View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Rose tells Ginny about ___________ less superficial, hidden self-centered side. He had a way of using his kindness to manipulate others.

2. What does Rose tell Ginny to cook for Pammy and Linda before she takes them back with her?

3. At the ___________ in the town where Ginny travels, the store manager notes that Larry is planning on moving to Des Moines.

4. Ginny and Rose, Ty and Pete have an unprecedented two-hour long conference with their new Mason City __________.

5. Feeling too awkward to go to the pool to swim, Ginny heads over to the ___________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Pete tell Rose the week before when she told him about her affair with Jess?

2. What does Ginny do in order to attempt to poison her sister, Rose?

3. What does Rose's physician tell Ginny about the condition of Rose and about her prognosis?

4. When Ginny is hiding in a dressing room, what does she overhear Larry say about her and Rose?

5. What does Ginny notice about 6 AM the morning after Pete's accident?

6. What did Ginny do when she was 3-and-a-half that made her aware of her own skin?

7. What happens when Pete gets drunk in Mason City and drives over to threaten Harold?

8. What does Rose let Ginny know in a short note she receives while Ginny is in her new place?

9. Why do Ginny and Caroline go about dividing possessions in the cold as it is late November?

10. What does Ginny do after asking Ty for $1000 and receiving that money from him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ginny finally escapes the farm and the country, leaving without explanation and without any plan for her future.

Part 1: Why do you think Ginny decided to leave when she did?

Part 2: Why do you think Ginny decided to leave without telling anyone she was going?

Part 3: What do Ginny's actions surrounding leaving say about her and about her emotional state at the time of her departure?

Essay Topic 2

The acres of the farm are obviously affecting the way the family interacts with each other. As the acres grow, the family becomes more volatile.

Part 1: How do you think the story might have changed had the acres been fewer in number?

Part 2: How do you think the story might have changed if Larry had simply kept all of the land for himself?

Part 3: Why do you think Larry decided to split up his land among different people?

Essay Topic 3

The theme of rural life is one that weaves its way in and around this story. This backdrop provides a unique setting in which certain things can and cannot occur.

Part 1: In what ways does rural life affect the story within this novel?

Part 2: Why do you think the rural setting was important to use in this story? Could a city landscape have worked?

Part 3: What kinds of things are explored when a story is placed in a rural setting which could not be explored in another location?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 729 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample