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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 old is Annie when her parents move to a new house on Richland Lane?

2. How old are Annie's parents when Annie thinks they are "saggy and decrepit"?

3. What does Annie start bringing to the park to give to homeless people living there?

4. Which of the following Bible verses had a profound effect on Annie's childhood?

5. In which city does Annie's father finally give up his dream and return home?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Annie describe life for the typical family after WWII?

2. How does Annie react to each of her sisters when they were born?

3. As she is drawing, what realization does Annie come to about the way children view the world?

4. How do Annie's parents feel about jokes in the home?

5. Why isn't Annie allowed to play with the Sheehy children?

6. Why does Annie Dillard's father leave home for a few months when she is a small girl, and what brings him back?

7. What is Mother's favorite joke about the brick and the little black poodle?

8. How does Annie explore the skin of her parents?

9. How does Oma feel about Annie scrounging for money on the beach?

10. What happened when Annie is caught throwing snowballs at a car?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As a child, Annie collected many things. Give at least two examples of elaborate collections Annie created in her childhood, and what those collections meant to her. Then, explain how her childhood collections may have led Annie to a life of writing as an adult.

Essay Topic 2

When Annie is visiting the Smokey Islands with her father, she is introduced to the locking system of the rivers. First, explain the function of the locking systems in rivers. Then, describe Annie's reaction to the locking systems, and how the knowledge of these systems altered her relationship with Father forever.

Essay Topic 3

Annie describes most of her interactions with boys through the dance lessons of her childhood. First, explain how Annie feels about the boys in Pittsburgh while she is a child. Then, explain how, and why, those feelings change as she matures into adulthood.

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