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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. Where does Nick's brother live?

2. Who hits the home run for the Giants?

3. Why is Marian upset when Nick tries to talk to her?

4. What drug does Marian prepare for herself in this section?

5. What is the name of Matt and Nick's mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Hoover appreciate Truman's timing in the announcement of the Soviet bomb?

2. Why does Nick think his mother should move to Phoenix?

3. In what way are the men in the bar Nick and Sims go to all hair?

4. How did Bobby Thompson's home run affect people?

5. Why does Nick's wife like Nick's mother?

6. Who was Albert Bronzini?

7. How does Cotter get into the baseball game without paying?

8. What did Marian always want Nick to talk about?

9. What does Sims say happened to Donnie Moore?

10. Who was the Texas Highway Killer?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How did the Cold War effect American society in the fifties? How are characters such as Nick effected by the events of the Cold War later on in their lives?

Essay Topic 2

How does the disappearance of their father effect Nick and Matt? How different would their lives have been if their father stayed?

Essay Topic 3

Who was Lenny Bruce? Why does the author include him as a character in his novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 717 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample