A Civil Action | Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Boston, 1986; Woburn, Summer 1966; The Lawyer

1. When Anne Anderson begins her own investigation into the leukemia cluster, what is her initial step?

2. According to the city engineer of Woburn, what causes the foul taste and murky discoloration from Wells G and H?

3. What is the official city response to the citizen's committee to do something about the water?

4. When Dr. John Truman is convinced that the number of incidents of leukemia constitute a cluster, what does he do?

5. What other illnesses, in addition to...
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