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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. What does the author describe harvesting in "Purple-Handed"?
(a) Mulberries.
(b) Cranberries.
(c) Blueberries.
(d) Blackberries.

2. What kind of trees does the author describe admiring in "Understory"?
(a) Birch trees.
(b) Redbud trees.
(c) Willow trees.
(d) Oak trees.

3. Who is the documentary When We Were Kings about?
(a) Mohammad Ali.
(b) James Dean.
(c) Malcom X.
(d) Martin Luther King, Jr.

4. How old does the author say he and his brother were when a boy pinched the backs of their arms until they cursed in "Dickhead"?
(a) 10 and 12.
(b) 9 and 7.
(c) 14 and 16.
(d) 6 and 8.

5. To what does the author compare the violet flower in "The Purple Cornets of Spring"?
(a) A rainbow.
(b) A car.
(c) A butterfly.
(d) A summer dress.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does the author describe walking over a bridge in "Caution: Bees on Bridge"?

2. What does the author call the kissing cousin of loitering in "Loitering"?

3. What does the author envision Kirkwood like in "The Volunteer"?

4. During what annual event does the author say he has had his deepest naps in "Public Lying Down"?

5. On what Philadelphia street does the author having a heavenly sleep in "Public Lying Down"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What movie is described in "Filling the Frame"? How does the author describe this film?

2. How is the word "jenky" defined and illustrated in "The Jenky"?

3. What irony can be seen in the essay "Church Poets"?

4. How does the author describe his mother's demeanor in "Judith Irene Gay, Aged Seventy-six Today!"?

5. What trees are discussed in "Understory"? What do they symbolize?

6. What irony is seen in the essay "The Marfa Lights"?

7. What movie is described in "Scat"? Why does the author discuss this movie?

8. What does the author say about exploitation in "Still Processing"?

9. Why is setting important in the essay "Botan Rice Candy"? What settings are described in this essay?

10. What does the crow symbolize in "The Crow's Ablutions"?

(see the answer keys)

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