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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. Who takes care of Don when Eva take the children on a week long camping trip?

2. What is the long prognosis for Don?

3. What does Nicole receive for an award?

4. What does the first friend he shares the story with believe?

5. What did Chris do when he every time he came home?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Don tell about waking up and having someone holding his hand and what does he find out about that?

2. Who sees Don off when he leaves the hospital and what do they expect?

3. What does David challenge Don to do and what happens?

4. What is one of the major changes Eva faces during Don's recovery? How does Don react to that change?

5. What does Don ask of his three children and how do they respond?

6. What is one of the worst parts of Don's recovery and how do they handle it?

7. With whom does Don finally share his entire story and how did it go?

8. What surprised Eva most about Don in the months after the accident and what did she do about it? How does she view Don?

9. How did his accident affect his mother and how does she help out?

10. Who does Don meet at the arena in Houston? What happens when he meets him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Don knows that people are to be compassionate and empathetic to others, but until he has his accident, he does not truly understand how to exhibit these behaviors. For Don, the process of healing is much more than learning to walk again.

1. Do you believe that people are to be compassionate and empathetic to others? Why or why not?

2. Why do you think Don learned how to be compassionate as the result of his accident?

3. What do you think the second sentence above means? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Don has lost all control over his life and must lie helplessly while others try to help him. Despair seems the only available emotion at this stage.

1. Do you think Don's loss of control and how he feels about it is unusual for people in his situation? Why or why not?

2. Explain how you think you would feel and react if you were in Don's situation.

3. Why do you think someone might despair after having come back from the dead? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 3

As Don struggles to process what has happened to him, various people point out that Don must open himself up if he is going to survive. Don must accept the help of others, learn to share his story and adjust to a new way of living his life.

1. Discuss why it might be necessary for Don to open himself up to survive. Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. Do you think everyone needs to learn to accept help from others? Why or why not?

3. What are some of the ways you've seen in the book that Don is adjusting to a new way of life?

(see the answer keys)

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