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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. How old is Plucky's secret lover when he is at the monastery?

2. According to his letter, why does Plucky entertain notions of burning down the monastery?

3. According to Nearly Normal Jimmy's trance message to Amanda at the end of the book, what movie will set Tibet on the correct spiritual path again?

4. What is significant about the Pope in power at the Vatican?

5. According to Marx, whose body is in the pantry when he returns home to the Zillers from vacation?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the Zillers, Plucky and Marx allow themselves to relax before addressing the presence of the Corpse?

2. What duties does Marx perform at the zoo?

3. Compare and contrast Pan and Jesus.

4. Why does Amanda refuse to sleep with Marx and what occurs after her announcement?

5. What is Marx's suggestion about Plucky's plan for the Corpse and why?

6. Discuss the continual conflict between Marx and Amanda prior to his suicide attempt.

7. What is John Paul's plan for the Corpse when he disappears with it, Mon Cul, and Plucky Purcell?

8. What observations do the Zillers and Marx make about the loggers and their work?

9. What is significant about the Corpse's appearance?

10. What is Amanda's theory about Marx's presence at their zoo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"He's a symbol junkie . . . people like him- that is, the majority- are strung out on symbols. They're so addicted that they prefer abstract symbols to the concrete things which symbols represent. It's much easier to cope with the abstract than with the concrete; there's no direct, personal involvement- and you can keep an abstract idea steady in your mind whereas real things are usually in a state of flux and always changing. It's safer to play around with a man's wife than with his cliches." Write an essay about Amanda's statement. Discuss what it means to the Second Coming as depicted in this novel and how it affects the ways in which Amanda and John Paul live their lives. Develop a clear thesis statement and cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Compose an essay about the significance of animals in "Another Roadside Attraction" in the following format:

Part 1) Butterflies.

Part 2) Amanda and John Paul's devotion to the garter snake.

Part 3) The zoo without animals.

Part 4) Tarzan's analysis of the god Pan.

Part 5) Mon Cul.

Cite specific examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Compose an essay about the role natural elements from the earth play in "Another Roadside Attraction" in the following format:

Part 1) Thunderstorms.

Part 2) Mushrooms.

Part 3) Earthquakes.

Part 4) Sun and solar radiation.

Part 5) The food and beverage offered at the roadside zoo.

(see the answer keys)

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