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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. How does Marcus scare Ellie off in Chapter 25?

2. What does Fiona conclude of Will when they go out for a drink in Chapter 18?

3. What creates tension between Fiona and Lindsey in Chapter 23?

4. Why is Will unhappy in Chapter 18?

5. What makes Ellie cry in Chapter 29?

Short Essay Questions

1. What disappoints Marcus in Chapter 29?

2. How does Marcus defend his visits to Will's house in Chapter 17?

3. Who is Ellie? What do Ellie and Marcus talk about in Chapter 19?

4. What does Will confess to Rachel in Chapter 28?

5. What do Will and Fiona discuss over a drink in Chapter 18?

6. What happens outside a news agent in Chapter 27?

7. Why does Fiona suggest that Marcus visit his father? What makes Marcus agree to go?

8. What does the reader learn about Ellie's mother in Chapter 25?

9. How do Ellie and Zoe react in Chapter 21 when Marcus tells them that he knows Ellie was lying to him before?

10. Why does Marcus become angry at Ellie in Chapter 29?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the motif of family in the novel "About a Boy". Describe both Marcus' and Will's family. Is family important to Marcus? What does Marcus realize about family by the end of the novel? Why is this realization important for his character?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss conflict in the novel "About a Boy". Who is in conflict with whom and why? How do these conflicts affect the plot and the characters?

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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