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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. How does Joyce feel about the reputation of the group with some people?

2. What type of job did Ava have?

3. Who walks in the room while Joyce is demonstrating condoms?

4. What is Eddie doing when Ava arrives at his house?

5. How does Joyce seem to be feeling at the beginning of the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are the two sisters reacting to Imani's presence in the house?

2. What does Ava see when a car pulls into the driveway while Joyce is out of town?

3. What do Eddie and Ava do after talking and how does Ava feel about it?

4. Why does Ava get angry at the pharmacist when she went to get her prescription?

5. What does Eddie do about Frank and Mattie?

6. What is different about Ava's morning the night after she had sex with Eddie?

7. Who is Aretha and what are are hopes for her future?

8. How does Joyce demonstrate condoms and what happens while she's doing it?

9. What does Ava see at Joyce's house and how does she feel?

10. What does the success of the Sewing Circus move Joyce to do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Clearly, the adversity faced by Eddie and Ava has provided each of them with not only a tolerance for situations that are far from perfect, but also respect for the core of the other person.

1. What do you think is meant by this statement? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. Do you think if Eddie had had no problems in his life he would have accepted Ava as well? Why or why not.

3. Do you think adversity is necessary in order to make a person tolerance? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The author's use of time shifts is an effective technique that allows her to share Ava's thoughts without the benefit of dialogue with another character.

1. Why do you think using flashbacks is an effective technique to tell about Ava? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. Chose one scene in the book that is a flashback and rewrite it as a dialogue between Ava and another person to convey the same information. Which method did you like better?

3. Write a brief summary of what you learned about Ava via the flashbacks. Include not just facts but her emotions and thoughts.

Essay Topic 3

Being diagnosed HIV positive has hastened Ava's enlightenment and sense of urgency to make the most of her life, and this comes through in the tone and style created by the author.

1. What do you think is meant by this statement? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. What would you do if you were in Ava's situation? Use examples from the book and your life to illustrate your answer.

3. Do you think a diagnosis like Ava's is the only way people can learn to live witha sense of urgency? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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