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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In what year is "Centennial Summer" set?
(a) 1937.
(b) 1935.
(c) 1939.
(d) 1941.

2. What war is taking place in "The Troop Train"?
(a) The Mexican-American War.
(b) World War I.
(c) The Korean War.
(d) World War II.

3. How much does it cost to attend the local picture show on Wednesdays in Grandma Dowdel's town?
(a) 5 cents.
(b) 10 cents.
(c) 25 cents.
(d) 50 cents.

4. What kind of show is put on by the ladies of the United Brethren Church at the Centennial Celebration?
(a) A flower show.
(b) A comedic play.
(c) A quilt show.
(d) A dramatic reading.

5. How is Grandma Dowdel's character described physically in A Long Way from Chicago?
(a) Bent over and decrepit.
(b) Petite and prim.
(c) Tall and lanky.
(d) Larger than life.

6. What car does Joey describe as "shimmering in her loveliness" outside of Veech's garage in "Things with Wings"?
(a) A Terraplane 8.
(b) A Rolls-Royce.
(c) A Ford Model T.
(d) A Plymouth coupe.

7. What is the brand of orange soda pop that Joey and Mary Alice cherish in the narrative?
(a) Zesta.
(b) Tang.
(c) Nehi.
(d) Crush.

8. Grandma Dowdel's unnamed town in A Long Way from Chicago is based on what actual town?
(a) Cerro Gordo.
(b) Amity.
(c) Malvern.
(d) Fayetteville.

9. Where is the rummage sale advertised when Joey goes into town in the beginning of "Things with Wings"?
(a) The St. Mary Catholic Church.
(b) The United Episcopal Church.
(c) The United Brethren Church.
(d) The St. Edward Catholic Church.

10. When was author Richard Peck born?
(a) April 10, 1934.
(b) March 12, 1945.
(c) September 2, 1910.
(d) July 4, 1940.

11. Where does Joe Dowdel have to go for basic training in "The Troop Train"?
(a) Camp Shepherd.
(b) Camp Amarillo.
(c) Camp Jackson Hole.
(d) Camp Leonard Wood.

12. How late does Joe Dowdel's train leave the station in "The Troop Train"?
(a) Thirty minute late.
(b) Two hours late.
(c) An hour late.
(d) Three hours late.

13. What is Mrs. Weidenbach's nephew performing for the talent show in "Centennial Summer"?
(a) A dramatic reading.
(b) An opera solo.
(c) A piano solo.
(d) A tap routine.

14. Where has Mrs. Effie Wilcox gone to stay with her sister in "Things with Wings"?
(a) St. Louis.
(b) Jackson.
(c) Palmyra.
(d) Peoria.

15. What are the instructions for gentlemen on the new banner at the train station in "Centennial Summer"?
(a) "Exit to the right of the station."
(b) "Enter the physical strength contest!"
(c) "Grow a beard or pay a fine!"
(d) "Take your lady by the arm!"

Short Answer Questions

1. How much does Joey describe the soap "Cashmere Bouquet" as costing in "The Phantom Brakeman"?

2. Where does Joey say he and Mary Alice go to see the movies back home in "Things with Wings"?

3. How old is Vandalia in "The Phantom Brakeman"?

4. Who offers to buy the stovepipe hat that Grandma Dowdel brings to the rummage sale in "Things with Wings"?

5. What name does Mary Alice tell Joey she is giving to the puppy that she found in "The Phantom Brakeman"?

(see the answer keys)

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