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. Grandma discovers Arnold is a single man, and ___________.

2. March comes, and Mary Alice turns _______________.

3. Who turns out to be Mrs. Weidenbach's long-lost sistert?

4. The next day, Grandma negotiates a good deal for the hides with whom?

5. In a final Christmas surprise, Grandma did what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Ina-Rae and Mary Alice get back at Carleen? Why do they do it in this way?

2. How is Mary Alice's date interrupted? How is this foreshadowed?

3. What is the final surprise in this chapter? Are you surprised by this? Why or why not?

4. What is Grandma's final surprise for Mary Alice? What does this reinforce about Grandma?

5. How do the girls react when a new boy enrolls in school? How does Mary Alice act? Why might she act this way?

6. What is one way that Grandma surprises Mary Alice during this holiday season? How is this important?

7. What does Bootsie bring back to Mary Alice? Why might he do this?

8. What is learned about Mrs. Weidenbach? How is this significant?

9. How has Mary Alice's relationship with the other girls changed? In what ways has it stayed the same?

10. How does Mrs. Weidenbach act when Grandma agrees to bake the tarts, if the meeting is held at Grandma's home? Why does she react this way?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"A Dangerous Man" touches upon the stereotype of spring.

Part 1) What is the stereotype of spring? How is this touched upon in this chapter? How does this stereotype affect the characters in this book?

Part 2) What is the author's purpose for focusing on this stereotype? How is this stereotype tied to other events and/or themes in this book?

Part 3) What is another story that focuses on this stereotype? What is the reason for this? What are the similarities between this story and "A Year Down Yonder"?

Essay Topic 2

The Christmas season brings many surprises.

Part 1) What are the Christmas season surprises? How does each surprise come about? How are these surprises significant to the plot and/or character development?

Part 2) How is surprise an important aspect of this book? What other surprises take place throughout this book? What are the purposes of all these surprises? How are various characters change by the surprises in this story?

Part 3) What surprises have been significant in your own life? How have you been changed by surprise events? How can you relate to the characters in this book, regarding surprising events?

Essay Topic 3

Pride is a theme.

Part 1) What is pride? How is this a theme in this story? What role does Grandma play in this theme? Why? How is this a universal theme?

Part 2) How can you relate to this theme? When has pride been an important theme in your own life? What can you learn about pride from this story?

Part 3) What other themes are important to this story? How is each theme significant? How are these themes connected to the main characters? How are these themes connected to one another?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,236 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample