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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. According to the narrator, what is the physical appearance of his landlord?
(a) Short and bald.
(b) Old, bald, and needs a shave.
(c) Old and decrepit.
(d) Bald and fat.

2. When the narrator and his girlfriend arrive at the facility, what does the girlfriend do?
(a) Drives off immediately.
(b) Decides to check into a nearby motel.
(c) Walks him inside.
(d) Stays to have lunch.

3. On New Year's Eve, who asks for champagne as a joke?
(a) J.P.
(b) Tiny.
(c) The narrator.
(d) The patient who travels.

4. How old is J.P.?
(a) About thirty.
(b) Thirty-eight.
(c) Forty.
(d) Twenty-two.

5. What was J.P. doing when he met his wife?
(a) Drinking cheap wine.
(b) Drinking and playing records.
(c) Playing cards.
(d) Talking to another girl.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to "the guy who travels," why is he at the facility?

2. What is the first thing the narrator and J.P. talk about when they meet?

3. What country does "the guy who travels" want to make contacts in?

4. What do J.P. and the narrator drink on the porch on the morning of New Year's Day?

5. Why does J.P. say he switched drinks?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why does Tiny stay at the facility?

3. What is the plot of "To Build a Fire," the story the narrator remembers reading?

4. Why is J.P. drawn to his wife when they meet?

5. Is Frank Martin an alcoholic?

6. How does J.P. treat his wife?

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

8. Describe the character Frank Martin.

9. Why does the narrator want to ask Tiny more about his seizure?

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

(see the answer keys)

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