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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. Laurence Fife had had a lot of affairs. Gwen told Kinsey that one of his affairs was with Charlotte Mercer. Whom was she married to?

2. Where does Nikki Fife live, now that she is out of jail?

3. When Kinsey first visits him, what is the police detective's assessment of the Libby Glass case?

4. Kinsey is also working on an insurance fraud case. Whose apartment is she keeping tabs on after she concludes her first meeting with Charlie?

5. Kinsey goes to meet Charlie Scorsoni for the first time, and he keeps her waiting, so she grills his secretary. What is her name?

Short Essay Questions

1. Kinsey meets Nikki for the second time at Rosie's Bar. What is Rose's Bar, and what do they discuss there?

2. At Rosie's, Nikki and Kinsey go over some of the other people who were involved in Laurence's life. Who were Laurence's family members?

3. In Chapter 6, where does Kinsey meet Nikki to talk about what she has learned so far? What is the place like? What information do they share?

4. How does Kinsey get to Las Vegas?

5. The day after meeting Charlie Scorsoni, Kinsey meets Gwen Fife. Where do they meet, and what does Kinsey learn?

6. After meeting Sharon at the casino, Kinsey goes back to her motel room to sleep, still feeling sick, and is woken up by a phone call from Sharon at 8:30 that night. What happens while Kinsey is on the phone with Sharon?

7. What does Kinsey learn when she stops to speak to Laurence Fife's pharmacist before she leaves Montebello?

8. Kinsey tells Nikki she believes that Nikki is innocent. She agrees to take the case on certain conditions. What are they? What does Nikki do?

9. Kinsey confronts Lyle after she leaves the Glass residence by following him to his workplace. How does he respond to her questions about Libby?

10. What does the reader find out about the city of Santa Teresa in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

State the theme of A is for Alibi. How does the theme of the story reflected in the conflict? Give four examples with an explanation for each one.

Essay Topic 2

The role of the protagonist is portrayed in "'A' Is for Alibi" in both a positive and a negative light. Give at least three examples from the novel that characterize Kinsey in both these lights. Analyze one aspect of her behavior in the novel that shows her, as a protagonist, less than perfect.

Essay Topic 3

Conflict is a common element of writing in both fiction and nonfiction. Why is conflict so often used in narratives? How can it help move a story along? Give four examples where conflict in "'A' Is for Alibi" occurs and how it helps explain the relationship between Kinsey and other characters.

(see the answer keys)

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