View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Boston Common at Twilight," how many times has Ned seen his father since his father broke the news about his separation from their mother?
(a) 0.
(b) 3.
(c) 1.
(d) 2.

2. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what temporarily makes Ned feel safer?
(a) The woman tells him that she will let him use her phone.
(b) The woman stops at a bodega for cigarettes.
(c) The woman calls him "sugar."
(d) The woman tells him that she does not want to hurt him.

3. According to "Why I Don't Write," what is the problem with making donations?
(a) The tax write-off is not high enough.
(b) People do not appreciate them enough.
(c) You'll be asked for more.
(d) They do not go to the purpose you intended.

4. On page 66 of "Why I Don't Write," what is ironic about the diagnosis of the computer problem "Your system must be overloaded"?
(a) Unsolicited advice clearly bothers the narrator.
(b) The narrator does not have a computer.
(c) The narrator's computer is brand new.
(d) The advice applies to the narrator's life, as well.

5. In "While It Lasts," what does Bonnie think is Isabel's problem with finding love?
(a) She thinks that Isabel might not actually be attracted to men.
(b) She thinks that Isabel's drinking turns men off.
(c) She thinks that Isabel's standards are too high.
(d) She thinks that Isabel is not serious enough about life.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what does Ned like about staying with his aunt?

2. On page 66 of "Why I Don't Write," what is the subject of the only article the narrator reads all the way through?

3. In "Boston Common at Twilight," where is Ned's family home?

4. In "Boston Common at Twilight," what is the name of Ned's aunt?

5. In "Why I Don't Write," which author does the narrator say stopped writing poetry at 21?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "While It Lasts," what subject does Isabel keep making bitter jokes about, and why does she do this?

2. In "Café Mort," why does the narrator say that the stream of advice coming from the patrons is "either instructive or ironic, depending on your perspective" (93)?

3. In "Café Mort," what evidence is there that the narrator is ready to leave her grief behind even before Anita speaks to her?

4. In "Café Mort," what does the narrator need to rid herself of before she can leave the café?

5. In "Café Mort," what does her experience at the café teach the narrator about being "lucky" in life?

6. In "Why I Don't Write," what is the page 69 phrase "The thumping far below the floor" an allusion to, and what is its thematic significance?

7. In "While It Lasts," what does Isabel want from Bonnie, and why?

8. In "While It Lasts," how does the knapsack embody George's personality?

9. In the second paragraph of "Why I Don't Write," what is the implication of the list following the phrase "then it all stops" (65)?

10. In "Boston Common at Twilight," why does Ned end up taking an earlier train than usual, and how does this matter to the story's plot?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,078 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample