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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. Which of the following is not a frequent topic of conversation from Horace and his friends?

2. In Chapter 14, which country star's song does Chuck Klosterman dissect in detail?

3. What event in an episode of Saved by the Bell struck Klosterman's friend Joel as ridiculous?

4. Which of the following is a reason Klosterman offers for why mix CD's are less effective than mix tapes?

5. What does Klosterman state is the essential question of all modern great films?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the book Left Behind about?

2. What essential beliefs does Generation X have, according to Chuck Klosterman?

3. How is Luke Skywalker's relationship with Darth Vader a familiar relationship to Gen X'ers?

4. How does the timing of sources affect bias in the news, according to Klosterman?

5. What is Klosterman's fascination with serial killers?

6. What is the difference between Saved by the Bell and an important show?

7. Why does Klosterman posit that traveling forward in time is less fraught than traveling back?

8. What disagreement does Chuck Klosterman with critics regarding Vanilla Sky?

9. Why is being a serial killer more authentic than being a regular celebrity?

10. How are some cereal icons representative of the pained desire for perfection and acceptance?

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

Throughout Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Chuck Klosterman discusses the idea of coolness in American society. What does Klosterman think of the pursuit of coolness? What are the essential elements of cool? Does he think coolness is a worthwhile goal to pursue? Cite specific examples from the book to argue Klosterman's position.

Essay Topic 3

Music plays an incredibly important role in Chuck Klosterman's writing, particularly as he is a former music critic for Rolling Stone magazine. Write an essay about three musicians that Klosterman clearly believes illuminate some essential truth about life. Why is Klosterman drawn to this particular musician? What does this musician have to say about life, and why does Klosterman believe this profundity has been hidden from public understanding?

Part 1) Guns-N-Roses

Part 2) Billy Joel

Part 3) Trisha Yearwood

(see the answer keys)

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