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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. Why is Reta alarmed by the sight of Norah's hands?
(a) They are broken.
(b) They are cut.
(c) They are scarred.
(d) They are bruised.

2. What is the name of the place Reta meets her friends on Tuesdays?
(a) Red Blossom Room.
(b) Orange Blossom Room.
(c) Green Blossom Room.
(d) Yellow Blossom Room.

3. What items are NOT in the package Christine and Natalie bring Norah after Christmas break?
(a) A thermos and gloves.
(b) Fruit and chocolate.
(c) A brush and comb.
(d) A tracksuit and soap.

4. What assessment does Helt have of Reta's first novel?
(a) That it was entertaining but poorly written.
(b) That it was laborious and difficult to understand.
(c) That it was well-written and complex.
(d) That it was quickly written and a light read.

5. In the short story that Reta writes her letter about, what does the Czech professor see in the medical supply shop that disgusts him?
(a) A mastectomy bra.
(b) An artifical limb.
(c) A colostomy bag.
(d) An oxygen tank.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Reta remember about Tom's childhood as they walk in the cemetery?

2. What does Arthur consider the last chapter in Reta's novel to be?

3. What does Lois tell Arthur she attended many years ago?

4. In her review of a female author, Helt states that all relationships are seen through the lens of what?

5. What does Tom tell Reta on the phone that Norah has which has caused her to be hospitalized?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Reta, what is the "worry word" of life and why is it significant?

2. When Reta and Tom consult a psychiatrist about Norah, what does he tell them and how do they respond?

3. Why does Reta call Dennis Ford-Halpern's omission of women in his book "The Goodness Gap" a "moral dilemma in itself"?

4. Describe Reta and Lois's relationship.

5. At the hospital, what does Natalie reveal about the injuries to Norah's hands?

6. What is Lois's true opinion of what happened to Norah that she is afraid to express?

7. How does Emma, Reta's journalist friend, try to comfort her and how is it significant?

8. What is Reta's impression of Arthur Springer when she finally meets him at her home in January and how do they get into a heated discussion?

9. At the end of the novel, what do we learn about the reason for Norah's disappearance and subsequent homelessness?

10. Why does Reta sign her letter to Dennis Ford-Halpern, "Yours, Rita Orange d'Ville"?

(see the answer keys)

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