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

2. 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) Staying unmarried frees women to write.
(b) Women often start writing later in life than do men.
(c) Female writers often depend on someone else for money.
(d) Women are better writers when they write in isolation.

3. 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.

4. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what temporarily makes Ned feel safer?
(a) The woman tells him that she will let him use her phone.
(b) The woman tells him that she does not want to hurt him.
(c) The woman stops at a bodega for cigarettes.
(d) The woman calls him "sugar."

5. 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) Weariness and suspicion.
(c) Fear and confusion.
(d) Anger and disgust.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Boston Common at Twilight," where is Ned's family home?

2. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what is the name of Ned's aunt?

3. In "While It Lasts," why is Bonnie unable to hear the last thing that Mr. Buffy tries to tell her?

4. In "Café Mort," what do the regular patrons talk about constantly?

5. On page 107 of "Boston Common at Twilight," what causes Ned to sudden feel "that something uncertain was going to happen and he would be blamed for whatever it was"?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "While It Lasts," what does Isabel want from Bonnie, and why?

2. In "Café Mort," why would some of the waitresses be "proud" of their jobs (89)?

3. What question begins "Why I Don't Write," and how is this question related to the rest of the story?

4. In "Café Mort," what does her experience at the café teach the narrator about being "lucky" in life?

5. In "Why I Don't Write," what types of repetition are used in the page 69 paragraph "Cleaning out the closets. Cleaning out the drawers. Clearing out the basement," and what effect does the device create?

6. In "Boston Common at Twilight," why does Ned not try to get away or yell for help?

7. In "Why I Don't Write," what is the page 69 phrase "The thumping far below the floor" an allusion to, and what is its thematic significance?

8. In the second paragraph of "Why I Don't Write," what is the implication of the list following the phrase "then it all stops" (65)?

9. In "Café Mort," what does the narrator need to rid herself of before she can leave the café?

10. In "While It Lasts," how does the knapsack embody George's personality?

(see the answer keys)

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