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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 do the contents of Nora's purse most resemble?

2. What is the name of Nora's apartment building?

3. What does Nora Ephron's new purse bring her?

4. What topic does Nora think each women struggles with all on their own?

5. What does Nora Ephron not like about her purse?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Nora as she throws herself into the culinary arts?

2. What does Nora Ephron not like about her neck?

3. Who are the people that move in and that Nora meets in her building and what happens with these relationships?

4. Describe how Nora views her apartment in the beginning?

5. What does Nora claim affects people more than anything else?

6. What is the symbolism of Nora's apartment?

7. What types of maintenance are there?

8. What is the first stage of parenting?

9. What is significant about Lee Bailey?

10. What does Nora's final decision about her new, waterproof, roomy purse do for other women trying to make traditional purses work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Nora Ephron gives the reader a short synopsis of her life in the chapter titled, " The Story of My LIfe in 3500 Words or Less". What is the significance of the art of biography? Why do we document our life and our life events? What is to be gained by the reader by studying someone else's life? Use 3 examples of biographies you have researched throughout the unit and talk about how they have made an impact on you. Treat "biography" as a genre and determine its strengths and weaknesses.

Essay Topic 2

Nora talks about many one liners that offer advice, humor, comfort, and are thought provoking in her chapter titled "What I Wish I'd Known" There are no themes. Write an essay on what you wish you'd known about life. Include humorous, comforting, and thought provoking remarks and even some anecdotes. Provide examples of the times where your life could have been different had you known a certain thing - or two.

Essay Topic 3

Nora says that most people would agree that wisdom comes with age. What do you believe? Write an essay on the definition of wisdom, according to the Greeks, and how it is now perceived in Western Culture. Does the West respect the wisdom that comes with age? Do they respect age? Is there any exception to the old adage that wisdom comes from age? Could wisdom come from truthful perception? Write this as an opinion piece and base it on personal experience.

(see the answer keys)

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