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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. In Chapter 23, when Fulghum finds out that his barber has left, what does Fulghum say it feels like?

2. At the end of Chapter 36, Fulghum receives a present in the mail from Nampa, Idaho. What is the gift that he receives?

3. How much does the boy charge who asks to rake Fulghum's yard?

4. What is the name of the band that plays in the tavern that Fulghum talks about in Chapter 35?

5. In Chapter 27, Fulghum speaks of a grumpy-looking man who has come down with a full-blown case of what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of fantasy does Fulghum speak about in Chapter 20, and what does it involve?

2. How does Fulghum explain how the people of imagination mentioned in Chapter 37 stand on one another's shoulders?

3. In Chapter 33, what does Fulghum say is his first clue that Elias Schwartz is the new Haiho Lama?

4. In Chapter 29, what does the couple that lives across the street from the author buy to ride on, and how does the couple ride it?

5. In Chapter 36, what are some of the deadly mixtures that Fulghum and his newfound stranded friend discuss?

6. How does Fulghum think people's attitude would be different if dandelions were rare and fragile?

7. In Chapter 40, what happens when V.P. Menon arrives in Delhi to seek a job in government?

8. What does the author do in Chapter 28 when his cuckoo clock is not working properly, and what happens to the clock?

9. What does Fulghum say will happen if you put a bunch of the stuff mentioned in Chapter 34 in a jar with water?

10. In Chapter 27, what does the man with scrooge-itis say about receiving gifts?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do you think Fulghum's interactions with children in his stories help emphasize the idea behind the book? How does Fulghum capture the innocence and honesty of children in his stories? Even in their worst form (when the boys are trying to kill all the moths) how does Fulghum still make the children he writes about endearing? Do you think Fulghum truly feels this way about children? Why or why not? Use specific examples from the book to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Fulghum speaks of his lawyer friend who says that we should just be and that life is all crap and it's all lies. Why do you think his friend feels this way? Why do you think someone who has been through so many experiences in life still thinks that his philosophy on life is wrong? Do you think Fulghum believes that life is "all crap" and that we should "just be"? Why or why not? Do you think Fulghum's lawyer friend is being cynical about life, or is he being more skeptical? Explain your answers, and use specific examples from the book to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

In the book, there are places when readers can learn interesting facts that they might not have known about previously. What things in the book are educational? What new things did you learn from the book? Was there anything you learned about that you had never heard of or known about? If so, what was it ?

(see the answer keys)

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