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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 something Fern does when she comes to visit Wilbur?

2. Why is a manure pile a good place to keep a young pig?

3. What spider body part does Charlotte teach Wilbur about?

4. What does Templeton do with the last egg?

5. Which of the following is not a reason Mr. Arable offers for why Fern must sell Wilbur?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of voice does Wilbur use to call for his new friend, and what does this voice tell the reader about Wilbur's development at this point?

2. How grown-up is Wilbur by the end of Chapter 3?

3. Are the goose and the gander more sentimental or more practical? Why do you think as you do?

4. How do the other animals feel about the fact that Templeton would have no problem with killing a baby gosling?

5. What sorts of things are most important to Fern at the beginning of the book?

6. How would you describe Wilbur's feelings about his early life with Fern in Chapter 2?

7. How seriously does Fern take her new responsibility of taking care of the pig?

8. What is Wilbur's boast and how does Fern feel when she hears him make it?

9. What is the relationship like between Fern and the animals at the beginning of Chapter 8?

10. How might the goose's personality be described?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the concept of freedom and what it means to be free, addressing questions such as the following: Are there different kinds of freedom, such as freedom of movement, freedom from worry, and freedom of choice? Which animals in this book were free, and in what way and to what degree? How do different kinds of freedom affect an animal's happiness and quality of life in this book?

Essay Topic 2

One of the main themes of the book is an acceptance of the practical side of nature: some animals must die so others may live. Write an essay evaluating this idea, mentioning moments in the book when the characters must face or cause death.

Essay Topic 3

How can Charlotte's webs be thought of as both a symbol of life and a symbol of death? Be sure to explain how the things they symbolize affect the meaning of the narrative and to use specific examples from the text to back up your argument.

(see the answer keys)

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