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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 plan do Laura and Buddy devise?
(a) To sell ordinary tap water as holy water from the river Jordan.
(b) To gradually get Essie out of the church altogether.
(c) To sell prayer indulgences.
(d) To siphon money out of the church funds.

2. What do they name the new church in the theater?
(a) The LE Praise and Gospel Hour.
(b) The Reed Sisters'Tambourine Temple.
(c) The Reed Sister's Praise and Gospel Hour.
(d) L & E's singin' and praisin'.

3. Of what is Laura still jealous?
(a) Birdie Lee.
(b) Essie.
(c) Chicken-Crow-For-Day.
(d) Them white folks what's got so much.

4. When Laura encourages Essie, what does Essie do?
(a) Falls silent and becomes very still, entering into one of the "pauses" into which she frequently falls.
(b) Sings louder.
(c) Begins to sob instead of crying quietly.
(d) Prays with more fervency.

5. About what is Essie worried?
(a) About the way Laura is carrying on.
(b) About how she can get out of the city with some money.
(c) About how Laura seems ill.
(d) About when she can bring her daughter to live with her.

Short Answer Questions

1. What would be an accurate description as to how Laura is described in Chapter 3?

2. To whom does Laura liken many of her personality traits?

3. What could the wine glass symbolize as far as Laura's character?

4. Why does Laura begin to sing?

5. What does Essie think Laura should be thinking?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does previous foreshadowing play out in Chapter 30?

2. What is ironic about the beginning of Essie and Laura's church?

3. How is the narration's description of the North being a Black mecca ironic?

4. How is the title of Chapter 34 related to the New Testament?

5. How do you think the classic Aesop's fable about the tortoise and the hare seems to be a good metaphor for what is happening in Essie and Laura's life?

6. Why do you think Essie refuses to throw away her knife as Laura urges her to do?

7. What two things are mentioned that have already been mentioned in previous chapters and what might be the significance of their being mentioned again?

8. How do you think Marietta feels having been raised in the rural South to arrive in Harlem and find an older, very attractive man flirting with her?

9. The ending of Chapter 1 and the beginning of Chapter 36, both are concerned with hymns singing to God; how are the circumstances different and alike in the two chapters?

10. What do you think is the significance of the title to Chapter 29, "Apple of Evil"?

(see the answer keys)

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