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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 do the people next door to Jen remind her of, as she describes them for the reader?

2. How many people does Jen work for during the week, allowing her to spend the rest of the time writing?

3. Since life is filled with insane situations, it seems that there is no reason to try to approach life as though these situations were always _____________.

4. What does Jen learn about a week before Eric says that he will be leaving her?

5. Wallace says that if he should become a vegetable that they ____________ pull the plug, according to his wishes.

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens between the children before they decide to go into the hospital after the surgery?

2. Why are the children so surprised that they get along when they are together in the present time?

3. Why does Wallace decide to make up a will before he goes into surgery?

4. What does Kathleen offer as an explanation for what happened at Jen and her meeting?

5. What happens to Wallace in the week before his surgery, making him think that Mercury is targeting him?

6. What happens when one of the Burn Outs offers to give Jen a ride to her work one day?

7. What does Eric do on Easter when Jen is very sick and lying in bed in her cabin?

8. What happens in order to wake Wallace up and to get him talking to his children in the room?

9. What does Wallace share with his child to be his hopes for the health problem he now faces?

10. What has happened to all of Jen's male friends, or so she remembers when she is driving away from the hospital?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Jen points out that sometimes things which seem senseless often turn out to be good in the end.

Part 1: Do you think that things in life are ever senseless?

Part 2: Why do you think something senseless might turn out to be good?

Part 3: How do you think a person might be able to make good out of a senseless situation?

Essay Topic 2

Randy presents his father with the dead heron, which he has now gotten stuffed.

Part 1: Why do you think Randy felt this was an appropriate present?

Part 2: What do you think the dead heron symbolizes for the family?

Part 3: Do you think that Wallace appreciates the gift?

Essay Topic 3

Visiting a loved one in the hospital is not an easy thing, and it can bring up a lot of emotions in people.

Part 1: Why do you think families and people tend to have troubles going to hospitals?

Part 2: Do you think you would have troubles going to see a loved one after surgery?

Part 3: How do you think a family might be able to make the trip to the hospital easier? Or can't they?

(see the answer keys)

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