View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Karen pressure Marina to do?

2. What does Marina do back at her hotel?

3. Who does Marina call when she arrives at her hotel?

4. Where is Marina's mother raised?

5. What does Marina do at Dr. Swenson's apartment that the Bovenders refrain from doing?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the letter from Dr. Swenson say about Anders Eckman?

2. What did Mr. Fox explain to Marina about the Lakashi women?

3. Why did Marina quit her OB-GYN residency program?

4. Who is Anders Eckman and what does Marina just learn about him?

5. Who is Milton and how does he help Marina when she lands in Manaus?

6. How does Dr. Swenson react when she realizes Marina intends to come to the jungle with her?

7. Who is Mr. Fox and how does he react to the news about Anders Eckman?

8. What does Marina think of Swenson's apartment and why does the doctor maintain it?

9. Describe Marina's parents.

10. What does Marina feel about the river?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Marina made a bad mistake during residency, not listening to her supervising physician and rushing a C section. Her actions in the hospital on the night of the botched C section were primarily caused not by her lack of skill, as she was well trained, but instead simply by a carelessness brought about because of her concerns that she had fallen in the eyes of her mentor. Marina clearly thought of Swenson as a mentor, but also elevated her to almost hero status. When she failed her, she was distracted, and as a result, made a profound mistake. Although forgiven by the mother and father of the blinded child, and also by the board, who allowed her to keep her residency, Marina was never able to forgive herself. She quit the program to avoid having to face Swenson and the others who knew of her mistake. She divorced her husband, in part, to distance herself from him and the friends who knew of the accident.

1. Do you think Marina had good reason to quit her residency program? Why or why not? Use examples from the story and your own life to support your answer.

2. Discuss the reasons you see for Marina divorcing her husband and cutting off relationships with friends she knew when she botched the C section. Use examples from the story and your own life to support your answer.

3. Do you think it is more difficult to learn from or perform for a teacher or mentor you idolize than one about whom you feel no such big feelings? Why or why not? Use examples from the story and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

State of Wonder belongs to the mystery genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the mystery genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a mystery and a historical novel?

Essay Topic 3

1. What is foreshadow? How many incidences of foreshadow are in State of Wonder? How does foreshadow contribute to a book's suspense?

2. Discuss an example of foreshadow in State of Wonder including why you believe it is foreshadow. Include examples from the book and your own life to illustrate your answer.

3. How do you think most people react to uncertainty in their lives? Use examples from State of Wonder and your own live to support your opinion.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,100 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample