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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 is Lindsey doing when she goes into the bathroom and cries?

2. Why doesn't Colin end up going out on a date with Marie in his junior year?

3. What does Colin say to Lindsey's boyfriend in reply?

4. What does the note from Hollis say?

5. What does Hassan tell Colin they are going to do over the weekend?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Katrina with in the cemetery and what does he do when Hassan and Colin make their presence known?

2. Where does Colin say he is going and where does he actually go?

3. How does Hollis explain Roy's actions with the bulldozer?

4. Describe the incident that Hassan and Colin have with the feral pig.

5. Who are the boys supposed to interview the day after the fight?

6. What does Hollis tell Colin and Hassan about Lindsey when they get home from Memphis?

7. Where do Colin and Lindsey go on their "date"?

8. What do Hassan and Colin do on their fifth day in Gutshot?

9. What will happen between Colin and Lindsey according to Colin's theorem?

10. How do Colin and Hassan get separated from the others?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of John Green.

2. What in Green's background may have helped him in writing "An Abundance of Katherines"? What may have influenced the way he depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his/her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.

4. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

5. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the Green's agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Green's probable agenda concerning that idea.

6. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface? Why or why not?

7. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author? Explain your answer with examples.

Essay Topic 2

Hassan is a symbol of what is normal conversation for the average person, so that Colin knows what is appropriate to talk about and what makes people look at him as if there is something wrong with him. Colin relates his inability to see what the future holds with his nearsightedness. While Colin is only 17, he believes that he is past the prime in his life because most prodigies peak at 12 or 13. This thought process reinforces that Colin does not see what is in front of him, the life out there he has left to experience, because he is so focused on his lack of living up to being a prodigy.

1. Do you think it is possible to learn how to talk to people from observing a friend? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and "An Abundance of Katherines" to support your answer.

2. Discuss the symbolism of Colin's nearsightedness and him not being able to see not only the future but what is normal behavior in a group of his peers. Use examples from your own life and "An Abundance of Katherines" to support your answer.

3. How might not being able to live up to an example, whether it is being a prodigy, or to any older brother or sister or parents' expectations can affect a person emotionally. Use examples from your own life and "An Abundance of Katherines" to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

1. Who is/are the protagonists of the story and why? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Who is/are the antagonists of the story and why? Use examples from the story and your own life to support your answer.

3. Which 3 secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot? Use examples from "An Abundance of Katherines" and your own life to support your answer.

4. Are any of the characters dispensable and which ones? Why or why not? Use examples from "An Abundance of Katherines" and your own life to support your answer.

5. Do you think this is a character-driven plot or an action-driven plot? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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