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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. In Chapter 8, where is Laura's mother?

2. What window did Laura have to break into Friday night because she lost her key?

3. How many days a week does Miriam work at Books on a Boat?

4. What was Laura's father's job when she was a child?

5. In Chapter 1, what is Laura wearing?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When the police ask Laura about her relationship with Daniel, what does she say?

3. How did Carla and Theo's son Ben die?

4. What happened the day Angela's body was found?

5. How does Laura remember her father and Deidre reacting after she snuck out of the house when she was 13 and went to a party?

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

7. What does Miriam do every second Sunday?

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

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

10. How was Laura injured?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Angela is a single mother with a low-paying job and little support. How does Angela try to cope with her problems and her son? Does she use alcohol as a crutch? Is she an alcoholic?

Essay Topic 2

Laura discovers that what she is told about her accident is not true. How does Laura learn the truth about her accident? Why does she feel betrayed when she learns the truth?

Essay Topic 3

The setting in a book is the place or places where the action takes place. Where does A Slow Fire Burning take place? Is the setting simply a backdrop to the story and characters or does it take on the role of a character?

(see the answer keys)

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