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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 term refers to a book comprised of short stories, such as A Long Way from Chicago?

2. How old does Mrs. Weidenbach claim her father is in "Centennial Summer"?

3. How old is Joey Dowdel when he visits his Grandmother in "Centennial Summer"?

4. Of whom does Grandma Dowdel say "You couldn't blast [her] off her place with a charge of dynamite" in "Centennial Summer"?

5. What kind of show is put on by the ladies of the United Brethren Church at the Centennial Celebration?

Short Essay Questions

1. What fight breaks out during the parade in “Centennial Summer"? How is the fight resolved?

2. How does Joey contact Grandma Dowdel in “The Troop Train"? What information does he relay to her?

3. What do Joey and Mary Alice discover in Grandma Dowdel's attic in “Things with Wings"?

4. What exchange do Mary Alice and Joey witness between Vandalia Eubanks and her mother at the Coffee Pot Cafe in “The Phantom Brakeman”?

5. How old are Mary Alice and Joey when they visit Grandma Dowdel in “Centennial Summer"? How have they grown as characters?

6. What is implied by the conversation between Joey and Grandma at the end of “The Phantom Brakeman”?

7. Where does Grandma take Joey and Mary Alice to see a movie in “Things with Wings"? What do they see?

8. How is Uncle Grady Griswold described in “Centennial Summer"?

9. How does Grandma Dowdel succeed in getting Effie Wilcox her house back in “Things with Wings"?

10. What does the sign say that greets Joey and Mary Alice when they arrive at Grandma's town in “Centennial Summer"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the talent show in “Centennial Summer." Who performs in the talent show? Who wins the blue ribbon? Why is this a surprise for Joey?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the setting of “A One Woman Crime Wave." How has the atmosphere of the country changed since Mary Alice and Joey's earlier visits to Grandma? How has Grandma's house changed? How is the setting of this story related to its plot and themes?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the character of Ray Veech in A Long Way from Chicago. How old is Ray Veech when his character is first introduced? What stories does Ray appear in? How is his character perceived by Joey and Mary Alice?

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