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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 does the author describe his parents using to fix their hatchback after it was cracked up by a trash truck in "The Jenky"?

2. With what friend does the author describe chatting for an hour today in "Incorporation"?

3. What movie does the author describe in "Filling the Frame"?

4. What kind of bottle does the author describe peeing into in "Get Thee to the Nutrient Cycle!"?

5. What book does the author describe Susan Blake giving him in "Cuplicking"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What songs are discussed in "Toto"? Why are they discussed?

2. What similes and metaphors are seen in "The Purple Cornets of Spring"?

3. How are the carrots described in "Pulling Carrots"? What do they symbolize?

4. What does the author describe happening to him and his brother in "Dickweed"?

5. How is the man on the bike described in "Touched"?

6. What activity is the central subject in "Get Thee to the Nutrient Cycle!"?

7. What commentary does the author provide regarding the act of loitering in "Loitering"?

8. What commentary does the author include regarding New York City in "An Abundance of Public Toilets"?

9. How does the author describe his grandfather in "The Wave of Unfamiliars"?

10. What is bindweed? How is it described in "Bindweed... Delight?"

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's perceptions of himself in the essays in The Book of Delights. How does the author present himself? What are the attributes he is fond of? What are some of his negative traits?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Discuss the author's explorations of nature in The Book of Delights. What are examples of nature that are highlighted in the essays? What do they symbolize? How does the author connect delight with nature and gardening?

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