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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. Howie compares CVS to a _________.

2. Howie desires to gain a encyclopedic knowledge of the relationship between _______.

3. Howie compares the grooves on the escalator steps to those one __________.

4. What word is Howie staring at as he stands at the urinal?

5. How many sinks are there in the men's bathroom?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Howie consider CVS to be the diary of stores?

2. What does Abe jokingly claim to Howie while they talk in the men's room?

3. What causes Howie to consider the intentions of the inventors of the escalator?

4. What does Howie consider to be the dishonesty of the World Dryer Corporation?

5. What attracted Howie to the Aurelius book?

6. How can Howie reach a majority of adult thoughts?

7. What does Howie consider to be the quintessential question about lunch hours?

8. What does Howie note about eating and drinking at the same time?

9. What does Howie note that he is surprised about in the men's bathroom?

10. What do Howie's observations about shampoos lead him to consider?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are some of the trivialities, interconnections with other people and thoughts outside of its main subject, tangents, abrupt thoughts that must not be lost and so on that the author illustrates in the footnotes? What greater truth is contained in these?

Essay Topic 2

What is the symbolic significance of the earplugs? Why does Howie feel compelled to spend an inordinate amount of time isolated within his mind?

Essay Topic 3

What profound insight does Howie achieve through his stream of consciousness while riding the subway? Could he have had this same insight without the constant stream of trivial thoughts? Is his realization truly profound, transcending the triviality of his mundane thoughts?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 705 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample