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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. What movie does the author recommend the reader see in "Among the Rewards of My Sloth..."?

2. Who created the film The Greaty Beauty that is described in "Joy is Such a Human Madness"?

3. What store does the author describe the woman exiting with her kids in "Lily on the Pants"?

4. At what school does the author describe reading poems to a group of students in "Weirdly Untitled"?

5. What does the author describe on his socks in "Reading Palms"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What setting is described in "REPENT OR BURN"? What is this setting like?

2. What event does the author describe attending in "Giving My Body to the Cause"? Why is this event significant?

3. Who is the main subject in the essay "Baby, Baby, Baby"?

4. How is the setting of "Tap Tap" described? What is notable about this setting?

5. Who was Vertus Hardiman and why is he discussed in "Hole in the Head"?

6. How does the author describe his audience in "Weirdly Untitled"?

7. What song is discussed in "Donny Hathaway on Pandora"? What is the subject of the song?

8. What atmosphere is evoked through the setting of "Coffee without the Saucer"?

9. What is the setting of "Praying Mantis"? What atmosphere does it evoke?

10. What kind of plant is described in "The Irrepressible: The Gratitudes"? What are the author's impressions of the plant?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's characterizations of the people around him in The Book of Delights. What individuals from the author's life are incorporated into the book? How are they described? How do these characterizations reflect upon the author's themes in the work?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the connections between human touch, connection, and delight. In what essays from the collection does the author discuss human touch? How does he perceive it? Why is connection important to the author?

Essay Topic 3

In several of the essays in The Book of Delights, the author describes a scene that takes place in transit. How do these settings differ from others in the collection? What is symbolic about settings that are between two locales? How do the author's interactions in these settings differ from interactions elsewhere?

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