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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 does Dr. Tibbets look like?

2. What interferes with Brennan's time with Mr. Homesley during the summer?

3. Why do the newspapers in the boxes look old to Brennan?

4. What does Brennan begin to have in Chapter 11?

5. What is the size of the bullet hole in the forehead of the skull?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is suggested about why the person to whom the skull belongs was killed and what suggestion is made for Brennan to find more information?

2. How long does it take for more information to come to Brennan and what does he do when Mr. Homesley calls about it?

3. What does Brennan find deep in the canyon and what does he do?

4. Why does Brennan think the skull belonged to a young person?

5. What kind of relationship do Brennan and Mr. Homesley end up having?

6. What does Brennan learn about the probable cause of death?

7. What does Brennan learn about the probable age of the person to whom the skull belongs?

8. What happens when Brennan wants to stop for the night and what does he learn about snakes?

9. What incident with Mr. Homesley does Brennan recall when he thinks of talking to him about the skull?

10. Where does Brennan meet Mr. Homesley, who do they see there and what does that person tell them about?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Brennan's mother has found the skull and called the police, taking the power of choice out of Brennan's hands. Brennan runs away and takes the skull back to the canyon.

1. Why do you think Brennan's mother called the police? Do you think this was a good decision on her part? Why or why not?

2. The above statement says that the call to the police took away Brennan's power of choice. Do you believe this is true? Why or why not?

3. Do you think Brennan was right to run away? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. What is the symbolism between Brennan's life and Coyote Runs' life?

2. With research define narrative contrivance and make a case for or against whether the fact it was a fourteen year old boy who runs found the skull and other contrivances, such as Brennan injuring his ankle just as Coyote Runs' ankle was injured from being shot.

3. With research, chose a group of people today who are experiencing the same type of genocide that the American Indian experienced in the 1800s. Discuss the differences and similarities between the two groups of people.

Essay Topic 3

Brennan returns home from the camping trip and finds himself obsessed with the skull. Brennan has many dreams that are not of experiences he has ever had, making Brennan wonder if perhaps there is some kind of connection between him and the skull.

1. There seems to be an implication here that the dead can talk to the living in dreams. Do you believe this is true? Why or why not?

2. Do you think Brennan's reaction to the skull and the dreams is the way most 15-year-old boys would react? Why or why not?

3. Do you think Brennan's reaction to the skull and dreams is reasonable and believable? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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