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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who ultimately provides the most insight into what love really means?
(a) Terri.
(b) Laura.
(c) Nick.
(d) Mel.

2. How is the topic of love broached?
(a) Mel starts talking about it.
(b) Laura's children ask about it.
(c) Terri has a dream about love.
(d) The characters are reading the same book.

3. What does Mel attempt to do to the topic of love?
(a) Make it humorous.
(b) Avoid it.
(c) Talk badly about it.
(d) Dissect it.

4. When the author uses the term 'universal', to what is he referring?
(a) The use of song to make people feel better.
(b) Marriage.
(c) The romance present in relationships.
(d) The stages of love.

5. According to the author, how common are the stages of love the couples are experiencing?
(a) They are common to Western European couples.
(b) They are unique to these couples.
(c) They are common to couples their age.
(d) They are universal.

6. Why does Terri have this reaction to Mel's story about the old couple?
(a) She is angry at Laura for making Mel cry.
(b) She is afraid their intimate love will not last forever.
(c) She is jealous that she cannot evoke the same sense of love from Mel.
(d) She understands how Mel feels.

7. As Carver's story progresses, how do Mel and Terri's attitudes toward each other change?
(a) They are indifferent toward each other.
(b) They become more polite to each other.
(c) They fall more in love.
(d) They become more hostile toward each other.

8. How does Mel's behavior influence the other characters?
(a) They become overwhelmed.
(b) They become afraid and anxious.
(c) They feel safe and secure.
(d) It encourages them to talk more.

9. Where are the other characters when Mel begins to talk about love?
(a) Outdoors.
(b) At the table.
(c) At a restaurant.
(d) The author does not say.

10. Why might point of view play a role in how Mel's relationship is perceived by the reader?
(a) The story is told from Mel's point of view, so the reader only understands his relationship.
(b) The narrator may feel negatively toward Mel's relationship, thereby influencing the reader's opinion.
(c) Point of view does not play a significant role in the story.
(d) The narrator is neutral toward Mel's relationship, allowing for free interpretation by the reader.

11. How many purposes does the alcohol serve in this story?
(a) None.
(b) It is unclear.
(c) Five.
(d) Two.

12. How are the two couples different from other people in a relationship?
(a) They have a better understanding of love.
(b) They are older than the average couple in love.
(c) They are no different.
(d) They have a weaker understanding of love.

13. Who encourages Mel to explore the topic of love?
(a) No one.
(b) His wife.
(c) Terri.
(d) Laura.

14. Which of the following is a symbol in this story?
(a) Death.
(b) The heart.
(c) Music.
(d) Alcohol.

15. How does the author characterize Nick?
(a) Loud and gregarious.
(b) Gentle and compassionate.
(c) Passive and observant.
(d) Reasonable and logical.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Mel become frustrated?

2. What literary device does the author use in portraying Mel's difficulty in understanding love despite his profession?

3. Which of the following literary devices does the author use in his story?

4. Which character becomes increasingly offensive over the course of the story?

5. According to the author, what is the ultimate conclusion about the meaning of love?

(see the answer keys)

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