View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Boston Common at Twilight," who is Matt?
(a) Ned's brother.
(b) Ned's coach.
(c) A day student at Ned's school.
(d) Ned's father.

2. 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"?
(a) When the woman leads him into the subway.
(b) When the woman first speaks to him in the park.
(c) When the woman shows Ned the knife.
(d) When the woman gestures for him to follow her out of the park.

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

4. In "While It Lasts," what has Bonnie found a "newfound satisfaction" in (81)?
(a) Clearing her plans with George.
(b) Being a part of a large family.
(c) Doing things George's way.
(d) Taking care of the details of George's life for him.

5. In "Boston Common at Twilight," why are Ned's parents splitting up?
(a) Ned's father wants to move the family to the West Coast for his business.
(b) Ned's father is under criminal investigation.
(c) Because of Ned's mother's drinking.
(d) Ned's father has fallen in love with another woman.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Boston Common at Twilight," how does Ned's brother react when Ned tells him about the assault?

2. 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?

3. In "Why I Don't Write," what claim is implied by the list of female authors Jane Austen, Flannery O'Connor, and the Brontes?

4. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what causes Ned to believe that the big man on the subway will not be willing to help him?

5. In "While It Lasts," what does Bonnie find so compelling about George?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In "Café Mort," what does the narrator mean when, on page 89, she says "It's always an endless night"?

3. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what television show does Ned secretly watch? Why does he enjoy it?

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

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

6. In "While It Lasts," what is Isabel's main complaint about Richard, and what does she think is the cause of the problem?

7. 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?

8. In "Why I Don't Write," what is the rhetorical purpose of the images of people looking at their phones?

9. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what clues does Minot offer that the woman in the park might be biologically male?

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

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,066 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample