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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 highway does William travel on when he begins his trip on March 20th?

2. What does William think of Dime Box, Texas?

3. Where does William sleep most nights on his trip across America?

4. What is wrong with Porfirio's leg?

5. What meal does William eat at the Retreat House with the monks at the end of "Eastward"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when William sleeps in his van on the campus of East Carolina University?

2. When Ghost Dancing is blocked on a mountain road at 10,000 feet, how does William survive the night?

3. How does William discover information about his Caucasian relatives in North Carolina?

4. What are blue highways?

5. What is Portal Paradise?

6. Describe the weather conditions as William drives across the Appalachian Mountains.

7. What does William learn from Kendrick Fritz?

8. Does William enjoy the open landscape of New Mexico?

9. What causes William to travel across America?

10. Why does William name his van "Ghost Dancing"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the symbolism of William's van, Ghost Dancing. Why does he give this name to his van? What does it represent to him?

Essay Topic 2

Why is Portal Paradise a surprise for William? What does he like and dislike about his stay in this place? What unsettles the peacefulness he originally finds there?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the physical challenges William faces during his journey. How does William survive these challenges? What does he learn because of them? Provide specific examples to support your answer.

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