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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. Where does Laura have a cut in Chapter 1?

2. In Chapter 9, who is waiting at the bookshop when Miriam arrives?

3. What floor does Laura live on?

4. How old was Daniel when he died?

5. How many boxes of books did Carla Mayerson leave for her from her deceased sister Angela?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Carla think that Theo's writing success might end their marriage, and why did it not?

2. At the end of Chapter 10, what does Carla remember about a conversation she had with Daniel and Angela?

3. What does Carla remember about Ben's third birthday?

4. What does Theo tell the police that he saw Saturday morning?

5. Why does Miriam decide to check on a young man whose boat has been moored two days longer than he is entitled to be?

6. What does Carla tell the police about her nephew and his family?

7. What conversation does Laura have with her mother when she calls her in Chapter 8?

8. What did Miriam find when she check on a young man on a boat?

9. Where does Carla feel most at home?

10. What does Miriam believe that Theo Myerson did to her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cliffhangers are a literary device that leaves readers wondering what will happen next. How does the author use cliffhangers in A Slow Burning Fire? How do cliffhangers create suspense?

Essay Topic 2

Laura often makes bad choices. Why does Laura make bad choices? What does she attribute her bad choices to? Does Laura suffer from impulse control?

Essay Topic 3

Theo gets writer’s block after Ben’s death. How does the author use figurative language to describe Theo’s struggles and victories with writing?

(see the answer keys)

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