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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. For the majority of the story, what tone does the narrator adopt?
(a) Dismissive.
(b) Amused.
(c) Melancholic.
(d) Objective.

3. What denomination is the last church that the woman visits?
(a) Congregationalist.
(b) Baptist.
(c) Methodist.
(d) Episcopalian.

4. After completing her first draft of the story, what does the woman realize about it?
(a) She is losing touch with her passion as a writer.
(b) She cannot remember why she wanted to write it in the first place.
(c) She understands more about herself and her life now that she has written it.
(d) She is afraid that the content of the story will upset her friend.

5. Who is the author of "The Center of the Story"?
(a) Judith Frank.
(b) Lydia Davis.
(c) Doris Betts.
(d) Maile Chapman.

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

7. Why does the main character find that the story she is working on is not an easy one to write?
(a) It is about friendship.
(b) It is about death.
(c) It is about religion.
(d) It is about fear.

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

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

10. What color is the light in the man's bedroom?
(a) Blue.
(b) Grey.
(c) Yellow.
(d) Purple.

11. What detail in the description of the man indicates how ill he feels?
(a) The color of his face.
(b) The way his ribs protrude.
(c) The sounds he is making.
(d) The smell coming from his skin.

12. What does the landlady say the mayor gave her?
(a) Carpet.
(b) Flowers.
(c) A stove.
(d) An award.

13. What specific Biblical story does the writer focus on?
(a) Noah's Ark.
(b) The Garden of Eden.
(c) The Trials of Job.
(d) Jonah and the Great Fish.

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

15. 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 reads the Koran and the Talmud.
(c) She looks out the window and watches the news.
(d) She shops for emergency supplies and fills her tub with water.

Short Answer Questions

1. 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)?

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

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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