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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 do Willie and his father stop during their motorcycle ride?

2. Why is Willie so devastated by his parents' fight?

3. What does Willie do to try to help himself get to sleep?

4. Why does Mr. Walker ask Willie to be the team-manager for girls' basketball?

5. What sport does Johnny suggest for Willie's "new sport"?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways is Oakland different from Coho, Montana?

2. In what ways does Sammy help Willie?

3. Why does Lisa offer to help Willie?

4. What is special about the basketball game that Willie plays with Hawk and Kato?

5. Why does Johnny Rivers lament the fact that they are juniors?

6. How has Willie's family changed since his accident?

7. How does Petey Shropshire cause Willie to lose control of his anger?

8. How does Willie discover that Jenny has developed a romantic relationship with Jeff Rhodes?

9. How has Willie changed over the past year?

10. How does Sal Whitworth's comment about "I'm catching on..." affect Willie?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In many ways, Big Will is a one-dimensional character. His identity is centered around his reputation as a sports hero. Analyze the effect that Willie's accident and disappearance have on Big Will's perception of himself. Why is he unable to recover from the tragedy? Be sure to provide textual support.

Essay Topic 2

How does Willie's perspective on taking risks develop throughout the novel? What experiences change the way he feels about taking risks?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Oakland, California and Coho, Montana. What experiences is Willie unprepared for upon his arrival in Oakland, and how does he learn to adapt? Provide evidence from the text to support your observations.

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This section contains 933 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample