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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. 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 reads the Koran and the Talmud.
(d) She shops for emergency supplies and fills her tub with water.

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

3. Why was the woman reading the Bible during the period she writes about in her story?
(a) Because it was the High Holy Days.
(b) Because she needed comfort during the hurricane.
(c) Because she wanted to know exactly what it said.
(d) Because she wanted to use Biblical allusions in her writing.

4. What does the sick man want when he calls the main character?
(a) He wants her to come over and help him.
(b) He wants her advice about whether to go to the hospital.
(c) He wants to talk about death and the afterlife.
(d) He wants to apologize for the argument they recently had.

5. What does the narrator say "usually promises to be interesting" (19)?
(a) A flood.
(b) A hurricane.
(c) A death.
(d) A religious crisis.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What detail does the story give about the shape of the tape on the windows?

3. What does the landlady say the mayor gave her?

4. Why does the main character find that the story she is working on is not an easy one to write?

5. Why does the man in the story feel so ill?

(see the answer key)

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