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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. What river did Dessie and Rawlings travel together?

2. Which of the following birds were almost extinct in Cross Creek until the government began to protect them?

3. Which of the following people was terrified of the green frogs in Cross Creek?

4. In what town did Rawlings and Dessie meet the yachtsman?

5. Which of the following creatures did Rawlings fear above all others while she was living in Cross Creek?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Rawlings keep cows on her farm?

2. What type of relationship did Rawlings have with the frogs that overtook Cross Creek in springtime?

3. What type of snakes lived on Rawlings's property, and how did she feel about these different varieties?

4. What trouble did ants give Rawlings during planting season on the farm?

5. What did Rawlings learn about her fear of snakes while she was out hunting with Ross?

6. What animals did Rawlings hunt with her Aunt Wilmer, and how did the women get along during their hunting trip?

7. How did the work around Rawlings's farm change in the heat of the summer?

8. Why did Rawlings fire Raymond?

9. What types of bread were regularly served in Cross Creek, and which was Rawlings's favorite?

10. What happened when Rawlings's car got stuck in the soft sand near her farm?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the end of the memoir, Rawlings struggles to come to terms with the idea of land ownership. First, describe what Rawlings believes is the responsibility of an owner to their land. Do you think Rawlings embodied these responsibilities? Then, explain who or what Rawlings believes is the true owner of land. In Rawlings's opinion, who owns Cross Creek? Do you agree with her?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the novel, Rawlings's closest ally on the farm was Black Martha. What role did Martha play on the farm? How did Martha's family treat Rawlings, who was essentially their boss? How did Rawlings's relationship with Martha change her as a person? What lessons did Rawlings learn from Martha? Do you think Martha was a positive or negative influence on Rawlings's life in Cross Creek?

Essay Topic 3

Shortly after Rawlings moved to Cross Creek, she was inundated with dating proposals from men who lived there. First, give a brief timeline of Rawlings romantic life throughout the course of the memoir. Then, choose two men who courted and Rawlings and describe them. What was Rawlings's reaction to each of these men's advances? What conclusions did Rawlings make about men in general through the courting process she experienced in Cross Creek? Do you think Rawlings's reactions to the men were too strong?

(see the answer keys)

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