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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. Where is Tiny hoping to be on New Year's Eve?
(a) In Times Square.
(b) At home with his girlfriend.
(c) At home with his wife.
(d) At a friend's party.

2. How old is J.P. when he falls down a dry well?
(a) Eleven.
(b) Twelve.
(c) Five.
(d) Ten.

3. Why does the narrator's landlord grin when he sees him?
(a) The narrator waves to him.
(b) The narrator is in boxer shorts.
(c) The narrator is naked.
(d) The landlord is always happy.

4. Who is the very first character mentioned in the story?
(a) Frank Martin.
(b) Tiny.
(c) The narrator.
(d) J.P.

5. In what state does the story take place?
(a) Washington.
(b) Oregon.
(c) California.
(d) New York.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many pieces of cake does J.P. eat?

2. How long were the narrator and his wife married?

3. Why do the narrator and J.P. look forward to meals?

4. What does the proprietor say to the other men about Tiny after he has fallen?

5. Where on their bodies do many residents at the facility, including J.P., have cuts?

Short Essay Questions

1. Is the narrator's girlfriend also an alcoholic?

2. What does Joe Penny's name suggest?

3. What does Frank Martin's name suggest?

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

5. Why don't we learn what the narrator does for a living?

6. What is the significance of the story of "the guy who travels"?

7. What does the narrator's appetite represent?

8. What is the significance of the call the narrator intends to make to his wife at the end of the story?

9. How does the narrator feel about his girlfriend?

10. What is J.P.'s wife a symbol of?

(see the answer keys)

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