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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 Mrs. Arable do when Fern first claims that the animals talk?

2. What is Charlotte's middle initial?

3. Who gives Wilbur some bad news in Chapter 7?

4. How does the author describe the voice Wilbur hears at the end of Chapter 4?

5. What does the oldest sheep say is the quickest way to ruin a friendship?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of a father is Mr. Arable described as being?

2. How does Mrs. Arable feel about all the time Fern is spending in the barn?

3. What is the explosion mentioned in Chapter 10's title, and why is it important?

4. What is most remarkable about Wilbur's daily routine?

5. What effect does Charlotte's web have on the farm?

6. How does Charlotte explain that spider webs are a good thing?

7. How do people react to Charlotte's first web?

8. What might Mr. Arable mean when he says that maybe their ears aren't as sharp as Fern's?

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

10. What are some fun things described in Chapter 6 that children can do in nature during the spring and summer?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Because the narrative covers an extended period of time, the reader gets to witness several characters growing up and maturing. Focusing mainly on Fern and Wilbur, but also mentioning minor characters such as Avery and the goslings, write an essay about ways animals and humans change in this book as they grow up and mature.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the role cycles play in Charlotte's Web. Think about different kinds of cycles contained in the story, such as the span of time covered by the majority of the narrative (the cycle of a year) or the cycle that the life of each character follows.

Essay Topic 3

How do Garth Williams' illustrations deepen a reader's understandings of the characters, setting, and theme of the story? Examine the moments he chooses to illustrate and think about what they express that the text alone cannot. Address also how different the experience of reading the book would be without the illustrations.

(see the answer keys)

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