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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 is this essay about?

2. Who of the following did not star in The Sons of Katie Elder?

3. What can a couple of kids do easily in Las Vegas?

4. What is the woman's name?

5. What did Cork originally want to do when he moved to San Bernardino?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were Didion's feelings when she met John Wayne for the first time?

2. Why did Didion choose to write the Howard Hughes essay?

3. What does Didion think of Baez when she interviews her?

4. What reason does Didion give for self-respect being so important?

5. What conclusion does Didion come to about her habit of writing notes?

6. What reason does Didion give for the center's existence?

7. What makes Michael a difficult interviewee?

8. What is the Center of Study of Democratic Institutions?

9. Why does Didion keep notes?

10. Why is Joan Baez standing before the Monterey County Board of Supervisors?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How much do the students think what Didion remembers about the Sacramento Valley is merely nostalgia? How do you think the children living there now will remember the Sacramento Valley? How does Didion's nostalgia either take away or add to the validity to the points Didion tries to make?

Essay Topic 2

Write a 500-word essay addressing the following statement: None of Didion's peers challenge her beliefs and, because of that, her essays do not express any new ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the essays in the book and answer the following questions:

1) What is the main argument of the essay?

2) How does Didion construct the argument?

3) Are there any weaknesses in her argument?

(see the answer keys)

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