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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 "Boston Common at Twilight," what is the name of Ned's aunt?
(a) Marcie.
(b) Elsie.
(c) Mary Ellen.
(d) Sharon.

2. In "While It Lasts," what does Bonnie think is Isabel's problem with finding love?
(a) She thinks that Isabel's standards are too high.
(b) She thinks that Isabel might not actually be attracted to men.
(c) She thinks that Isabel is not serious enough about life.
(d) She thinks that Isabel's drinking turns men off.

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

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

5. In "Boston Common at Twilight," how does Ned's brother react when Ned tells him about the assault?
(a) He blames Ned for making bad choices.
(b) He forces Ned to tell their mother what happened.
(c) He calls the police and reports the crime.
(d) He says he will kill the perpetrator.

Short Answer 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)?

2. In "Café Mort," what attitude is more common among the late-night customers?

3. On page 66 of "Why I Don't Write," what is ironic about the diagnosis of the computer problem "Your system must be overloaded"?

4. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what has changed in Ned's thinking about his mother as he has gotten older?

5. In "Café Mort," why does one of the customers always refer to himself using plurals?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "Boston Common at Twilight," why does Ned end up taking an earlier train than usual, and how does this matter to the story's plot?

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

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

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

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

6. In "While It Lasts," what subject does Isabel keep making bitter jokes about, and why does she do this?

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

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

9. 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?

10. 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?

(see the answer keys)

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