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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. In "Cloudland," how old was the boy that the tiny white cross on the median commemorates?

2. In "Equivalent," what was the former owner of the house supposed to fix?

3. In what state do you have to go north to be in the south, according to "Cloudland"?

4. What does the narrator spill in bed, in "Moonbow"?

5. How old was the narrator in "Cloudland," when she had a baby girl?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator get Lois's dog back when he jumps the fence and disappears in "Cloudland"?

2. At the end of "Cloudland," what does the narrator say about apples?

3. In "The Correct Grip," what happened to a friend of the narrator?

4. Why is the narrator able to work two to three days a week in "Cloudland"?

5. Who does the narrator say is found in a weedy empty lot in "The Quiet Car"?

6. In "Equivalent," why does the narrator ask the seller of her house to help with difficult chores when he comes by?

7. How did the narrator of "Cloudland" compare her experiences when she had her baby with the experiences of women a hundred years ago?

8. What does the narrator see in her backyard in "Moonbow," and what does she think it is?

9. What does the white cross commemorate that is on the grassy median where the narrator turns to get to her house in "Cloudland"?

10. In "Cloudland," when there is to be a freeze, what advice does a nursery clerk give the narrator?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Emotional distance can interfere with a relationship. In what way are relationships in “The Chicane” superficial? How are the characters emotionally distant from one another? How does emotional distance interfere with the relationship characters have with one another?

Essay Topic 2

In “The Chicane,” Lauryn is a troubled woman who commits suicide. What do the relationships that Lauryn has reveal about her? Why is she a mystery to the people who are the closest to her? What does her suicide reveal about her and the type of person that she was?

Essay Topic 3

In “Cloudland” a neighbor is arrested for sexual abuse. How does this news affect the narrator? How does the news challenge the image of the neighborhood where the narrator lives?

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