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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 does Will realize is the only interesting thing about him?

2. What does Will tell Rachel in Chapter 28?

3. How does Will disappoint Marcus in Chapter 29?

4. What does Marcus promise to do for Will in Chapter 26?

5. How does Will feel about Fiona's request in Chapter 18?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Ellie and Marcus talk about at the party in Chapter 25?

2. What makes Will unhappy enough to skip Christmas in Chapter 18?

3. What do Will and Fiona discuss in Chapter 32?

4. Describe the Christmas dinner in Chapter 22.

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

6. Why does Will feel hesitant about helping Fiona in Chapter 30?

7. What deal do Marcus and Will make in Chapter 26?

8. Why does Marcus run out of the house in Chapter 26?

9. What does Will tell Marcus in Chapter 20 when Marcus tells Will about his run-in with Ellie?

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

Marcus struggles with bullying throughout the novel. Why might he be an easy target for bullies? What does Marcus do to try and avoid the bullies? Who does he blame for the bullying? What do the authority figures in his life do to help him?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Analyze and interpret the character Marcus. What are his defining character traits? What is most important to him and why? What important events take place during his life in the novel? How does he grow as a character as the novel progresses?

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