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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does the young man offer to go out and get for the girl in the the story "The Sexes"?
(a) Scotch.
(b) Cigarettes.
(c) A fashion magazine.
(d) A pack of gum.

2. How does Mr. Durant react to Rose's announcement that she will not return and does not want to see him again?
(a) He pleads with her to come back.
(b) He is amused and happy that he will not have to deal with her.
(c) He says he will miss her, but admits that it is the best decision.
(d) He is disappointed but understanding.

3. In the story "The Sexes," why is the girl upset with the young man?
(a) He is trying to break off their relationship.
(b) She thinks that he spent too much time with another girl the night before.
(c) He has just told her that he does not like her hat.
(d) He has arrived late for their date.

4. What kind of flowers does the woman at the dinner party have in her hair in the story "Arrangement in Black and White"?
(a) Red silk roses.
(b) Pink velvet poppies.
(c) White daisies.
(d) Live blue orchids.

5. How does Mrs. Bain react to the news of her father's death?
(a) She immediately begins to weep passionately.
(b) She dries her eyes and asks to see him.
(c) She stands up and announces that it really was the best thing.
(d) She sighs and lays her head on her husband's chest.

Short Answer Questions

1. At the end of the story "Arrangement in Black and White," what detail of the dinner party is the woman eager to share with her husband?

2. What is the narrator's intent in the poem "Lullaby"?

3. What imaginary "purchase" puts a strain on the relationship between Annabel and Midge?

4. In the story "You Were Perfectly Fine," what time did the pale young man get up out of bed?

5. How does Mimi describe her husband's visit when her friend calls?

Short Essay Questions

1. What message about love is conveyed by the poem "A Very Short Song"?

2. How does "A Telephone Call" reinforce Dorothy Parker's perspective regarding the relationship between men and women?

3. What does Mr. Durant's response to the dog reveal about him?

4. What trouble does the man in "You Were Perfectly Fine" create when he lies about remembering the taxi ride?

5. What do the poems "I Know I Have Been Happiest" and "I Shall Come Back" have in common?

6. What is the cause of the underlying tension between the young bride and the groom in "Here We Are"?

7. Why is Mimi upset by her husband's compliment about her black dress in "The Lovely Leave"?

8. In the short story, "The Wonderful Old Gentleman," what influence has the Old Gentleman had on the Bains' lives in the five years that he has lived with them?

9. In "The Standard of Living," why does Midge become so upset over Annabel's imaginary purchase of a silver fox coat, and what does her reaction suggest about her personality?

10. Why is Mimi upset after her husband's phone call in the beginning of "The Lovely Leave"?

(see the answer keys)

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