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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. Jeff realizes that Melody and his principal at the University School tried to make him believe he wasn't ______________.

2. Jeff tells the Professor that he is okay, but that __________ what he had done to Melody is the hardest part.

3. Jeff feels sorry for Melody who never knew what the real ____________ were, according to him.

4. Brother Thomas sends Jeff ____________ about his father from national magazines and papers.

5. Jeff tells the Professor that Melody had said she would have taken him with her had Jeff been _____________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Jeff suddenly feel that his life is rich at the start of this chapter?

2. What does Wilhemina tell Jeff about the Tillerman family and how they arrived at their current home?

3. What was Phil's impression of Jeff's mother when she stopped in town to visit Jeff?

4. What is the achievement Jeff learns he and Dicey both share?

5. What does Jeff realize about the Professor's expectations of him at school?

6. What does Jeff do for the Tillermans, though he has gone out of his way to avoid them after Melody's visit?

7. Who is waiting for Jeff when he returns from his visit with Melody?

8. Why is the Professor worried when Gambo's lawyer is coming to visit their house?

9. What kind of business does Jeff set up over the summer with the help of the Tillermans?

10. What does Jeff realize about Dicey when Dicey's mother dies?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

During the case of separate and divorce, children are often made to chose one parent over another, as Jeff was.

Part 1: Why do you think it's important for a child to choose a side during a divorce?

Part 2: Why do you think it's unfair to have a child make a decision about who he should live with?

Part 3: In what ways might Jeff's life have been affected if he had made the opposite decisions about the parent to live with?

Essay Topic 2

The relationships between men and women are not as simple as we might like them to be.

Part 1: Why do you think the relationship between Professor and Melody did not work out?

Part 2: Do you believe the explanation as to why Melody married the Professor? Why or why not?

Part 3: How do you think the relationship between Professor and Melody might affect Jeff's perception of relationships?

Essay Topic 3

The complexity of the relationships in this story mirror so many other families in the world.

Part 1: Why do you think the adults in this story seem to have so many troubles with their relationships?

Part 2: Why do you think Jeff is put into the middle of the problems with his parents?

Part 3: Why do you think relationships are so difficult?

(see the answer keys)

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