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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. How does Lane Dean Jr. feel about his work in Chapter 33?

2. In Chapter 27, what is David trained to do?

3. In Chapter 30, what is Sylvanshine's job?

4. Where does Cusk run off to during a break in Chapter 27?

5. In Chapter 24, what does David notice as he walks through the IRS REC building?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does David's father's arm get stuck in the train?

3. What are IRS phantoms?

4. How does David's early IRS training differ from Cusk's?

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

6. How does David feel while Ms. Neti-Neti leads him into the IRS REC?

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

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

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

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

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

Explore the theme of success in this novel. What things make people successful? What things impede success? What is the overall message about success in this novel?

Essay Topic 3

How is characterization accomplished in this novel? Consider the fact that characters will appear in one chapter and not again for several chapters. Consider how many of the characters interact with minor and unnamed characters. Also, how is characterization accomplished in chapters that exist to develop the IRS and setting only?

(see the answer keys)

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