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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. Who is the narrator of the story?

2. Who did Grandpa Nye marry after the death of Grandmother Nye?

3. In what city does Grandfather Nye live?

4. What style house does Grandfather Nye have?

5. Who persuades Grandpa Nye's grandfather to move from Canada to Ohio?

Short Essay Questions

1. What book did Grandpa Nye write about his adventures in Canada?

2. Why does Vanessa get especially melancholy about Uncle Joab?

3. How does Grandpa Nye feel now about his days of paddling canoes as a boy?

4. Why does Vanessa think her grandfather looks like Tecumseh?

5. Who befriended Grandpa Nye while he was in college?

6. What does Grandpa Nye tell Vanessa about the DeGolyer branch of her family tree?

7. How long did it take for Dirk to finally kiss Vanessa?

8. Who is Vanessa's summer love?

9. Describe the flashback Vanessa has regarding Grandpa Nye and his homemade wine.

10. How do Vanessa and Lisa try to come to terms with the changes in their childhood home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Grandpa Nye's first wife and his second wife. How are they different? How are they similar?

Essay Topic 2

The dead of the house seem to be very much alive for Vanessa. How does she keep them alive? How does Grandpa Nye keep them alive? Why do Vanessa and Grandpa Nye feel it is so important to try to keep them alive? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses some important instances of flashbacks in the story. Explain what a flashback is and cite at least two making sure to explain what makes each a flashback.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 978 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample