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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the subject of the first Mencken-written article that was ever published?
(a) A horse robbery.
(b) The gold standard.
(c) A high-society party.
(d) Political discontent in Europe.

2. Which man did Mencken dub the "Star-Spangled Man"?
(a) George Washington.
(b) Woodrow Wilson.
(c) John Pershing.
(d) William Jennings Bryan.

3. Which was described as Mencken's earliest memory?
(a) Attending a speech of William Jennings Bryan.
(b) Watching a carnival of the Order of Orioles.
(c) Getting bitten by a snake.
(d) Swatting flies with his brother in the kitchen.

4. In "Pater Patriae," which was NOT one of the reasons Mencken admired George Washington?
(a) He was tough-living, and whiskey-drinking.
(b) He put his trust and authority in intellectuals and lawyers.
(c) He was not convinced of the wisdom of common people.
(d) He could cuss up a storm.

5. Why was Theodore Dreiser compared to Franz Schubert by Mencken?
(a) Dreiser and Schubert used whimsy, irony, and a sense of silliness.
(b) Dreiser and Schubert both created work that is "lighter than air."
(c) Dreiser and Schubert exhibited an uncommon and sometimes perverse imagination.
(d) Dreiser and Schubert didn't know the theory of their arts, but nonetheless they produce valuable work.

6. Which was NOT a feature of the ideal aristocracy, according to Mencken?
(a) The presence of a complex set of protocols and accepted behaviors.
(b) The presence of bold, free-thinking men.
(c) Intellectual superiority.
(d) The ability to produce excellent art.

7. Which boat captain helped Mencken while in Cuba?
(a) Leonhard.
(b) Demetrio.
(c) Menocal.
(d) Ignacio.

8. Why do "handsome men" deserve suspicion?
(a) They are "ugly" inside.
(b) They are always self-serving and vain.
(c) The human body is inherently ugly.
(d) They are terrible conversationalists.

9. What criticism did Dr. William Bayard Hale have for Woodrow Wilson?
(a) Wilson was more interested in tea parties and social functions than policy discussions.
(b) His rhetoric was lofty, but ultimately empty of substance.
(c) As an orator, Wilson was dull, and focuses too much on foreign policy.
(d) Wilson had the gall to pardon Eugene Debs.

10. What did Mencken think about monogamy, as revealed in "Cavia Cobaya"?
(a) Great men aspired to and achieved it.
(b) Functionally, monogamy was the same as polygamy, because everyone cheats.
(c) Monogamy was the laughable product of democracy.
(d) Monogamy stifled the natural urgings of a man.

11. According to Mencken, what was the Union fighting for in the Civil War?
(a) Freedom.
(b) Profit.
(c) Against the notion of self-determinism.
(d) Self-governance.

12. In "Gore in the Caribees," how was Jose Miguel captured?
(a) Jose Miguel was caught in bed with a prostitute.
(b) He was caught sleeping in a hammock.
(c) Jose Miguel was caught while making a terrorist bomb.
(d) He was captured after a fierce battle in which he showed his courage.

13. What moral choice faced Mencken and a cop on New Year's Day, in "Recollections of Notable Cops"?
(a) A man clearly beat his wife, but could not be technically arrested.
(b) A prostitute bribed the policeman.
(c) They learned about a corrupt policeman, and had to decide whether to turn the man in.
(d) A dead man was found with a large sum of money in his pocket.

14. In "The Good Man," what general statement did Mencken make about mankind?
(a) Men are good and kind, and almost always do the right thing.
(b) Man is not perfect, and any strengths are balanced by flaws.
(c) Men are not predisposed to appreciate art, and often must be forced.
(d) Men are gluttonous, and must continually fight the urge to eat.

15. What human flaw does democracy depend upon, according to Mencken?
(a) Rage.
(b) Vanity.
(c) Greed.
(d) Envy.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which was one of Mencken's criticisms for Woodrow Wilson?

2. What does Mencken state about the literary influence(s) of Theodore Dreiser?

3. What stance can Mencken be said to have taken in "Star-Spangled Man"?

4. According to "Text for Newspaper Days," what is modern journalism missing?

5. In "The Baltimore of the Eighties," why does Mencken's mother lament about a trip to the market?

(see the answer keys)

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