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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 draft does Arthur ask Reta to send him?
(a) The first draft of her new novel.
(b) The final draft of her new novel.
(c) The final draft of her next novel.
(d) The first draft of her next novel.

2. What exercise does Reta find repellent?
(a) Researching her novel.
(b) Vacuuming her house.
(c) Writing her book.
(d) Counting her blessings.

3. Who is playing the piano when Reta and Tom have finished their work after their package is delivered?
(a) Natalie.
(b) Christine.
(c) Norah.
(d) Lois.

4. What is the subject of the new book Tom is reading?
(a) Plankton.
(b) Mites.
(c) Trilobites.
(d) Fungi.

5. Why does Reta decide not to attend the funeral for the person at Scribano & Lawrence?
(a) Because Reta cannot handle more grief.
(b) Because Reta does not know the person who died very well.
(c) Because Reta thinks the person who died was not good.
(d) Because Reta is going to see Norah instead.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old does Christine, Reta's daughter, turn in October?

2. What do Reta, Tom, Christine, and Natalie do in the car in Toronto?

3. What has a dormitory appearance with meals served and an enforced curfew?

4. Why is Colin's marriage to Marietta troubled?

5. According to Reta, young adults live in an age of prolonged _________and protracted__________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Norah's thoughts about the two main characters in her novel, and why they are significant.

2. What attempt does Reta make to bribe her daughter Norah to come home when she visits her on her street corner and how successful is she?

3. Describe Reta's peculiar behavior when she visits Norah in early November.

4. Why does Reta feel that normalcy is "monstrous?"

5. Describe the response of the Winters' family to seeing the hostel where Norah stays and its significance.

6. Why does Reta view her trip to the library as a way of reconnecting with Norah?

7. Why does Reta realize that she cannot create a perfect woman as a hero in her novel?

8. How does Reta respond to the death of Mr. Scribano and how is it significant?

9. Why do Reta and her writer friends at the Orange Blossom Room conclude that the concepts of goodness and greatness are incompatible for women?

10. How do Natalie and Christine attempt to give the impression that Norah's absence is part of a normal routine?

(see the answer keys)

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