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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the name of the central male character in Happy Endings?
(a) Paul.
(b) Andrew.
(c) John.
(d) Peter.

2. What does the zoo director in The Elephant decide to get as a cheaper alternative to a live elephant?
(a) An ocelot.
(b) A robotic elephant.
(c) A wooden elephant.
(d) An inflatable elephant.

3. Who wrote Welcoming the Board of Directors?
(a) Joyce Carol Oates.
(b) Aurelio Escovar.
(c) Peter Handke.
(d) Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

4. The author of The Grass-Eaters hails from where?
(a) New Zealand.
(b) United States.
(c) Canada.
(d) India.

5. The author of Homage to Isaac Babel is listed as being from England and where?
(a) Argentina.
(b) Mexico.
(c) Zimbabwe.
(d) Canada.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the author of House Opposite?

2. From what country is the author of The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket?

3. When do they bury the player in Death of the Right Fielder?

4. In what school grade is the narrator of An Insolvable Problem of Genetics?

5. Who wrote At the River?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the gypsy try getting rid of the stolen item in On Hope? How is he thwarted in his attempts?

2. Who is the narrator in An Insolvable Problem of Genetics? What information does the family learn from Freddie?

3. What unifies the stories At the River, The Blue Jar, Gregory and Iguana Hunting?

4. What is the central theme in At the River? How is this manifested in the central characters?

5. What do the boy and his father go to do after getting his new cap in Blackberries? What does this lead to?

6. What event has taken place in the beginning of Death of the Right Fielder? What actions do the characters take?

7. Describe the time span and theme in The Blue Jar?

8. What is the setting of The Falling Girl? Who is the central character and what action does she take in the beginning of the story?

9. Who are the characters in At the River? What are they catching for food in the story?

10. How is the story On Hope different thematically and structurally from other narratives of the collection?

(see the answer keys)

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