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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 country does Paddy want to visit when he grows up?

2. Which new student in Paddy's class does Paddy decide to fight?

3. What are the two new students' names that are placed in Paddy's class during his second year with Mr. Hennessey?

4. Who does Paddy want to be with after he falls asleep in class?

5. What kind of fish does Paddy's ma say is in fish fingers?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the fight between Paddy and his new classmate.

2. How does Paddy keep himself awake throughout the night?

3. Why doesn't Paddy want to visit the zoo again?

4. What steps does Paddy take to prevent his parents' fighting?

5. Explain why the boys felt that the dogs had their tails docked. What is Sinbad's opinion regarding the matter?

6. Using details from the text, describe what happens to Paddy when he falls asleep in school after staying up all night.

7. When Sinbad and Paddy are talking one night in bed, how does Sinbad respond to Paddy's claims that their parents are fighting?

8. How do Paddy and his friends react when one of their friends gets stuck in a trench and begins to sink?

9. What lies does Paddy tell Kevin when the two boys are talking about their parents fighting?

10. On several occasions, Sinbad and Paddy ask their parents for a dog. Describe the conversation that finally leads them to stop asking for a dog.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Paddy's relationship with his da. Do they have a good relationship? Why or why not? How does Paddy's relationship with his da compare to the relationship Liam/Aidan have with their da? What similarities do Paddy and his da share?

Essay Topic 2

What are some of the important places where Paddy and his friends spend their time? How do the boys spend their time at these places? Are the places safe? Are the boys' activities safe?

Essay Topic 3

How are the elements of conflict presented in the novel? Is Paddy the only character that has a conflict or are there others? Use details from the class discussion and the text to support your answers.

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