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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. When does Joyce think the Sewing Circus is going to end?

2. Why does Ava decide to move?

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

4. How does Ava get her medicine for the HIV?

5. Whose arrival in Joyce's house brings joy?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Joyce say about the content of the envelope?

3. What does Eddie tell Ava about his jail sentence?

4. What does Ava see and do at Eddie's house?

5. What do the doctors say about Imani?

6. Who does Joyce see as a shining example for the other girls and why?

7. What kind of romance issue has come up for Ava in July?

8. How does Ava feel when leaving church?

9. What has Reverend Anderson sent Joyce and why?

10. What does Eddie ask Ava and how does she respond?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The theme of rising above adversity continues to thread throughout the book, and the author reveals some of the mechanisms that people use to accomplish that feat.

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

2. What do you think are some of the mechanisms people use to cope with adversity? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Time has also taken its toll on the lives of those closest to Ava, and we learn of the difficulties suffered by Joyce, Joyce and Ava's mother, Eddie and even Ava herself. Their stories are different, but the theme of success in spite of adversity is starting to emerge through the glimpses of character that the author reveals in these early chapters.

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

2. Do you think adversity can make a person try harder to be successful? Why or why not?

3. Do you think Ava, Joyce and Eddie's lives are any more difficult than most people's? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Gerry Anderson, the minister's wife, is the epitome of self righteous, judgmental behavior.

1. Do you think this statement is true? Why or why not? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. Tell about a situation you or someone you know was confronted with a judgmental person.

3. Do you think a person has the right to judge others and tell others how to behave? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 946 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample