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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: The Center of the Story.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does the woman think might be preventing her from committing to a center for her story?
(a) Fear.
(b) Laziness.
(c) Curiosity.
(d) Hope.

2. What technique is used in the phrase "the stink of burning hair, fur, and horn" (19)?
(a) Onomatopoeia.
(b) Imagery.
(c) Assonance.
(d) Synesthesia.

3. In what religion are the High Holy Days a sacred time?
(a) Hinduism.
(b) Islam.
(c) Judaism.
(d) Christianity.

4. What detail does the story give about the shape of the tape on the windows?
(a) It is shaped like diamonds.
(b) It is shaped like the letter "x."
(c) It is shaped like crosses.
(d) It is shaped like asterisks.

5. Besides reading the Bible, what else does the woman spend her time doing in the period of time her story is about?
(a) She calls each of her family members and friends.
(b) She looks out the window and watches the news.
(c) She shops for emergency supplies and fills her tub with water.
(d) She reads the Koran and the Talmud.

Short Answer Questions

1. The man tells the woman that he has committed "blasphemy" (20). What has he done?

2. For the majority of the story, what tone does the narrator adopt?

3. Who is "thinking of writing a letter to the President" (20)?

4. What detail in the description of the man indicates how ill he feels?

5. What detail of the woman's train ride reinforces the motif of things that come close to happening but do not actually happen?

(see the answer key)

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