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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. On page 75 of "Why I Don't Write," the exclamation point in "Passing a man who holds your gaze!" is likely meant to convey what emotions?
(a) Surprise and happiness.
(b) Anger and disgust.
(c) Weariness and suspicion.
(d) Fear and confusion.

2. In "Café Mort," what does the woman with purple fingers complain about?
(a) Mosquitoes.
(b) Tourists.
(c) The cold.
(d) The coffee.

3. On page 84 of "While It Lasts," what does Mr. Buffy tell Bonnie and George about love?
(a) "Loving and liking are different things."
(b) "Being in love is like being crazy."
(c) "Love is for the birds."
(d) "Love is a sucker's game."

4. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what is the rhetorical purpose of mentioning the rip in Ned's parka?
(a) It reinforces how young he is.
(b) It introduces Ned's capacity for violence.
(c) It demonstrates that he is careless.
(d) It reveals the family's poverty.

5. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what sport is Ned involved in?
(a) Lacrosse.
(b) Hockey.
(c) Football.
(d) Diving.

6. In "Café Mort," what does the narrator guess about the man "with eyes ringed like a raccoon's" (94)?
(a) He is only recently dead.
(b) He is in love with Rita.
(c) He is a writer.
(d) He was murdered.

7. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what does Ned like about staying with his aunt?
(a) His uncle Rob's collection of sports memorabilia.
(b) The food and the television.
(c) She is the only one who will talk about his mother.
(d) The lack of rules.

8. In "Café Mort," how does the narrator unwind after a shift at work?
(a) Television and popcorn.
(b) With a hot bath.
(c) By smoking marijuana.
(d) A book and a beer.

9. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what is Ned embarrassed about when he remembers coming to Boston Common with his mother seven years before?
(a) His mother's drinking.
(b) How little he knew about Boston.
(c) The outfits he and his brother wore.
(d) The argument he got into with his mother.

10. In "Why I Don't Write," what city is the narrator invited to visit?
(a) Sydney.
(b) Montreal.
(c) Lima.
(d) Copenhagen.

11. In "Why I Don't Write," what claim is implied by the list of female authors Jane Austen, Flannery O'Connor, and the Brontes?
(a) Female writers often depend on someone else for money.
(b) Women are better writers when they write in isolation.
(c) Women often start writing later in life than do men.
(d) Staying unmarried frees women to write.

12. In "Why I Don't Write," what is a logical antecedent for "one" in the sentence "He got another one, prettier, younger" (72)?
(a) Friend.
(b) Boss.
(c) Wife.
(d) Colleague.

13. In the context of "Café Mort," what does the word "mort" mean?
(a) A shortened form of "Mortimer."
(b) Death.
(c) Grief.
(d) The sound of a hunting horn.

14. In "Why I Don't Write," what does the narrator say "used ot be more awful" (72)?
(a) Death.
(b) Despair.
(c) Hope.
(d) Life.

15. In "Why I Don't Write," what does the narrator have a dream about?
(a) Sledding.
(b) Baseball.
(c) Lobsters.
(d) Diamonds.

Short Answer Questions

1. On page 73 of "Why I Don't Write," the list of what "Bob Dylan says," ("He's all right" and "He's not all right") is an example of which technique?

2. At the beginning of "While It Lasts," what object is George looking for?

3. In "While It Lasts," whose owns the apartment where the party is held?

4. In "While It Lasts," what does George compliment Isabel on?

5. At what time of year does "Boston Common at Twilight" take place?

(see the answer keys)

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