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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the exception Reta is going to make regarding the letter to the short story writer?
(a) Reta is going to burn it.
(b) Reta is actually going to send it.
(c) Reta is going to publish it.
(d) Reta is not going to send it.

2. Why does Arthur tell Reta the day after Christmas that it is urgent that she come to New York?
(a) Because he wants her to give a reading at a major bookstore.
(b) Because he wants to meet before he leaves the country.
(c) Because he wants to have a conference before she finishes the first draft.
(d) Because he wants her to sign a six figure book deal.

3. In her letter about the obituary in the Globe and Mail, what kind of days does Reta write that she is going through?
(a) Bleak.
(b) Unhappy.
(c) Dismal.
(d) Fearful.

4. How does Reta sign her letter about the obituary in the Globe and Mail?
(a) I no longer mourn for you. Rita Hayworth Orange Blossom City.
(b) I forgive you too. Rita Hayworth Orange Blossom City.
(c) I will not forgive you. Rita Hayworth Orange Blossom City.
(d) I grieve for you too. Rita Hayworth Orange Blossom City.

5. The nature of _______dominates the conversation between Reta and Danielle at lunch.
(a) Love.
(b) Faith.
(c) Virtue.
(d) Forgiveness.

6. What does Tom tell Reta on the phone that Norah has which has caused her to be hospitalized?
(a) Pneumonia.
(b) Cancer.
(c) Diabetes.
(d) Depression.

7. Why is Reta alarmed by the sight of Norah's hands?
(a) They are scarred.
(b) They are cut.
(c) They are broken.
(d) They are bruised.

8. What anomaly does Lois tell Arthur she sees on the oak tree outside her window?
(a) A dead branch.
(b) A lone leaf.
(c) A nest.
(d) A ribbon.

9. In her letter about the obituary in the Globe and Mail, what does Reta state she has missed out on?
(a) Nothing.
(b) Everything.
(c) Something definable.
(d) Some indefinable something.

10. According to Francis, why does everyone dismiss Norah's gloves at the hostel?
(a) Because Norah told them she didn't want to talk about it.
(b) Because they thought Norah was just another eccentric street person.
(c) Because many people at the hostel wore gloves.
(d) Because they were more concerned with other homeless people.

11. According to the Chair in Theology, what faith is balanced on words "already" and "not yet?"
(a) The Jewish faith.
(b) The Lutheran faith.
(c) The Protestant faith.
(d) The Christian faith.

12. According to Lois, what year did her husband die?
(a) 1978.
(b) 1998.
(c) 1968.
(d) 1988.

13. For what dish did Lois win a prize at the Orangetown Fair?
(a) Greek baklava.
(b) Irish stew.
(c) English fish and chips.
(d) German honey cake.

14. Whose wedding is Reta worried about?
(a) Reta and Tom's.
(b) Marietta and Colin's.
(c) Norah and Ben's.
(d) Alicia and Roman's.

15. Why does Arthur state that he thinks of the final chapter as the "kiln?"
(a) Because the clay is malleable and the ending will harden into something beautiful.
(b) Because the clay is as malleable as a reader's interpretation.
(c) Because the labor of creation is the same in writing as in art.
(d) Because the heat of the fire is akin to the power of the ending.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the story, who does Reta think the Czech professor must hate?

2. What does Reta call the "worry word" of life?

3. Arthur tells Reta the day after Christmas that he has read all the reviews for what book?

4. Who has been appointed to a university Chair in Theology?

5. Whose obituary does Reta read in the Globe and Mail?

(see the answer keys)

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