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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. In "Christmas Gift" who gives the boy a cigarette?

2. In "Christmas Gift" the boy is looking for __________.

3. In "Wild Plums" who asks the young girl to go pluming?

4. In "My Dead Brother Comes to America," what has the father gotten for all the children?

5. In "Wild Plums" what does the narrator's mother say wild plums taste like?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Killers" why doesn't the author tell the reader why Ole Anderson is going to be murdered?

2. How do you perceive the fiancee in "The Other Woman"?

3. In "That in Aleppo Once..." do you think the wife ever actually existed?

4. In "The Other Woman" do you think that the man truly loved his wife?

5. Compare and contrast the janitress and the young woman in "Theft."

6. In "Wild Plums" why do the narrator's parents not want her to pick plums?

7. Why do you think the author chose to have a narrator listening to a friend tell a story in "The Other Woman"?

8. In "My Dead Brother Comes to America," what does the father do to show he cares for his family?

9. In "Christmas Gift" why do you suppose the father stopped complaining about the half-sister staying with the family?

10. In "That In Aleppo Once..." who is V.?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain how the subject matter of "The Resemblance Between a Violin Case and a Coffin" was controversial when it was first written.

Essay Topic 2

Although the main character in "You're Ugly, Too" is a miserable person who is possibly facing cancer, the story does contain some comic relief such as the Halloween costumes worn by the characters. Cite other examples of comic relief from within the text and explain how it enhances the story and why it is necessary.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the appearances of religion within "The Key" and "A City of Churches." How is religion portrayed? Is it a positive or negative force within the text?

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