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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. Which is NOT one of the essays written by Ou-Yank Hsiu?
(a) "Old Drunkard's Pavilion"
(b) "My Three Zithers"
(c) "Essays in Idleness"
(d) "Farewell to Yang Shih"

2. To what character may many of Montaigne's writings may be considered similar to?
(a) Optimistic.
(b) Stoic.
(c) Platonic.
(d) Anti-Semitic.

3. What BEST describes the writing styles of Richard Steele and Joseph Addison?
(a) Both men are spontaneous.
(b) Addison is spontaneous, while Steele is polished.
(c) Both men are polished.
(d) Addison is polished, while Steele is spontaneous.

4. Seneca the Younger adheres to which school of philosophy?
(a) Agrarianism.
(b) Phenomenology.
(c) Nihilism.
(d) Stoicism.

5. At which university did Abraham Cowley study?
(a) Oxford.
(b) The University of Paris.
(c) Harvard.
(d) Cambridge.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who wrote "An Hour or Two Sacred to Sorrow?"

2. What does Montaigne admit in "Of Books?"

3. Which of the following is NOT a feature of Charles Lamb's writing?

4. Who is the subject of Chapter 2 in the book?

5. On what subject is Sei Shonagon particularly frank?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is dealt with by Kenko in his essay "Essays in Idleness?"

2. What is "On Noise" about? What does Seneca advise?

3. What personal details are included in Seneca's "Asthma"?

4. Describe the "monstrous child" Montaigne speaks of in "Of a Monstrous Child."

5. What subjects are talked about in "On Some Verses of Virgil?"

6. What is Seneca's philosophical background? Why is that background problematic?

7. What accounts for Maria Edgeworth's nontraditional views of male/female relationships? How are these views represented in "An Essay on the Noble Science of Self-Justification"?

8. What philosophy of death does Plutarch advise in "Consolation to His Wife?"

9. What does Montaigne say in "Of a Monstrous Child" about things or people humans consider "monstrous?"

10. Provide some biographical information on Plutarch? What was his contribution to world literature?

(see the answer keys)

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