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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 is an example of how Mother's approach to parenting tempered Dad's approach?

2. Which of the following is true of Mother's background?

3. Why did Dad name their first car "Foolish Carriage"?

4. Which is an example of how Mother and Dad allowed the children to have a say in the running of the household?

5. How did Mother usually respond to Dad's joking and situations that would come up with the children?

Short Essay Questions

1. When a woman mistakenly thought the family was a group of orphans, how did Dad respond?

2. How did Mother and Dad each strive to educate the children while they ate lunch on their road trips?

3. What are two examples of ways in which Dad did not allow any time to be wasted for the children?

4. By what method did Mother and Dad choose to run the household?

5. Why did Dad name the family's first car the "Foolish Carriage"?

6. Whenever Mother asserted herself, how did Dad usually respond?

7. What did "Visiting Mrs. Murphy" mean to the Gilbreth family?

8. In the Preface of the book, what did Ernestine Carey Gilbreth share about the popularity of "Cheaper by the Dozen"?

9. How did dad surprise the family with their first car?

10. What key elements of the book were introduced in the Preface of "Cheaper by the Dozen"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mother and Dad came from very different families. When the children were ill, there was a stark contrast between the care provided by Mother's family in California and the care provided by Dad and Grandma Gilbreth. Discuss the contrasts between each family's approach to taking care of the children.

Essay Topic 2

Although Mother was generally reserved and quiet, throughout the book the authors made a point of sharing anecdotes which presented Mother's sense of humor and appreciation for a good joke. Identify three examples of this from the book, and discuss how this trait blends well with Mother's personality.

Essay Topic 3

Foreshadowing was used twice in the book to express Dad's anxieties about dying at a young age. Cite two specific examples of this from the book and how the examples foreshadowed Dad's actual death at age 55.

(see the answer keys)

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