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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. What is unusual about the woman in the neighborhood?

2. In "Blackberries," a woman tells her husband that they cannot eat the blackberries he has picked because they have run out of ___.

3. You should always do what to bread to make sure that it's fresh?

4. What does a cobbler do?

5. What critter does the dog bring back to the family home?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Emily feel invisible in "Offerings?" What does Emily do after she collects a large number of apologies?

2. Girl: Discuss some of the items that the girl must learn to do in the home.

3. "Here" describes a neighborhood in which everyone is friendly but does not socialize. Describe the neighborhood.

4. Discuss the findings of the parents in "The Sewers of Salt Lake."

5. In "The Cage," a man is trapped with no way to get free under his own power. Explain what happens that what it might mean.

6. Discuss the interview with "The Last Parakeet."

7. Vines: Discuss the man's main issue in "Vines" and what he says to his wife. How does the wife respond?

8. Why was the man so distraught in "The Paring Knife?"

9. What happens to the babies in "The Parents?"

10. The author of "Bread" questions if anyone should eat bread. Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Girl," a girl's mother gives her daughter a very long list of things to do and not to do in order to behave like and become a "proper lady." Review each item on the list. Is it applicable to current day standards? Explain. Update the list to remove archaic ideas, update those that need to be changed to reflect modern culture, and add items that are appropriate today.

Essay Topic 2

here are two poems that deal with trains: "Love Poems" and "The Burlington Northern, Southbound." Discuss the use of trains as imagery and how the inspire each author. Also discuss trains as a metaphor and how they are or are not appropriate to the stories. Research and find other poems using trains, e.g., Alan Ginsberg's "Sunflower Sutra," to compare and contrast. Which is the best use of a train as an inspiration and/or image?

Essay Topic 3

"The Last Parakeet" is a fanciful story about a Brazilian parakeet that has turned itself in and is prepared to tell its life story. Create a script for the parakeet's interview on national television. Ensure that the script is ten minutes in length. What types of questions might the interviewer ask the parakeet? What might the parakeet say regarding his unusual position? What questions would you ask the parakeet if you had the opportunity?

(see the answer keys)

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