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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. Where did Mero go to settle in The Half-Skinned Steer?

2. Where was Mero raised in The Half-Skinned Steer?

3. What does Mrs.Tinsley ask her husband to do for their son?

4. Where had Mero's father taken a job, causing a rift in his family?

5. Leeland's first job is at ______________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Leeland Lee do after returning from the army in Job History?

2. In The Blood Bay, why is the setting important?

3. Describe the Dunmire family in People in Hell Just Want a Drink of Water.

4. What happens when Mero first finds the road to the ranch in The Half-Skinned Steer?

5. What shelter does the rancher offer for the cowpokes to stay the night in The Blood Bay? What does he warn them?

6. Who is the protagonist of The Mud Below? How is this character's relationship with his mother?

7. Who becomes Diamond's second tour partner? How is this character described?

8. Where does Diamond go to school? What is his success there?

9. What happens when the rancher awakes in The Blood Bay? What is his reaction to the scene?

10. Who told Mero the story about the steer that was half-skinned? What happened in the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the author's use of irony in the ending of The Blood Bay. What type of irony is used? What is its intended effect?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the character of Ottaline in The Bunchgrass Edge of the World. What are her dreams and fears? What eccentricities does she have?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the characters of the narrator and Josanna in A Lonely Coast. What in their past ties these women together? Why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 845 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample