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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. Coleman is __________, one of the first professors on the school's staff to be so.
(a) White.
(b) German.
(c) Jewish.
(d) Black.

2. What is the profession of the woman with whom Coleman Silk is having an affair?
(a) Cleaning woman.
(b) Librarian.
(c) Secretary.
(d) Prostitute.

3. Doc Chizner tells Coleman not to tell the coach that he is __________ as this might hurt Coleman's chances of the scholarship.
(a) Inexperienced.
(b) A boxer.
(c) Black.
(d) Jewish.

4. What does Coleman Silk receive that tells him that others know about his affair with a younger woman?
(a) An email.
(b) An envelope of pictures.
(c) A letter in the mail.
(d) A bouquet of flowers.

5. The investigation into Coleman's potential racist remark found him to be ______________.
(a) A racist.
(b) A liar.
(c) Guilty.
(d) Innocent.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Coleman Silk enlist when he signs up for the military branch he does?

2. Where does Coleman walk after his tense and upsetting meeting with the lawyer, even though he has not done so for years?

3. What did Coleman Silk call the two students who never seemed to be in class when he called roll?

4. What would happen if Coleman decided to do poorly in a few classes?

5. On the day she died, Iris was in perfect health aside from a __________ that would not leave her alone.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Coleman's religious background and why is this an important detail to note?

2. What does the doctor who visits Coleman's family when Coleman is in high school want from Coleman and his family?

3. What does Coleman Silk confess to his neighbor when he is 71 years of age?

4. What does Mr. Silk believe is the most important thing in life, especially for a black man?

5. How does Coleman reveal his family secret to the woman he loves while he's in college?

6. What is the current and past status of Coleman Silk's employment in this novel?

7. What did Coleman do on the day he went to the funeral parlor to make arrangements for a funeral?

8. Describe Iris' health on the day that she died, according to the book's description.

9. Why did Coleman and Iris marry if they were complete opposites without passion for each other?

10. What makes Iris a strong woman, according to the descriptions in the book?

(see the answer keys)

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