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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Alice attend college?

2. In chapter three, what is the name of the publication in which Alice is featured in a fashion spread?

3. At the end of chapter two, Calvin states that he is reviewing the galleys of a book. What is the book's subject?

4. What is the headline in the magazine article in which Alice is featured as a model at the age of thirty-five?

5. What is the name of the Calvin's eldest daughter?

Short Essay Questions

1. In chapter three, why does Alice accept the request to be photographed in a fashion issue of a magazine?

2. In chapter two, Calvin Trillin reveals that he never stops trying to impress his wife Alice. Give an example of this.

3. In what ways do you think Alice serves as Calvin Trillin's muse? Include characteristics that inspire his writing.

4. What are some of the adversities Alice faces throughout her life?

5. In chapter three, Calvin Trillin explains that Alice's role as caretaker to her parents has a positive impact on her life. How?

6. What does Alice keep in her Important Things envelope? Why are the things inside it so important to her?

7. In what ways are Alice's looks, coupled with the superficial facts about her background, misleading?

8. In what ways is Alice's beauty a hardship?

9. Chapter three contains two humorous poems about Alice. What theme do they share?

10. What is one positive quality that Alice inherits from her father? Why do you think this quality is especially beneficial to Alice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In what ways does Trillin rely on his wife Alice in his professional life?

Part 1) What function does she have in Trillin's work routine?

Part 2) How is she portrayed in Trillin's writings?

Part 3) In what ways does Alice serve as a muse to her husband?

Cite examples from the book in your response.

Essay Topic 2

Write the following essay from the first person point of view of Alice Trillin.

Part 1) Discuss your views on social activism.

Part 2) Why do you care so much about certain causes? Give a list of the ones that mean the most to you, and how you go about pursuing these causes.

Part 3) What do you hope to instill in your daughters through your social activism?

Part 4) What is wrong about being passive?

Essay Topic 3

Write about the messages in this memoir about parenting.

Part 1) Does Calvin Trillin agree with his wife Alice about the importance of attending their children's school plays and eating dinner together? Why or why not?

Part 2) To what extent does Alice's parenting style differ from that of her husband?

Part 3) Why does Trilllin spend so much time on the subject of parenting in About Alice?

Part 4) Trillin provides brief glimpses into the points of view of Abigail and Sarah. What do their statements say about the parenting they receive?

Cite examples from the book in your response.

(see the answer keys)

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