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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 is the Old Man's absolute favorite ride at the County Fair?

2. When the family finally arrives at their summer trip destination, what obstacles do they immediately encounter?

3. What does the Old Man find touching when he's looking at the County Fair quilts with his family?

4. The narrator and his family eat practically the same thing every day, except on what occasion?

5. What do the Old Man and Mother do well into the night in preparation for their Michigan trip?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is top spinning, and why are the boys of Warren G. Harding Elementary School so obsessed with this pastime?

2. Where does the narrator find a top worthy of a battle against Scut Farkas, the school's bully and master top spinner?

3. Describe some of the interesting sights the four members of the Shepherd family see while they are together at the County Fair.

4. Describe the race that the Old Man and the narrator watch at the County Fair.

5. On departure day, why does the Shepherd family fail to leave for their annual trip at six in the morning as planned?

6. Describe some of what makes the Shepherd family a traditional one.

7. Describe the conditions inside the car during the drive to Clear Lake, Michigan.

8. Describe the yard of the Bumpus family.

9. How does the narrator trick Farkas into challenging him to a battle of spinning tops?

10. How does Delbert Bumpus disrupt life at school?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Although a quiet force who's often in the background, Mother is still a strong, powerful force in the book. Explain how Mother supports the narrator, Randy, and the Old Man, helping make their lives smoother even when it means making sacrifices on her part.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the Shepherd and the Bumpus families.

1. In what ways do the Bumpuses annoy the Old Man and his family?

2. Despite the stark differences between the Shepherds and the Bumpuses, what makes each family bizarre and eccentric in its own way?

Essay Topic 3

How does the author illustrate group or mob mentality through some of his stories? What messages does he convey regarding group behavior? What conclusions can you reach about his own thoughts and feelings on this subject?

(see the answer keys)

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