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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. At the beginning of the story, what physical symptom is the narrator having that concerns him?
(a) Leg pain.
(b) Shoulder and neck twitching.
(c) Nausea.
(d) Hands trembling.

2. What part of J.P.'s body does he say his wife could "set atremble"?
(a) Lips.
(b) Legs.
(c) Hands.
(d) Skin.

3. When does J.P. ask his wife on a first date?
(a) The night they meet.
(b) He doesn't ask her; she asks him.
(c) A week after they meet.
(d) The day after they meet.

4. What is the last line of the story?
(a) "Did I wake you up?"
(b) "Guess who?"
(c) "It's me."
(d) "Happy New Year."

5. What country does "the guy who travels" want to make contacts in?
(a) Israel.
(b) India.
(c) Egypt.
(d) Saudi Arabia.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the result of J.P.'s arrest?

2. In what part of the state does the story take place?

3. What word does J.P. use to describe how the facility's proprietor makes him feel?

4. Where does J.P. tell his stories to the narrator?

5. How many children do J.P. and his wife have?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the image of rain used in the story?

2. Why does the proprietor get a cake for New Year's Eve?

3. Give an example of hopefulness in the story.

4. Give one example of a character in the story being self-deprecating.

5. Give an example of a character in the story thinking fatalistically.

6. Describe the character Tiny.

7. What is the significance of New Year's Eve in the story?

8. Discuss how J.P.'s experience as a child in the well mirrors his experience as an adult alcoholic.

9. Give an example of how the image of hills and valleys is used by the author.

10. What does Tiny represent?

(see the answer keys)

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