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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. According to the owner of the voice Wilbur hears at the end of Chapter 4, when will Wilbur see him/her?

2. What happens once news of Charlotte's web spreads?

3. How does Fern like the barn best?

4. Why does Fern change her sneakers?

5. Why does Fern miss Wilbur's noontime feeding?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How might you compare and contrast the goose and Charlotte's attitudes toward life and death?

4. How does Wilbur act during his "escape"?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify and discuss examples from the novel that support the idea that one can live a happy life by accepting and loving all parts of nature, good and bad, from (as Wilbur puts it when thinking at the close of the novel that the barn is the best place to be) "the smell of manure" to "the glory of everything."

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Is there a moral to this story, and if so, what is it? Can it be summed up in a sentence? Does a character state it outright, or must the reader piece it together from the experience of reading the book? Use specific examples from the text to support your opinion.

(see the answer keys)

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