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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 day does Ellen dread?

2. Who leaves envelopes of money in Ellen's mailbox?

3. In Chapter 11, what truths does Ellen begin to figure out?

4. What does Ellen tell her Aunt Nadine she would like for Christmas?

5. What is Ellen's grandmother's response when Ellen asks her grandmother why she hates her?

Short Essay Questions

1. Using detail from the text to support your answer, why does Ellen decide to treat Nadine's residence like a hotel?

2. Why do Ellen and Starletta keep a list?

3. Ellen found several questionable items in her cousin's bedroom. Why doesn't Ellen tell her aunt about these items?

4. In Chapter 11, Ellen tells the reader that her grandmother passed away. Ellen feels that in her death her grandmother left "the score two to one". What score is Ellen referring to and why does Ellen make this statement?

5. How do Nadine and Betsy react to their mother's death?

6. How does Ellen express a lack of belonging throughout Chapters 1-8?

7. In what ways does Ellen's grandmother display paranoia?

8. What happens to Julia and Roy after Ellen moves out?

9. What are some of the family secrets that Ellen uncovers/discovers while Ellen is living with her grandmother?

10. In Chapter 9, Ellen's father shows up at her school; using details from the text describe the scene that followed.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Using the text and class discussions as an aid describe some of Ellen's fears and how she overcame them.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the elements of Ellen's personality. How does Ellen exhibit a dualism in her personality?

Essay Topic 3

In class discussion, you learned about the literary elements of a climax. Using these discussions and the text, describe the climax in the story.

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