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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. Who does Mike say Diane will probably get involved with?

2. What do Dru and her mother do when they finish talking?

3. What is Dru's father's opinion of his children's education?

4. Why does Elisa keep getting upset?

5. What do Mike and Dru decide to do the day after the dinner party?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Dru's mother say to Dru after they get home from dinner at Mike's house?

2. Where does everyone go from the celebration and what does Dru promise Elisa?

3. What does Elisa want Dru to warn Tom about and what does Dru say to Tom?

4. Who picks Dru up at Elisa's and how does she get ready to go to the party?

5. What happens when Dru's family first arrives at Mike's house, how is the dinner and why does Janie irritate Dru?

6. What does Mike and Dru talk about concerning Tom's stitches and jumping?

7. Where has Dru and her family been invited, how does her mother react to the invitation and how does Dru feel about it?

8. Why does Dru get angry with her mother, what does she say and how does her mother respond?

9. Where is the party after Scooter and Elisa's jump, what is there and who does Diane pay attention to? Where does Mike and Dru sit?

10. What does Dru remember about the first night Mike noticed her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Characters are an important part of what makes "Jumping the Nail" interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Dru. What are her strengths? Her weaknesses? How does she contribute to the plot? Is she a sympathetic character? Is she ever likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

2. Thoroughly discuss and analyze the character of the Mike. What are his strengths? His weaknesses? How does he contribute to the plot? Is he a sympathetic character? Is he always likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

3. Thoroughly discuss and analyze the character of Elisa. What are her strengths? Her weaknesses? How does she contribute to the plot? Is she a sympathetic character? Is she ever likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Jumping the Nail falls in the genre called youth. Discuss the following:

1. What is the definition of genre? Youth genre? How do you know "Jumping the Nail" falls in the genre of youth novel? Give examples.

2. Other than entertainment, why do you think people might read youth novel?

3. Fantasy is sometimes considered second-rate fiction--i.e. that it is not good enough to be studied in academe. Why do you think this is true? Do you think it is a valid argument?

Essay Topic 3

Dru is a bit guilty of catering to her boyfriend, just like Elisa. Mike is not controlling, but she will do certain things for him. She goes to the Spindrift, though she does not feel like it. She wears her hair the way he likes it. She looks longingly at her new clothes for Northwestern, a place that represents distance from Mike. In a subliminal way, Mike gets in her head. And she submits to what he wants.

1. Do you think it is positive or negative behavior to do certain things for another person even if you don't necessarily want to do them yourself? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Do you think there is a part of Dru who believes she is giving up too much of herself to date Mike? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Do you think the female in a relationship tends to give up more than the male? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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