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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. What does Chapter 25 describe?

2. In Chapter 22, what happens after David's father's death?

3. How much time passes in Chapter 25?

4. In Chapter 24, who is the last person on the van once it arrives at the IRS building?

5. In Chapter 35, what worries the narrator?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does David describe the van ride after he is hired by the IRS?

2. What happens with the lawsuits that follow David's father's death?

3. In Chapter 27, what reason is given for possibly not conducting an audit?

4. What concerns Lane Dean Jr. most about the work he does in Chapter 33?

5. In Chapter 27, what surprises Cusk when he returns from his break?

6. What is the relationship between the Peoria REC and Martinsburg?

7. In Chapter 22, what reason does David give for going to the IRS for a job?

8. Why does Sylvanshine talk to Reynolds over the phone in Chapter 30?

9. Why is Lehrl's office so important to Reynolds in Chapter 30?

10. In Chapter 22, why does David take a long time getting to the train?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the use of nick names and code words in the IRS. What do these terms suggest about the agency? What do they reveal about the IRS employees? How do they influence the setting of the IRS REC?

Essay Topic 2

What is the effect of the loosely connected characters of "The Pale King" on the development of the plot? What is the relationship between plot and characterization?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the use of dialogue vs the use of description. Look at how each is used in the novel and what makes these uses effective or ineffective.

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