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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 nationality is Toph's babysitter?

2. What do Dave and Toph have sword fights with?

3. What is Dave's only income in this chapter?

4. Why do Dave and Toph have to rush to the school open house?

5. Where are Dave's friends from?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way does Dave struggle with the memory of his parents in Chapter 4?

2. Why does Dave call a nurse rather than take his mother to the hospital?

3. What is wrong with Dave's mother at the beginning of Chapter 1?

4. How does a group of Mexican children harass Dave and Meredith in Chapter 5?

5. Why doesn't Dave like telling people why he has to look after Toph?

6. How does Dave's disorganization affect Toph?

7. What kind of relationships with women does Dave have during this period?

8. What different directions do the characters take in Chapter 2?

9. Summarize Chapter 3.

10. Summarize Chapter 4.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What similarities in style and tone does Dave's memoir share with Might magazine?

Essay Topic 2

Identify the main themes of the story. Why do you think these themes are so important to the story? How does Eggers use character and setting to express his themes?

Essay Topic 3

Examine Dave's family.

1) How important is Dave's family to him? Are there some members of his family that were more important than others?

2) What would have happened to Dave if he did not have his family around when his parents died?

(see the answer keys)

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