View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why did Mencken curse those who translated the Bible into English?
(a) They made a host of grammatical errors.
(b) They made many factual errors.
(c) They misinterpreted the principles of Jesus Christ.
(d) They made the prose overly flowery and beautiful.

2. Who started chiropractic, according to Mencken?
(a) William Jennings Bryan.
(b) Dr. William Bayle Howard.
(c) Andrew Still.
(d) Alistair Cooke.

3. What was the art discussed in "The Comedian"?
(a) Television situational comedy.
(b) Street musicianship.
(c) Stage acting.
(d) Pantomime.

4. How did Mencken appraise Valentino in their dinner meeting?
(a) Valentino was a brute who did not deserve his fame or money.
(b) Valentino was a noble soul questioning his vulgar acting profession.
(c) Valentino was a genius who would be better suited as a scientist or engineer.
(d) Valentino was a ham actor of the highest order.

5. What might Mencken say was Grover Cleveland's defining trait?
(a) Intelligence.
(b) Stubbornness.
(c) Political acumen.
(d) A lust for life.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who were the two attorneys in the Scopes monkey trial?

2. How was Mencken able to get a taxi driver to drive him to a speakeasy in Pennsylvania?

3. Which of the following was true in regard to statements made by Mencken about chiropractic?

4. What point did Mencken make when referring to the picture of a French soldier who was deformed with multiple amputations in war?

5. What might Mencken say about a writer's sense of beauty?

Short Essay Questions

1. What caused Mencken to question the American psyche in "The Libido for the Ugly"?

2. Why did Mencken miss corporal punishment in schools in "Travail"?

3. What did Mencken feel were the true and most damaging consequences of the Civil War, according to "The Calamity of Appomattox"?

4. What opinions did Mencken render in "Masters of Tone"?

5. For what reasons did Mencken admire Grover Cleveland?

6. In "The Noble Experiment," what story did Mencken relate about acquiring alcohol at the Republican National Convention?

7. How did Mencken distinguish between plutocracy and aristocracy in "A Glance Ahead"?

8. According to "The Wallace Paranoia," what did candidate Henry Wallace do during the convention of the Progressive Party?

9. Describe the religious service Mencken witnessed in "The Hills of Zion."

10. What was the content of "Sententiae"?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,046 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample