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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 aspect of old-time education did Mencken miss most in modern education?
(a) The insistence on only male teachers.
(b) The charm of the one-room schoolhouse.
(c) Corporal punishment.
(d) The tolling of the dinner triangle.

2. To what degree has "new architecture" impacted America?
(a) It has come to dominate America, much to Mencken's delight.
(b) It hasn't reached American shores yet, and Mencken pleads with Europe to let America "borrow" it.
(c) It has come to dominate America, much to Mencken's chagrin.
(d) It has not had much of an impact.

3. What was Mencken's general opinion of religion at the end of "Holy Writ"?
(a) Religion is valuable, but flawed.
(b) Religion is a great good, and responsible for much of what is good in civilization.
(c) Religion is evil, and should be outlawed.
(d) Religion is a pretty silly business.

4. What was the source of Oliver Wendell Holmes' allure?
(a) His eloquent, epigrammatic writing style.
(b) His personal charisma and sometimes outrageous court antics.
(c) His ability to stick to the facts and write sound legal opinions.
(d) His ability to bribe officials at every level of government.

5. Which of the following is a trait of the Anglo-Saxon race, per "The Anglo-Saxon"?
(a) Bravery.
(b) Intelligence.
(c) Cultural superiority.
(d) Weak will.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was unique to the American psyche according to Mencken in "Libido for the Ugly"?

2. Who was Mencken with at a Bach concert in Pennsylvania when he decided to get some liquor?

3. What was the art discussed in "The Comedian"?

4. Who started chiropractic, according to Mencken?

5. Why did Mencken call democracy a "self-limiting disease"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Mencken--with tongue firmly in cheek--try to justify a man's murdering of his wife in "A Good Man Gone Wrong"?

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

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

4. Did Mencken's aesthetics conform to the ideals of the "new architecture"? Explain.

5. What stance did Mencken take in "Mencken's Last Stand"?

6. Why are artists "anti-patriotic," according to Mencken in "The Artist"?

7. In "Exeunt Omnes," Mencken described his second book on death, which has collected sayings and thoughts on death. What did Mencken maintain was the main idea of the book?

8. What did Mencken conclude about his research into the court cases of Oliver Wendell Holmes?

9. According to "The Author at Work," why do writers write?

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

(see the answer keys)

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