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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. When were the bodies of Steven Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore discovered?

2. Where has Julian brought a license plate from to the Barkley Marathons in "The Immortal Horizon"?

3. Where is Carl said to be from in "The Immortal Horizon"?

4. What was the sentence that Charlie was given, according to the author in "Fog Count"?

5. Where did Blake Wood earn his Ph.D.?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did the author attend the Barkley Marathons?

2. How does the author compare sentimentality and artificial sweeteners in "In Defense of Saccharine(e)"?

3. How is Jim described in "In Defense of Saccharine(e)"?

4. How does the author describe the word "saccharine" in the opening of "In Defense of Saccharine(e)"?

5. What does the author describe the maid doing in Madame Bovary in "In Defense of Saccharine(e)"?

6. How does the author describe Charlie when she first sees him in "Fog Count"?

7. What statement is the author making in "Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain"?

8. How are Michael Moore's parents described in "Lost Boys"?

9. Who originated the Barkley Marathons? How is this individual described?

10. How does the author describe the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's struggles with Dave in the first essay. How did these personal struggles change the author's perceptions of empathy? How did they shape her understanding of pain and suffering? In what ways did the author evolve through this situation?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the individuals that are characterized in "The Immortal Horizon." How is Laz described? What motivated him to create the Barkley Marathons? How does the author use metaphor and simile in her descriptions of these individuals? How do these literary devices shape your impressions of them?

Essay Topic 3

How is metaphor central in "In Defense of Saccharin(e)"? What is the central metaphor in the essay? How do you relate to this metaphor? Is this metaphor effective in illustrating the author's points in the essay?

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