mother and Phil lock heads over during the years at Glen Welby, where life seems right?

4. Where does Kay's education begin as she is growing up as a part of the Meyer family?

5. What does Kay do with her time when Phil is off at court?

6. What does Time declare about the Washington Post in 1941 as its circulation begins to grow?

7. Where do the Meyers spend their summers after spending their winters in Washington?

8. What does Agnes do four months after the birth of Kay?

9. Why does Phil denounce the efforts of the Teamsters to unionize the Post's circulation?

10. What is the state of the Washington Post when Father decides to buy it to rejuvenate it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The gender roles taken on by Kay and Phil in their marriage are clear, even if they are not the general rule in today's society.

Part 1: What gender-specific roles did Kay and Phil take on in their marriage?

Part 2: What might have happened had Kay been the one who took the leadership position at the Post instead of Phil?

Part 3: Why do you think that Kay, in all of her women's rights actions later, was satisfied with just being a stay at home mom?

Essay Topic 2

One of the things that is so stunning about Kay's background is that she didn't have much parental support when she was growing up. Though she did have both parents, they were frequently away or unavailable.

Part 1: Why do you think Kay's parents were not aware that their children needed more attention?

Part 2: How might Kay's life have changed had she had more parental interaction and support?

Part 3: Do you think Kay's parents were good parents or not? Why?

Essay Topic 3

What's compelling about Kay is that she is never afraid to ask for help from others - Bradlee, Capote, Buffet, etc.

Part 1: Why do you think Kay is keen to get advice from others about various questions in her life?

Part 2: What does it say about Kay that she is willing to listen to others and to their perspectives?

Part 3: Do you think it's a sign of weakness or of strength to ask for help? Why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 655 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample