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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. In the story The Nanny, who does Kayla stay with after losing her job?

2. How has Kayla heard that Jessica found out about her affair with the actor, Jessica's husband?

3. What personal item of her host's son does Kayla look through while staying in his room?

4. Who is Richard's girlfriend's husband?

5. How old is Kayla?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the impression of the headmaster of Rowan's school of both the parents of the injured boy and of Richard?

2. What bothers Richard about Rowan's attitude when he first meets Rowan at the boarding school?

3. How do the migrant farm workers seem to feel about Otto, from what Peter can tell?

4. Why is Kayla staying with Mary and Dennis in the story The Nanny?

5. How does Richard ruin Ana's weekend in the story Northeast Regional?

6. How does Kayla successfully escape from the party Mary and Dennis bring her to?

7. Who is Marion interested in sexually in the story Marion, and why is this a problem?

8. What does Richard's ex-wife Pam tell him when she calls late at night in the story Northeast Regional?

9. How does Ana change her interactions with Richard based on his mood?

10. What does Peter think about the way Otto and Heddy grew up on the farm and how it affected them long-term?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Cline build suspense, intrigue, and reader engagement across the stories in this collection? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Thora ultimately treat G so badly in the story A/S/L, fabricating a story about feeling unsafe in his presence at the rehab center? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Many of Cline's stories in this collection deal with father-adult children relationships. Write an essay exploring how Cline treats the theme of difficult father-child relationships across different stories.

(see the answer keys)

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