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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. Which of the following is NOT a topic Annie studied in her free time?

2. What is the oldest rock known to man?

3. How does Annie feel about the rock collection when she inherits it?

4. According to Annie Dillard's studies, how old is the earth?

5. What is the word Annie discovers during her rock tests that means "to fly away"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Andrew Carnegie, and what impact did he have on the city of Pittsburgh?

2. What does Annie find most fascinating about the French-Indian War?

3. How does Annie start her insect collection?

4. What does Annie think the collection of fall leaves exemplifies in the imagination of children?

5. What Bible verse strikes a particular cord with Annie and her imagination?

6. Who does Annie fall in love with while at the Sewickley Dance?

7. What does Annie imagine life would be like if an atom bomb were dropped on her neighborhood?

8. Why does the mother Mrs. McVicker had in a jar fascinate Annie so thoroughly?

9. What advice about dancing does Mother give to Annie before she attends the Sewickley Dance?

10. Why is Annie labeled a "troubled child" while in her teens?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Annie is a young child, her father makes the decision to leave the family and travel down the Mississippi. First, explain why Father made the decision to travel down the river, and whether or not he succeeded. Then, describe the family's reaction to Father's journey. Finally, explain the impact her father's journey had on Annie's life as an adult, and how it inspired her.

Essay Topic 2

One main undercurrent of Annie's memoir is the discussion of racism within her city. First, give one example of a person in this memoir who exemplifies a racist attitude. Then, explain how that person's attitude compares / contrasts to the attitude of Annie and the rest of her family.

Essay Topic 3

In school, Annie's class hatches the larvae of a Polyphemus moth. First, explain Annie's emotions at the anticipation of the moth's hatching. Then, explain the devastating effects of captivity on the classroom moth. Finally, describe Annie's emotions when she sees the moth set free.

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This section contains 924 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample