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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Ede do right after Mrs. Markey says that she does not find the situation funny?
(a) Throws the teddy bear at Billy.
(b) Laughs.
(c) Mimics Mrs. Markey.
(d) Shoves Billy to the floor.

2. What does John do to accommodate Edith's wishes?
(a) Brings a camera to take pictures at the party.
(b) Stops to get a baby gift on his way home.
(c) Stops to get Ede a sweater on his way to the party.
(d) Leaves work early so that he can get to the party before it ends.

3. What interrupts Edith's thoughts about John as the party is winding down?
(a) Mrs. Markey suggests that Edith might want to call John.
(b) Ede pushes Billy down and Billy cries out.
(c) Billy opens a present and Ede asks her mother what it is.
(d) The doorbell rings and another father enters the room.

4. What word best describes the narrator's tone toward modern parenting practices?
(a) Concerned.
(b) Skeptical.
(c) Enthusiastic.
(d) Confused.

5. What is the meaning of "amity" as it is used on page 5?
(a) Compromise.
(b) Diplomacy.
(c) Friendship.
(d) Rivalry.

6. What does Edith tell John she thought that he and Joe were going to do when she went back into the house?
(a) Fight each other.
(b) Argue a little bit and then come inside.
(c) Go to the bar to get a drink together.
(d) Shake hands and make peace.

7. What technique is used on page 3 when John's life is described as "a series of struggles up a series of rugged hills"?
(a) Epizeuxis.
(b) Antistrophe.
(c) Anaphora.
(d) Antithesis.

8. What does John hear as he is heading back into his house after the fight?
(a) A police siren approaching the house.
(b) An argument starting between Joe and Mrs. Markey.
(c) The sound of the later train that he usually takes home from work.
(d) The sound of Ede's laughter from inside his house.

9. What is Billy doing as the adults around him begin to argue loudly?
(a) Crying.
(b) Playing with his toy.
(c) Sleeping.
(d) Eating more cake.

10. Who is Ede named after?
(a) Her mother.
(b) Her father's mother.
(c) Her father's sister.
(d) Her mother's mother.

11. Why does Ede begin to cry shortly after her father arrives at the Markeys' house?
(a) She is confused and upset by all of the shouting.
(b) She does not want to leave the party.
(c) She is overtired and wants her father to pay attention to her.
(d) She hears Mr. Markey call both her and her mother insulting names.

12. When John argues with Joe, what does John make the argument about?
(a) The quality of Joe's manhood.
(b) Their relative social status.
(c) The silliness of having a party for babies.
(d) The merits of their respective wives.

13. When John walks into the Markey house, what is the first thing that Edith tells him?
(a) His lateness caused her to lose her temper.
(b) He needs to defend his daughter.
(c) The Markeys are throwing her out of the house.
(d) Mrs. Markey has been calling her names.

14. Why is Edith eager for John to arrive at the Markeys' house?
(a) She hopes that he will talk to the Markeys so she does not have to.
(b) She wants him to see how wonderful Ede is in this context.
(c) She wants the other women to see how devoted he is to her.
(d) She wants an excuse to leave the party.

15. How old is Ede when the story takes place?
(a) 2.
(b) 3.
(c) 2 1/2.
(d) 1 1/2.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Mr. Markey go upstairs after the altercation between Billy and Ede?

2. What technique is used in the page 3 phrase "the weary merry-go-round of the commuting train"?

3. What word does the narrator use on page 3 to describe the moments that John spends on the phone with Ede?

4. What is implied about the sudden end to the phone conversation between Edith and John when she tells him about the baby party?

5. What begins to happen after the children have their cake and ice cream?

(see the answer keys)

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