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 Beans do with the contents of the spaghetti and meatballs container from the freezer?

2. Where do the gang go after Beans has opened his presents?

3. What do the boys begin yelling at the park when they are playing their game?

4. Who does Palmer find in his room when he comes home from Beans's party?

5. What does Palmer feel "lurking in shadowy doorways"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What chores does Palmer offer to do for himself? Why does he offer to take care of his own room?

2. How does Palmer come up with the name for his pigeon? What do people feel about animals when they name them? How does Palmer feel about his pigeon?

3. When the boys find Farquar, he is on the soccer field and all but Palmer rush over to see him. Why does Palmer lag behind? What is he experiencing walking onto the field?

4. Palmer finally becomes old enough to read the inscription on his father's trophy in the den. What did he pretend it said when he was younger? What does it really say? How does Palmer respond to learning what the words actually are?

5. Beans begins to escalate the treestumping of Dorothy to get a reaction from her, but she gives him none. His cruel behavior escalates until Dorothy finally does react. What is her reaction, and how does this affect Palmer?

6. Palmer asks his mother for a favor. What is the favor, and why does Palmer ask her? How does he explain this to his mother?

7. Palmer begins to identify a certain smell associated with the pigeon shoot. Describe the smell and how it injects itself into Palmer's life.

8. How does Palmer react in Chapter 13 when he is awakened by tapping? Who does he think is at the window? What does he find?

9. Palmer tries to explain to Dorothy why he cannot tell people he does not want to be a wringer. What kinds of pressure does he feel? How does he think people will react?

10. What is The Treatment? What does it mean to Palmer to receive The Treatment? What does Palmer get after getting through The Treatment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are two traditions in Palmer's town that frighten him, and yet he is drawn toward them both. What are these traditions? Why do they both frighten and interest Palmer? How are these two traditions similar?

Essay Topic 2

When Palmer's father catches the fly ball at the ballgame and gives it to Palmer, the narrator says Palmer held the ball on the way home and "imagined he felt a heartbeat." What does the narrator mean by this statement?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 32, Palmer makes an important observation about Henry. What is the observation, and how does it affect Palmer's behavior? Do you think Palmer's observation is correct?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,165 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample