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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. With which of the following does Chapter 8: "Pictures & Pits" begin?

2. With which of the following does Chapter 17: "History" begin?

3. As which of the following does Yolanda dress for Halloween?

4. With which of the following does Chapter 34: "Double-Crossed" begin?

5. On which candy does Julia note having overindulged?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Shayla note the Monday after Halloween got off to a bad start for her?

2. For what reason had Isabella absented herself from school?

3. What remarks does Principal Trask have about Shayla’s Halloween costume?

4. For what reason do the United Nations call themselves by that name?

5. Why does Shayla avoid getting running clothes in advance of her first track practice?

6. How does Shayla’s father explain restricted sports leagues?

7. How does Alex tease Shayla in the wake of the preseason meet?

8. Why does Shayla note disliking gym class?

9. How does Shayla define talking?

10. How are “‘old school’ parties” defined in the novel (141-42)?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

To what extent can the protagonist be read as a stand-in for the author? What in the text and its contexts suggests as much, and how does it do so?

Essay Topic 2

Repeatedly in the novel, the protagonist associates itchy palms with coming troubles. Typically, however, itchy palms indicates financial concerns, often greed for money. What effect does the reframing of the symbolism in the present novel have, and how is it achieved?

Essay Topic 3

In the text, some characters receive full names—that is, given name and surname or family name—or have them heavily implied. Others do not. How does the naming align to the relative importance of the characters concerned, and what in the text indicates as much?

(see the answer keys)

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