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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 rhetorical purpose of mentioning the rip in Ned's parka?
(a) It demonstrates that he is careless.
(b) It reinforces how young he is.
(c) It reveals the family's poverty.
(d) It introduces Ned's capacity for violence.

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

3. At the end of "While It Lasts," what do Bonnie and George argue about?
(a) She is angry about his flirting with Isabel.
(b) George always wanting to get home early.
(c) He refuses to tell her about his day at work.
(d) Bonnie's anxiety about her job.

4. In "Why I Don't Write," which author does the narrator say stopped writing poetry at 21?
(a) Rimbaud.
(b) Beckett.
(c) Dylan.
(d) Dickenson.

5. At what time of year does "Boston Common at Twilight" take place?
(a) Easter.
(b) Halloween.
(c) Christmas.
(d) Thanksgiving.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "While It Lasts," what comparison does Bonnie make between George and Mr. Buffy?

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

3. In "Why I Don't Write," what feeling does the narrator say "used to have a ragged pain, sometimes wafty, sometimes sharp as needles" (70)?

4. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what temporarily makes Ned feel safer?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. On page 73 of "Why I Don't Write," what is the effect of the single word change from "I don't read it anymore" to the later item "I don't read anymore"?

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

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

4. 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?

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

6. 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?

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

8. In "Café Mort," why does the narrator say that the stream of advice coming from the patrons is "either instructive or ironic, depending on your perspective" (93)?

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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