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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. On her train ride, what does the woman realize she has not given much thought to?
(a) The newscasters.
(b) Her next story.
(c) Her friend's illness.
(d) The devil.

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

3. For what reason, besides that "there may not be enough to tell about him," does the woman think that the man might not be the right "center" for her story (20)?
(a) The man will be angry that she wrote about him.
(b) There is no real resolution to his story.
(c) This might not be the right time to tell his story.
(d) She is unclear about how she feels about the man.

4. Who is "thinking of writing a letter to the President" (20)?
(a) The main character.
(b) The landlady.
(c) The man who thinks he is dying.
(d) The woman at the church.

5. What detail in the description of the man's bedroom indicates how close the hurricane is getting?
(a) The drawn blinds.
(b) The windows rattling.
(c) The flickering electricity.
(d) The television weather forecast.

Short Answer Questions

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

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

3. In what religion are the High Holy Days a sacred time?

4. How does the woman realize her study of religion has made her feel?

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

(see the answer key)

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