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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. What do Marcus and Will often talk about in Chapter 16?

2. What does Will have trouble doing in Chapter 6?

3. What does Marcus begin to imagine during lunch in Chapter 13?

4. What does Will suggest when Marcus tells him about his troubles at school?

5. What does Will do when he sees the older kids going after Marcus in Chapter 16?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Marcus try to turn off the film in Chapter 11?

2. What happens to a duck at the SPAT picnic? How does Will cover up for Marcus because of the duck?

3. Describe Will's lunch with Marcus and Fiona in Chapter 13.

4. Who is Angie?

5. Who is Will introduced to in Chapter 8? What is Will's first impression of this person?

6. What do Marcus, Suzie and Will discover at the end of Chapter 9?

7. What does Will find himself looking forward to?

8. Describe Will as depicted in Chapter 2.

9. What lie does Will tell in Chapter 8?

10. What happens to Marcus at the news agent's store in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the use of humor in the novel "About a Boy". What are some examples of humor used in the novel? What types of humor does Hornby use? Why might he use humor?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Hornby's use of irony. What are some examples of irony in the novel? How do these examples affect the reader's experience when reading the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Who is the author of the novel? What are some other works he has written? Describe his writing style.

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