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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 Rebecca do when she realizes what has happened between her mother and Sam?

2. Why are Joley, Hadley and Rebecca preparing to go into town?

3. How does Arlo van Cleeb greet Rebecca?

4. Why does Oliver want to prove he is a new man prepared to rescue their family?

5. How does Jane learn that Oliver is proclaiming his love for her?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Oliver do at the Blue Diner?

2. How does this scene become slightly awkward?

3. What does Joley say in his letter to Jane?

4. What takes place when Jane and Rebecca visit the Shedd Aquarium?

5. How does the relationship between Jane and Sam change?

6. What takes place in the last moments between Sam and Jane?

7. How do Oliver's plans to find Jane and Rebecca change?

8. What takes place between Jane and Sam?

9. How does Oliver help a whale?

10. What takes place at an Elvis-themed diner?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rebecca hitchhikes to Sand Castle Lane and spends a night with Hadley on Mt. Deception.

Part 1) Why does she hitchhike here? Through what difficulties must she go to get to Sand Castle Lane? Why does she do this?

Part 2) What is the significance of the name Sand Castle Lane?

Part 3) The relationship between Hadley and Rebecca ends on Mt. Deception. What is the significance of this mountain's name? What connection does the name have with events in the story?

Essay Topic 2

The author builds dislike for Oliver.

Part 1) How does the author build dislike for Oliver? Why does she build this dislike?

Part 2) How does this add contrast to the story? How does this contrast affect the story?

Part 3) How does the author, later in the book, show depth in this character? How does this building up of dislike add to the depth of the character?

Essay Topic 3

Oliver's first love is studying whales.

Part 1) How do you know this is his first love? How does this affect his marriage and relationship with his daughter?

Part 2) How does his knowledge and love of whales make him overly confident? How does this also lead to an understanding of himself?

Part 3) How is this love of whales and the connection with water threaded through this story and in the lives of other characters?

(see the answer keys)

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