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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Through which of the following methods does Carver communicate most of the significant aspects of his story?
(a) Figurative language.
(b) Dialogue.
(c) Hyperbole.
(d) Metamorphism.

2. As Carver's story progresses, how do Mel and Terri's attitudes toward each other change?
(a) They become more polite to each other.
(b) They are indifferent toward each other.
(c) They fall more in love.
(d) They become more hostile toward each other.

3. According to the author, Mel's profession requires a significant amount of:
(a) Romanticizing.
(b) Precision.
(c) Second-guessing.
(d) Dreaming.

4. How does the author characterize Terri and Mel's relationship?
(a) Hostile and rocky.
(b) Strong and honest.
(c) Unstable and volatile.
(d) Egalitarian and loving.

5. Why might point of view play a role in how Mel's relationship is perceived by the reader?
(a) The narrator is neutral toward Mel's relationship, allowing for free interpretation by the reader.
(b) The story is told from Mel's point of view, so the reader only understands his relationship.
(c) The narrator may feel negatively toward Mel's relationship, thereby influencing the reader's opinion.
(d) Point of view does not play a significant role in the story.

6. What aspects of the heart does Mel understand?
(a) The connotation.
(b) The emotional nuances.
(c) The concept of healing one broken by unrequited love.
(d) The physical properties.

7. Which of the following is the denotation of the word 'love'?
(a) Past memories associated with relationships.
(b) An extreme dislike of another person.
(c) The images that come to mind and the feelings that are evoked.
(d) A tender affection for another person.

8. Which of the following describes Terri's reaction to Mel's response to the story of the old couple?
(a) Caustic.
(b) Fearful.
(c) Enraged.
(d) Empathetic.

9. Why is Mel's story interrupted in the middle?
(a) Nick falls asleep.
(b) Laura wants to go to dinner.
(c) Terri becomes irritated.
(d) He wants another drink.

10. What can be said to be a motif in Carver's story?
(a) Letters.
(b) Heat.
(c) Love.
(d) The color red.

11. According to the author, where are the characters from?
(a) A foreign land.
(b) The East Coast.
(c) The same place.
(d) Somewhere else.

12. What time of day does this story end?
(a) Dinnertime.
(b) Late afternoon.
(c) Midday.
(d) Early morning.

13. Which of the following characters are able to loosen up over the course of the story?
(a) Nick and Laura.
(b) Only Mel.
(c) Terri and Mel.
(d) All of them.

14. Which character becomes increasingly offensive over the course of the story?
(a) Marjorie.
(b) Laura.
(c) Mel.
(d) Nick.

15. In which part of the story does the narrator mention where the characters are from?
(a) In the beginning.
(b) The narrator does not mention it at all.
(c) In the middle.
(d) In the final paragraph.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the author, what role do analysis and science play in the meaning of love?

2. In what part of the story does the exposition appear?

3. What term best describes Mel's nature?

4. What does Terri think of the other couple's relationship?

5. Who can be said to be Mel's foil in this story?

(see the answer keys)

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