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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. How old is Greg Fife?

2. What is the result of what Kinsey does on the insurance fraud case?

3. The day after meeting with Greg Fife, Kinsey meets with his sister Diane. Where do they meet?

4. What does Kinsey learn just after returning to the key place?

5. After visiting Garry Steinberg, Kinsey hits the road for Santa Teresa and thinks about Charlie as she drives. What conclusion does she reach?

Short Essay Questions

1. After fighting and reconciling with Charlie, Kinsey meets with Homicide Detective Dolan again. What does he tell her about the "Darling Elizabeth" letter? How does Kinsey feel about this?

2. After her third visit to the Glass residence, Kinsey returns to Santa Teresa and sleeps until 4 in the afternoon. Then she heads to Nikki's beach house. What happens at the beach house?

3. After meeting with Con, Kinsey decides the time has come to finally trap Marcia Threadgill, the fraudster who is trying to get money out of the California Fidelity Insurance Company. What does Kinsey do?

4. After taking photos of Marcia Threadgill, Garry Steinberg passes some information on to Kinsey. What is it, and why might it be important to the case?

5. After meeting with Garry Steinberg, Kinsey goes back to the Glass residence where only Mrs. Glass is waiting for her. What happens when they go down to the basement to get Libby's things?

6. What surprising things does Gwen Fife tell Kinsey when she meets her at Rosie's Bar?

7. On the Monday after her meal with Charlie, Kinsey meets with Con Dolan at homicide. What is the outcome of her meeting with Con?

8. Kinsey decides she has to return to Nikki's beach house to follow up on something. What is it, and what is the result of the follow up?

9. When she gets home from Nikki's beach house, Charlie is waiting for Kinsey, but she is not very happy to see him. She agrees to go to dinner with him. What happens at the Ranch House restaurant?

10. Where does Kinsey go after she has attempted to find out more from Colin about Gwen?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define climax as part of the plot structure in literature. Where does the climax occur in "'A' Is for Alibi"? What is the result of the events of the climax? What does it reveal about the purpose of the story?

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

Rising action in a story or novel leads to the climax. It is usually composed of conflict of some sort that will ultimately lead to a climax in the story. List five examples where Grafton introduces conflict into the rising action to lead the story to a climax.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,317 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample