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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: The Center of the Story.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the story's opening sentence, what is implied about the main character's writing?
(a) She does not deserve the praise she has gotten.
(b) More than one of her stories is uninteresting.
(c) Her readers are gradually deserting her.
(d) She is losing interest in her career.

2. Who is "thinking of writing a letter to the President" (20)?
(a) The woman at the church.
(b) The landlady.
(c) The main character.
(d) The man who thinks he is dying.

3. What technique is used in the sentence: "The story is flat and even, just as the earth seems flat and even when a hurricane is advancing over it" (19)?
(a) Allusion.
(b) Allegory.
(c) Simile.
(d) Personification.

4. What color is the light in the man's bedroom?
(a) Grey.
(b) Blue.
(c) Purple.
(d) Yellow.

5. What detail in the description of the man indicates how ill he feels?
(a) The sounds he is making.
(b) The color of his face.
(c) The way his ribs protrude.
(d) The smell coming from his skin.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is it logical to infer about the church women who are wearing red?

2. Who is the author of "The Center of the Story"?

3. What detail does the story give about the shape of the tape on the windows?

4. Who is with the landlady when the landlady is talking about the mayor?

5. Why was the woman reading the Bible during the period she writes about in her story?

(see the answer key)

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