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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 did Laura turn out to be about?

2. What is something that every first-time Sim player does, according to developer Will Wright?

3. The popular use of what word is an example of generational divides in The Real World?

4. What can Klosterman not picture Marilyn Monroe doing?

5. What does Klosterman admit The Real World consists of?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are Marilyn Monroe and Pamela Anderson similar?

2. At the beginning of Chapter 5, what odd existence does Klosterman describe regarding tribute bands?

3. Why does Klosterman hate Coldplay?

4. How was the first season of The Real World different from subsequent seasons?

5. What is Chuck Klosterman's purpose in writing this book?

6. Describe the gig at the end of Chapter 5.

7. What does Klosterman learn about his life from his Sim?

8. Describe Chuck Klosterman's holiday tradition.

9. In Chapter 4, how does Klosterman explain Bruce Springsteen's appeal?

10. How does Will Wright answer the question of materialism in The Sims?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chuck Klosterman's essays fall into the category of literary nonfiction, or new journalism. Most famously practiced by such writers as Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, and Truman Capote, this practice involves the journalist placing him or herself at the center of the story. Write an essay about three essays in which Klosterman plays a pivotal role in the reading of events. How is he an active player here? How does his presence affect the story? What does this alter about what else would have been a straightforward relating of events?

Essay Topic 2

In Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Klosterman uses popular culture to explain the drives and attitudes of Generation X'ers. Write a three-part essay about Klosterman's conception of Generation X:

Part 1) Why did the movies of John Cusack render love a virtual impossibility for Generation X? What false expectations did the movies of the 1980s and '90s create, and how has Klosterman repeatedly been foiled by them?

Part 2) What is Generation X's obsession with coolness, according to Klosterman? Discuss how his generation was conditioned at a young age to desire coolness as an ideal? How did cereal ads play a role in this indoctrination? What is the nature of cool to Gen X?

Part 3) Discuss how Gen X feels an unbreakable bond with Luke Skywalker. What in the original Star Wars films typifies the worldview of this generation? What role does failure and struggle play in this kinship?

Essay Topic 3

In several chapters, Klosterman makes note of a shift that occurred in the film industry with the release of Star Wars. Write an essay about this shift. What types of films were being produced, making money, and winning awards before Star Wars? What new strategy did studios develop to replicate the Star Wars boon? What does Klosterman think about this shift and its effect on films in the 1980s and 1990s?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,050 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample