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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Elana say they have to decide?

2. What happens one day when the train comes to a stop?

3. What do the women do to relieve stress?

4. What does Lina explain to the gray-haired man?

5. To what summer program did Lina once apply for entrance?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the arrest of Lina's family.

2. What does Lina keep from her mother about Kostas?

3. Where does the truck go after Lina's family is on it and why does it go there?

4. What does Lina notice as the train is pulling away from the station?

5. Where are the prisoners and what does Lina remember about Stalin's agriculture policies?

6. What happens one day when it is Lina's turn to take the buckets for the food and water?

7. What does the bald man say about Hitler, and what does Lina think about it?

8. How do Lina, Elena and Mrs. Rimas relieve the stress of the camp?

9. What does Lina realize about her father's words about drawing?

10. Who introduces himself and what does he say about his father?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Between Shades of Gray belongs to the young adult novel genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the young adult novel genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a young adult historical novel and an adult historical novel mystery?

Essay Topic 2

The fact that the priest is issuing last rites as the train pulls away from the station is a significant indication that others know what's happening to those on the train. This is another question that's asked repeatedly about the atrocities performed by Stalin and Hitler. Why didn't people object? There isn't an easy answer and this question, like the question of why so many went quietly to their deaths, is left to the reader to decide. Discuss the following;

1. How much power does an individual have to end atrocities such as that demonstrated in "Between Shades of Gray"?

2. What characters intervene in the misuse of power and how do they do so? What is the outcome?

3. Do individuals have a moral obligation to try to stop the misuse of power? What about in small ways, such as dealing with a bully?

4. Compare the misuse of power by a dictator to that by a school bully. How are they alike? Different? Is it likely a dictator was a bully as a young person?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

1. Who is/are the protagonists of the story and why?

2. Who is/are the antagonists of the story and why?

3. Which 3 secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot?

4. Are any of the characters dispensable and which ones? Why or why not?

5. Do you think this is a character-driven plot or an action-driven plot? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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