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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. For what period of time did "the zap factor" (92) shape Irving's behavior?
(a) Days.
(b) Weeks.
(c) Months.
(d) Years.

2. Irving points out in Chapter 16: Logos and Stereotypes that humans are the only creatures on earth who use which objects to make sense of their world?
(a) Symbols.
(b) Sounds.
(c) Maps.
(d) Landmarks.

3. Irving remarks on the recent push to use the term "enslaved African" (107) in lieu of which term?
(a) Indentured servant.
(b) Immigrant.
(c) Slave.
(d) African immigrant.

4. At what age did Irving graduate from college, effectively ending the unexamined part of her life?
(a) 21.
(b) 23.
(c) 24.
(d) 22.

5. How many million black American men fought in World War II?
(a) 6.
(b) 3.
(c) 9.
(d) 1.

Short Answer Questions

1. The activity at the end of Chapter 9: White Superiority asks readers to explain how they feel about which term?

2. Which member of Irving's family is featured most prominently within the events of the memoir's first chapter?

3. Which American generation is defined as having been born between the years of 1946 and 1964?

4. What sort of literary device does Irving use to stress the verbs "avoid" and "perpetuate" in relation to the "zap factor" (92)?

5. In Chapter 15: The Whole Story, Irving warns the reader of the dangers associated with what types of stories?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is another term for inattentional blindness and what do the two terms mean?

2. Compare and contrast the answer Irving's mother gave her in Chapter 1: What Wasn't Said with the answer Irving believes should have been delivered.

3. What is Irving's purpose for including a lengthy explanation of her mother's overall kindness in Chapter 1: What Wasn't Said?

4. What singular conclusion does Irving draw about culture in Chapter 3: Race Versus Class?

5. For what reason does Irving use an allusion to the television show I Love Lucy in Chapter 12: Icebergs?

6. What is the symbolism of the set of diplomas described in Chapter 16: Logos and Stereotypes?

7. What message does Irving send in Chapter 3: Race Versus Class about the distinction between those two elements of society?

8. For what purpose does Irving include an allusion to Norman Rockwell in Chapter 2: Family Values?

9. What was the Carlisle School and what effect did it have on the rest of the country?

10. Discuss the impact of the philosophy of colorblindness as it relates to the fight for social justice.

(see the answer keys)

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